CANTON, Ohio -- Apparently, Cedrick Wilson took his complaint to the right people.

Apparently, he discussed his unhappiness about being ignored in the passing game with the people who matter most -- quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and offensive coordinator Bruce Arians.

"He came up to me at practice this week and told me he was going to be looking for me," Wilson said of Roethlisberger. "I can appreciate that and be thankful for that.

"I just want to go out and make plays for him and make sure he's one of the best quarterbacks in the league."

But it wasn't just Roethlisberger.

After catching two passes from Roethlisberger for 73 yards to set up the first touchdown, Wilson caught two passes from Charlie Batch and finished as the leading receiver in the Steelers' 20-7 victory against the New Orleans Saints in last night's Hall of Fame preseason game.

After complaining last week that he wasn't receiving enough attention in the passing game, Wilson was the center of attention in an offense that was efficient, productive and surprisingly crisp for a preseason opener.

"Ced's a guy capable of making plays," coach Mike Tomlin said. "It's not about the number of opportunities you get. It's about what you do when you get those opportunities."

After Wilson's public complaint at training camp, Tomlin, a former wide receiver, said he would be concerned if Wilson wasn't upset about not being involved in the passing offense.

But, Tomlin said, he cautioned Wilson to express complaint "to the right people ... somebody who can help solve the problem," not the media.

Apparently, he did.

"I said something to him, but he's been in the same offense for three years and he knows different numbers are called all the time," said Arians, who begins his first season as the team's offensive coordinator.

"You can't keep them all happy. I don't mind when they pop off. Just keep it in house."

Roethlisberger wasted little time looking for Wilson, who begins his third season with the Steelers.

On the second play of the game from his own 22, Roethlisberger faked a handoff to Najeh Davenport, rolled back to the right and lofted a 55-yard pass to Wilson, who got behind cornerback Fred Thomas and safety Kevin Kaesviharn.

Three plays later, on third-and-9, Roethlisberger found Wilson running across the middle and hit him for an 18-yard gain to the Saints' 4.

One play later, Davenport scored and the Steelers were on their way to an easy victory.

"The play was designed for him and pretty much only him, so it was open and I threw it deep to him," Roethlisberger said. "The next one to Ced I was just trying to find the open guy."

None of this should have been a surprise to Kaesviharn.

He was the Cincinnati Bengals safety two years ago when Wilson beat them for a 54-yard catch and a 43-yard touchdown on a gadget play in the Steelers' AFC wild-card playoff victory in Paul Brown Stadium.

But, after he also caught a touchdown in the AFC championship victory in Denver, Wilson wasn't able to follow up his productive playoff performance last season.

He had 37 catches and just one touchdown in 15 games and was replaced as the starter by Santonio Holmes late in the season.

Holmes, though, has not worked with the first-team offense at all because he missed the first week of training camp with an undisclosed surgical procedure.

While Tomlin said after the game there is still "plenty of time to let this play out," referring to the battle at split end, Wilson wasted little time taking advantage. Especially with some help from the right people.

"Cedrick's been really consistent in training camp this week," Arians said. "Santonio's a player, but you got to be on the field consistently to keep your job."

Wilson is hoping to do that this season.

And make more big plays like he did against the Saints.

"Coach Arians likes to put the ball in the air," Wilson said. "If we execute, he will do it more often. We have a pretty good young quarterback and we just have to make plays for him."