就在匹兹堡钢人队新任主帅迈克·汤姆林（Mike Tomlin）上演自己的处子秀之前，名人堂赛的举办地突然下起了大雨。不过雨来得快去得也快，天空很快晴朗起来。比赛开始前三分钟，天气看起来就像一个普通的温暖晴朗的夏日下午。

　　作为前任主帅比尔·考赫（Bill Cowher）的继任者，作为钢人队38年来的第三任主帅，汤姆林在上半场就确立了胜局，最终率领球队在名人堂赛中以20-7大胜新奥尔良圣徒，取得了这场季前赛揭幕战的胜利。钢人队进入状态之快，也许连汤姆林都要感到吃惊。

　　钢人四分卫本·罗斯利斯博格（Ben Roethlisberger）表现抢眼，他给外接手塞德里克·威尔森（Cedrick Wilson）传球3次成功2次，传球距离73码。在一次55码的进攻中，塞德里克绕过了圣徒中卫凯文·卡斯维汉（ Kevin Kaesviharn）接球成功，随后他又击败了圣徒第一角卫迈克·麦克肯兹（Mike McKenzie），接传球18码。

　　钢人的首发跑卫是内耶·达文波特（Najeh Davenport）和上赛季冲球超过1400码的威利·帕克（Willie Parker）。前者从4码线启动，冲球达阵，帮助球队7-0领先。

　　钢人先发阵容的看起来比圣徒更有效率，后者则常错失阻挡机会，或是在进攻时传球失误，而且他们也不能有效干扰罗斯利斯博格或者查理·白奇（Charlie Batch）的传球。这还仅仅是第一节。

　　随后的比赛，钢人队继续着他们的良好状态。新任进攻教练布鲁斯·阿里乌斯（Bruce Arians）设计了一个更开放的进攻战术，球队执行得很出色，尤其是在传球方面。他们让圣徒队不时显得在防守范围上捉襟见肘，而这正是后者上赛季的遗留问题。2006赛季，圣徒队让对手的16次进攻完成并推进了40码，这在全联盟是最高的。

　　第二节中，钢人外接手桑东尼奥·霍尔姆斯（Santonio Holmes）接到了四分卫布赖恩·皮埃尔（Brian St. Pierre）的41码传球。随后，霍尔姆斯又接到了皮埃尔的3码传球达阵成功，帮助球队将比分扩大为14-0.这节比赛还剩5分钟的时候，踢球手杰夫·里德（Jeff Reed）28码外点球中的，将钢人的领先优势扩大为17-0.

　　整个上半场，钢人和圣徒的推进码数比是305比56，传接球码数则是205比32.

　　第三节开始，圣徒的进攻终于有些起色。经过16档进攻，在推进了72码之后，他们终于来到了钢人队的1码线处。圣徒抓住了这第4档进攻的机会，凯文·达德利（Kevin Dudley）接住了四分卫杰森·法夫（Jason Fife）的传球，达阵成功，将比分扳成7-17.

　　不过钢人没有给对手任何翻身的机会，他们马上利用13档进攻推进44码，里德再次建功，39码外点球得手，使球队以20-7锁定胜局。

　　圣徒没有派上他们的主力跑卫杜斯·麦克阿莱斯特（Deuce McAllister），另一名跑卫雷吉·布什（Reggie Bush）也只带球两次，推进8码。主力四分卫德鲁·布里斯（Drew Brees）6次传球仅成功1次，传球距离仅6码，他评价说：“在第一场季前赛中，我们最终有机会和一些对手较量，并找出我们需要改进的地方。很显然，我们还有许多工作要做。”

　　钢人线卫拉里·富特（Larry Foote）对球队表现相当满意：“我们期待这赛季一直这样打球，希望能够在新赛季取得统治地位。”

原文 

CANTON, Ohio (AP) —— Moments before Mike Tomlin's debut as Steelers coach, wind-blown rain was pelting the field. Suddenly, the skies cleared, the rain ceased and the stands filled.

Less than three minutes into the game, the Steelers made it feel like a warm, sunny summer afternoon for the man replacing the retired Bill Cowher.

A dominant first half made Tomlin a winner, 20-7 over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday night in the preseason opener. Just the third head coach in the last 38 years in Pittsburgh, Tomlin had to be thrilled about his team's quick getaway in the Hall of Fame game.

Ben Roethlisberger was sharp in his only series, completing two of his three throws for 73 yards to Cedrick Wilson. On a 55-yard play, Wilson got behind safety Kevin Kaesviharn, then he beat New Orleans' top cornerback, Mike McKenzie, on an 18-yard crossing pattern.

"He came up to me at practice," Wilson said of Roethlisberger, "and told me he was going to be looking for me. I appreciate that and can be thankful for that. I just want to go out and make plays for him and make sure he is one of the best quarterbacks in the league."

Najeh Davenport, starting for 1,400-yard rusher Willie Parker, bulled in from the 4 for a 7-0 lead.

Pittsburgh's first-stringers were, by far, more efficient than New Orleans' starters, who missed blocks and dropped passes on offense and couldn't handle Roethlisberger or Charlie Batch when they threw. And that was just in the first quarter.

In the first half, Pittsburgh outgained New Orleans 305-56, including 205-32 in the air.

"This is how we want to play all season," linebacker Larry Foote said of stymieing the Saints, who didn't use starting running back Deuce McAllister and gave Reggie Bush only two carries for 8 yards. "We want to be dominating this year."

The Steelers kept making big plays, particularly on passes in a more wide-open offense designed by new coordinator Bruce Arians. They made the Saints look inept in coverage at times, an unfortunate carry-over from last season for New Orleans, which allowed 16 plays of more than 40 yards in 2006 —— a league high.

Along with Wilson's big gainer on the game's second play were a 38-yard screen pass to Carey Davis and a 41-yard completion from Brian St. Pierre to Santonio Holmes. St. Pierre hit Holmes on a 3-yard fade for a 14-0 edge.

That grew to 17-0 on Jeff Reed's 28-yard field goal set up by Davis' 58-yard run.

"In the first preseason game, you are finally getting a chance to go against someone else, and see where you have progressed," Saints quarterback Drew Brees said after going 1-for-6 for 6 yards. "Obviously, we still have some work to do."

But the Saints' third-stringers staged a 16-play, 72-yard drive capped by a fourth-down, 1-yard TD pass from Jason Fife to Kevin Dudley to open the second half. Pittsburgh's subs answered with a 13-play, 44-yard march to Reed's 39-yard field goal, taking up the remainder of the third period.

On hand were five of the six men inducted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday: Michael Irvin, Thurman Thomas, Bruce Matthews, Roger Wehrli and Charlie Sanders. The ailing Gene Hickerson was not in attendance.