LANDOVER, Md. — The last thing the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins should do is play each other, especially when both teams are trying to restore some confidence to their sputtering offenses.

The Steelers’ starters failed to score over seven drives in their first two exhibition games. Ben Roethlisberger’s quarterback rating is an ugly 36.5.

Patrick Ramsey got the Redskins moving last week, but two bad interceptions in the red zone left coach Joe Gibbs fuming. Ramsey’s rating is a dubious 57.9.

So, how do they jump-start the engine? It’s best not to try against the Pittsburgh defense — No. 1 last year — or the Washington defense — No. 3 last year — yet both will give it a shot tonight.

“This will be a grind,” Steelers coach Bill Cowher said. “This is a good defense. They’re very disruptive. They’re a good team.”

Gibbs already has had it with good defenses. His preseason docket consists of Carolina, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Baltimore, four teams with a combined 23-9 record over the second half of last season. He feels like a college coach who’s been given an out-of-conference schedule of USC, Texas and Miami by a greedy athletic director.

“The athletic directors in college, they don’t care, they just go for the money,” Gibbs said. “The coaches are going: ‘Wait a second.’ ... I’d like to have had a couple of shots in where we could look real good before we got into the Pittsburghs, but we didn’t. We’ve got it tough all the way across the board.”

Both defenses have played up to billing. The Steelers’ first-unit already has scored two touchdowns on returns. The Redskins shut down Carson Palmer last week. As a result, the starting offenses might be asked to play more than expected tonight.

“We might even come out in the third quarter,” Pittsburgh receiver Antwaan Randle El said. “Going against that Washington defense is a good barometer.”

The game is important for several players making their 2005 debuts or getting significant action for the first time.

For Washington, linebacker LaVar Arrington, a former player at North Hills High and Penn State, returns after a long rehabilitation from two knee operations, and defensive tackle Brandon Noble gets back on the field after battling a knee infection. Running back Clinton Portis, who has only one carry this preseason, will get some work after missing last week’s game with a sore elbow.

Arrington said he might have to fight off tears — even though it’s an exhibition game.

“I might have to put my head up and keep them from rolling down,” Arrington said. “I might get a little emotional. It’s been a long road.”

For Pittsburgh, receiver Hines Ward gets his first extended playing time since ending his holdout. He played only a few snaps last week against Miami.

“It’s really important for me,” Ward said. “The vets aren’t going to play much next week, so this is really my test before the season starts.”

The first cuts are next week, so the game is also crucial to players trying to make the roster. The Steelers might decide to go with only two quarterbacks, so backup Tommy Maddox should get quite a few snaps after not playing last week. Receiver Kevin Dyson is a veteran trying to secure a spot on Washington’s final list of 53.

For others, though, the game is another exercise in avoiding injury. Portis, for example, was asked if he needs to have some contact to get ready for the regular season.

“I’m going to try my best not to have any contact,” Portis said. “If I don’t get hit in the game, it means I did pretty good.”