As a defense, it is imperative to be on the same page with the players beside you in the huddle. Communication is key for a defense as one player in the wrong gap can be the difference between a tackle for loss or a touchdown.
OLB T.J. Watt has talked about the importance of communication in the past, saying that every player needs to know what is going on to be effective and impactful on the defensive side of the football. CB Patrick Peterson brought up a similar point Wednesday upon arriving to Saint Vincent College for training camp, saying that getting on the same page with a bunch of new faces on defense will be imperative this summer for Pittsburgh to have success in the fall.
“Camp is always important,” Peterson said to the media Wednesday via video from Steelers.com. “When you have aspirations of being a world champion, this time of the year is very vital. So, we want to make sure that we’re turning over every stone, that we’re dialed in to every situation that’s going to be handed to us throughout training camp, so that we’re prepared for when those situations do appear to us throughout the season.”
Peterson himself is a new face to the Steelers’ defense, joining Watt, S Minkah Fitzpatrick, DL Cameron Heyward, and several other holdovers from last year’s squad. Joining Peterson as a newcomer to Pittsburgh’s defense are names like LBs Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts, DL Armon Watts, Keeanu Benton, and Breiden Fehoko, CBs Chandon Sullivan, Joey Porter Jr, and Cory Trice Jr., and S Keanu Neal.
Given the number of new faces on defense, it’s vital that the Steelers quickly get acquainted with each other and get on the same page to minimize the number of mistakes that follow them from training camp and the preseason into the regular season. Some mistakes are to be expected, given the newness of the group as a whole. Working through those mistakes now and learning from them will be the key to have them not follow into the regular season when the games are for real. HC Mike Tomlin says communication concerns on defense may not be an issue, but Peterson doesn’t want to leave that up to chance.
