Redskins upend Steelers 16-7 in preseason opener

“Everybody has a bad night, and I’m sure he [Graham] will bounce back,” Gano said.

Brandon Banks also had a few nice returns in the first half, including a 58-yard burst after a kickoff deep into his own end zone. His return was the only kickoff that didn’t result in a touchback, continuing a league-wide trend that has developed with this season’s new kickoff rules.

Shanahan was hesitant to discuss his impressions of the reserves before watching the tape Saturday morning. But he did say that overall, he was pleased with the team’s focus and ability to eliminate mistakes. Most importantly, the Redskins escaped Friday night’s game without any significant injuries, a particularly impressive feat after the lockout and abbreviated offseason that came with it.

“The first preseason game, regardless of whether there’s a lockout, you haven’t played real, tackle, live football since last January,” safety Reed Doughty said. “You’ve got to go out there and say can I still do this? That’s what is exciting about it.”

NOTES: Friday night’s game was played cleanly, as only five total penalties were committed and neither team had a turnover. … CB Josh Wilson went down with an injury in the second quarter, grabbing his leg; the injury is not considered serious and he returned later in the game. … Shanahan said that tight end Chris Cooley is “still pretty sore” and that he’ll miss “a couple weeks.”

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