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The Steelers' top two running backs are injured, their passing game limps and their top receiver sounds hurt that a contract extension has not been forthcoming.

Their first-team offense has not scored a touchdown, their backup kicker has more points than any starter, their defensive secondary has scored as many touchdowns as their entire offense with three apiece.

Other than that, all is right with the Steelers' offense.

"We have plenty of time to go out on the practice field and get better," said receiver Hines Ward, who has played little in two preseason games since ending his two-week contract holdout, "but we have to carry it over to game-time situations and learn how to get on the same page with everybody."

They're not even on the same page as to whether anything's wrong.

Coach Bill Cowher, after his team lost, 17-10, to the Washington Redskins without another touchdown on offense, said: "I'm disappointed in the effort tonight and I thought certainly, offensively, our passing game has not been in sync this entire preseason."

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger responded: "I have a lot of things to be optimistic and confident about. I'm confident in this offense, our offensive line did a great job tonight. I really think we have great potential and we're real close ... I'm not going to contradict coach. If he doesn't think guys did [give a good effort], then obviously they didn't, but I'm going to give our line lot of credit. I think they did a great job tonight."

Cowher compared the effort in Landover, Md., to what he termed a poor final week of training camp in Latrobe. Roethlisberger disagreed on that, too.

	NEXT Game: Steelers at Carolina Panthers in the final preseason game. When: 8 p.m. Thursday. Where: Charlotte, N.C. TV: KDKA.

"I thought the last couple of practices were good, mentally, for me and the rest of the quarterbacks. We got all the final stuff in. I really feel that, mentally, the last week of practice was really good."

It's obvious that the coach and starting quarterback see that half-full, half-empty glass differently.

They have one more game to get their offense straight, if not their story right, when the Steelers finish the preseason at Carolina Thursday. Jerome Bettis is not likely to play, although the club did not reveal the results of the MRI on his right calf yesterday. With Duce Staley out at least until the opener after Aug. 8 knee surgery, Verron Haynes may start at halfback because Cowher might hold healthy Willie Parker out until the Sept. 11 opener.

Cowher also said he will stick with his plan regarding playing time for the game. Last week, he said his starters would get their most extensive time of the preseason in the third game, which means the first-team offense will play less than one half in Carolina unless Cowher changes his mind.

That offense looks as if it could use an entire game for a tuneup. Receivers dropped passes and, at times, did not seem to want to catch them Friday night. And Roethlisberger was wild with some of his throws for the third consecutive game.

"I don't know, we're not being consistent, we're not converting on third downs," Ward said. "We're just out of sync right now, for whatever reason. I can't put a finger on it, we're just not in sync right now.

"Am I worried? No, because we still have two weeks before the regular season. We have plenty of time to go out on the practice field and get better, but we have to carry it over to game-time situations and learn how to get on the same page with everybody."

Roethlisberger completed 6 of 15 for 57 yards, one interception and had a 23.5 passer rating. He's 14 of 30 for 121 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions with a 30.0 passer rating in three preseason games. His stats don't nearly match how he says he has performed.

"I think tonight was good," he said of the game Friday. "We got a little more playing time, we went the whole first half. It felt good out there. I felt more comfortable. Every week, I feel more comfortable and I feel good out there and I know the receivers are starting to feel good with me and the line's getting comfortable with me. Like I said, we're one or two plays away from really making something happen."