It’s a good thing Falcons coach Mike Smith bored us to tears in the final preseason game.

Yes, Smith lulled me to sleep by resting his starters, and that fourth preseason game turned into your typical sloppy (and definitely boring) fill-in-the-roster audition-fest. But as a result, I got a much-needed nap, and the Dirty Birds will enter the season relatively healthy.

Atlanta’s Week 1 opponent was not so lucky.

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin gambled, electing to give second-string QB Byron Leftwich a few snaps in the Steelers’ final preseason game. The backup suffered an MCL injury in the second quarter and will not play in the season opener. Untested Dennis Dixon, Pittsburgh’s No. 3 QB, will face the Falcons on Sunday.



Just in case you’ve lived under a rock this season or in a cave alongside Osama Bin Laden and haven’t heard the news, Pittsburgh starting QB Ben Roethisberger is suspended by the league for an alleged sexual assault of a college student in Georgia.

Charges were never filed against the Steelers' signal caller, but the league nevertheless suspended him for six games for violating the league’s conduct policy. That suspension was later reduced to four games by Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Of course, the Steelers are not the only team that will be down a starter.

The Falcons' Jonathan Babineaux was caught with marijuana in his car after a traffic stop on I-85 in suburban Gwinnett County. The Atlanta defensive end eventually copped a plea, and Goodell suspended him for a game. Perhaps, he should have just said nope to taking his friend to score some dope.

Trey Lewis will start in place of Babineaux in Week One.

In other news, Kroy Biermann’s strong preseason was rewarded with a start at DE, over the much-maligned and definitely missing-in-action Jamaal Anderson. And those Steelers receivers better get some ear plugs, as trash-talking rookie Sean Weatherspoon will start at outside linebacker in his first game as a pro.

Dunta Robinson should make his Falcons debut at cornerback. He has missed the preseason with a hamstring injury.

-- PHIL FOLEY
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