PITTSBURGH - The latest stop on Ford City High grad Gus Frerotte's NFL tour took him to Miami, which is what brought him back to Western Pennsylvania Saturday night when the Dolphins took on the Steelers in a preseason matchup at Heinz Field.

The 12-year quarterback certainly got a rude welcome in Pittsburgh, where he was roughed up by the hometown team's defense and treated almost as badly by a Dolphins receiving corps that looked much less adept at grabbing flying objects than the Frisbee-catching dogs that were featured at halftime.

In his quarter-and-a-half of work, Frerotte looked far from sharp in completing seven passes in 18 attempts for 87 yards, including one for 42 yards. With a lack of help from the above-mentioned receivers, he also tossed up 10 consecutive incomplete passes.

Frerotte was sacked twice, including once by Steelers linebacker James Farrior, who forced a fumble that was scooped up by fellow linebacker James Harrison and returned for the 69-yard touchdown that was Pittsburgh's first score.

The rough-and-tumble effort led to the Steelers' 17-3 victory.

"We had too many mistakes. Turnovers killed us," Frerotte said about a Miami first half that featured five lost fumbles. "The Steelers are a good defense and you can't do that against them.

"I'm not looking that way," Frerotte said about the sack and forced fumble that cost Miami a touchdown. "I'm looking at Marty [Booker], watching his release and it's a three-step drop. I've just got to get it off. Anytime you have a three-step drop, it shouldn't be a problem."

Frerotte spent the last two years with the Minnesota Vikings after one year in Cincinnati, two years in Denver and a one-season gig in Detroit. He broke in with Washington in 1994 and spent five seasons with the Redskins.

Now, after signing a two-year contract as a free agent in March, Frerotte finds himself as part of the work in progress that is this Dolphins team under first-year coach Nick Saban.

After Miami lost to Chicago 27-24 in the Hall of Fame Game, last week's 27-17 loss at Jacksonville and Saturday's defeat by the Steelers, Frerotte is aware of his team's shortcomings. That hasn't stopped him from being optimistic about the Dolphins' chances this season.

"We've got a new coach, we've put a new offensive system in and this is our third preseason game - all on the road," he said. "We've got to keep coming out and battling. We have some good players and the makings of a good team."

The Dolphins brought in Frerotte to compete with A.J. Feely for the starting spot on a team that went 4-12 in 2004.

While Frerotte struggled Saturday, Feely didn't appear to separate himself after completing 16 of 20 passes for 95 yards, mostly short, dump-off passes.

"It's going to be an ongoing process," said Miami coach Nick Saban about the competition between Frerotte and Feely. "We want them to know that they have the opportunity to be the quarterback if they do a good job.

"Someone had to take the bull by the horns and be a leader and make things happen for us offensively. I'm not sure that's happened yet," Saban added.

For his part Frerotte is focused only on what he can do to become Miami's starting quarterback, a task that might be made more difficult by the fact he has started only 11 times in the past five seasons.

"I've just got to go out and keep playing, keep producing if I can and keep going out there and being a leader," he said. "I know I can play. I know we have the makings of a good team. I'm not going to worry about anything else."