Emergence of Dennis Dixon

The emergence of Dennis Dixon is surely taking place. Dixon is not an athlete that just happens to play the Quarterback position, he is an athletic quarterback. After being a 5th round selection in the 2008 NFL draft, when given the opportunity, Dennis Dixon shows he belongs and has lots of upside. The 25 year Dixon can play under center and play in the shotgun. He has quick 3, 5, and 7 step drops and sets up well. His throwing motion is not bad and his accuracy is improving every time he steps on to the field. Against Detroit Saturday night, Dixon threw a nice pass rolling left throwing the ball across his body with accuracy. With time and experience, Dixon will adjust to the complex defensive schemes that will be thrown at him. Like any younger quarterback with limited NFL experience, Dennis Dixon is going to make a series of correctable mistakes. But Dixon has loads of potential and what I really like is his explosive ability to run the football. This gives the Steelers an added dimension. At any time, when Dixon leaves the pocket, he can carry the ball a long way, indicative of the explosive touchdown run he had vs. the Ravens in his only start during the 2009 season. Am I saying Dixon has leapfrogged Byron Leftwich? No. Am I saying that Dixon should be the starter vs. Atlanta in Game 1? No. What I am saying is that Dixon is a talented QB that Coach Tomlin and company should consider playing somewhere in the first 4 to 6 games in the absence of Ben Roethlisberger. The premise exists that quarterbacks that run the football can get hurt but I have seen many a quarterback get hurt when they never left the pocket