Matt Freed, Post-Gazette One of the Steelers' bright spots last night at Heinz Field was a 41-yard touchdown catch and run by Walter Young. He outruns Atari Bigby to the end zone after taking the pass from Charlie Batch. Click photo for larger image. More Coverage: Left isn't right: Offensive line allows Packers five sacks Steelers Notebook: Greenfield native McCarthy makes hometown request Bob Smizik: Batch provides solid insurance Slideshow: Steelers vs. Packers Steelers Tailgating Video: No love for Steely Send us your Steelers training camp photos Listen In: Steelers beat writer Ed Bouchette recaps Saturday night's preseason game between the Steelers and Green Bay Packers: Steelers stumble in second preseason game

The Steelers unveiled a little more of their offense last night and, although it did not produce any points, it provided more evidence they will open things up.

The no-huddle appeared for the first time this year in the Steelers' 13-9 loss to the Green Bay Packers at Heinz Field last night. It was Mike Tomlin's first loss as an NFL coach after he won his first game last Sunday, and he was not particularly happy about it.

"Obviously, it wasn't successful tonight," Tomlin said of the no-huddle. "We could have handled it better."

Ben Roethlisberger hung around for only two series -- one more than last Sunday against the New Orleans Saints in Canton, Ohio -- and he ran the no-huddle on both of them. He completed both his passes for 14 yards. A sack and his fumble ended one series, however, and another ended when Najeh Davenport was stopped on third-and-1.

"We did a bunch of no-huddle stuff, but we didn't really get into a rhythm," said Roethlisberger, who was on the field for nine official plays and got one first down. "That's kind of tough when you're only playing two series. We weren't out there as much as we'd normally like, but we were at the point where we had to come out."

Roethlisberger played only one series in the first preseason game, and that included six plays and a touchdown.

"We didn't do bad, but we turned the ball over," receiver Hines Ward said. "A turnover -- you definitely don't want that to happen.

"We tried to do our hurry-up offense, and we could have been a little stronger. But we like where we're going."

Roethlisberger was hit by defensive end Cullen Jenkins as he cocked to throw on third-and-5 from the Green Bay 36. He fumbled, and the Packers recovered. It came on the third consecutive play in the no-huddle offense.

"We were experimenting with our hurry-up offense," Ward said. "We drove the ball, but we stalled it out with a turnover. That's something that we've got to do -- take control of the ball and make sure we don't turn it over."

The Packers, trailing, 9-0, took a 13-9 lead in the third quarter and hung on.

The second teams scored all the points with backup quarterbacks Charlie Batch of the Steelers and Aaron Rodgers of the Packers each throwing a touchdown pass. Only Roethlisberger, though, ran the no-huddle for the Steelers.

Matt Freed, Post-Gazette The Packers defense smothers Najeh Davenport for little gain in the first quarter last night. Davenport again started in place of Willie Parker. Click photo for larger image.

"We stumbled a little bit," Davenport said of the Steelers' first offensive unit. "Coach wanted to see how we would do with a little bit of adversity like we did with the first three drives, but we bounced back, so that was a plus."

Walter Young, making a bid to become the Steelers' sixth wide receiver, caught a 41-yard touchdown pass to give them a lead in the first quarter. He broke wide open in the Packers' secondary and caught Batch's pass at the 21. One defender bounced off him as Young -- the team's tallest wide receiver at 6 feet 4 -- loped into the end zone.

The score remained at 6-0, however, because Jeff Reed's kick for the point was blocked up the middle by Michael Montgomery.

Moments later, Reed made his kick, this time from 27 yards for a field goal that put the Steelers in front, 9-0.

Their second score was made possible when Santonio Holmes stretched out to catch a 49-yard pass from Batch on a play-fake to Kevan Barlow. Holmes got behind three Packers defenders -- safeties Atari Bigby and Marviel Underwood and cornerback Will Blackmon -- to the Packers' 12.

Batch played behind the first-team offensive line, which remained in the game except for Marvel Smith, who gave way at left tackle to Max Starks.

Receiver Nate Washington, above, stretches out to try to catch a pass early in last night's game. Click photo for larger image.
Peter Diana, Post-Gazette photos While Washington appeared to catch it, below, it was eventually ruled incomplete. Click photo for larger image.

"I think the offense is pretty much playing good," said Holmes, who added he has completely recovered from the surgical procedure that sidelined him the first week of camp.

Batch left in favor of Brian St. Pierre at quarterback in the second quarter just as he did in Canton. Batch completed 3 of 5 passes for 97 yards and one touchdown. St. Pierre played the rest of the way and was 10 of 23 for 99 yards.

Rookie halfback Gary Russell led the Steelers with 56 yards rushing on nine carries.

Green Bay's first team looked sluggish in its first preseason game, particularly on offense. Quarterback Brett Favre, who audibled a number of times at the line, completed just 2 of 7 passes for 7 yards before giving way to backup Aaron Rodgers late in the first quarter.

"We got after them a little bit," defensive end Aaron Smith said. "It seemed a little bit more fluid out there. It didn't seem so fast. It slowed down, and guys felt a little bit more comfortable."

Rodgers directed the Packers to their only score of the first half with a drive of 75 yards in 1:52 that ended when Dave Rayner kicked a 32-yard field goal with no time left for a 9-3 halftime score.

He came back in the third quarter to throw a 3-yard touchdown pass on fade to 6-2 former Notre Dame quarterback Carlyle Holiday over 5-9 Anthony Madison in the left corner of the end zone.

When Rayner kicked the extra point, it gave the Packers a 10-9 lead with 9:11 to go in the third quarter.

With Rodgers again at quarterback, the Packers scored again less than six minutes later on rookie Mason Crosby's 52-yard field goal for a 13-9 Green Bay lead.