The Pittsburgh Steelers were back out at Saint Vincent College for their third day of training camp on Saturday. After trying to beat the heat Friday, they attempted to wash away the rain today. A solid 10-minute downpour soaked Chuck Noll Field midway through practice. But the Steelers practiced on in the elements, something Mike Tomlin loves to put his team through. They don’t stop the NFL for rain, after all.
Let’s get into what happened on the field.
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Camp Notes (Day Three)
– The start of today’s practice was unlike anything I had seen before in all my years at camp. On every other day, the players take the field by walking out of the facility and down the stairs by the middle of the three fields to get on the field. Even on days where the team practices on the far turf field, they always come down the stairs. Due to overnight rain, they began today’s session on the turf field but instead of coming down the stairs, they walked parallel to the fields and down the hill, the road where fans normally run up to grab autographs by the entrance. It looked like this: WR Diontae Johnson, S Damontae Kazee, and TE Darnell Washington walking down together.
Never seen it before. But pretty cool. A couple of players signed for fans, including CB Levi Wallace, while T.J. Watt gave a couple fist bumps.
One fan tried to praise Clemson to get LB Tanner Muse – a former Tiger – to sign but he just smiled and gave a wave as he made his way down to the field.
– Injury Roundup: FS Minkah Fitzpatrick was not on the field today with an excused absence. He has yet to practice this camp for an unknown reason. DL DeMarvin Leal left early on a cart with Mike Tomlin saying he had problems breathing. This happened early in practice, right around seven shots. He left yesterday with a heat-related issue. He went through individual drills before having that issue. Tomlin also noted S Damontae Kazee had an ankle injury that must’ve happened late, perhaps in 7v7, that had him off the field for the final team session. RB Alfonzo Graham stumbled and fell at the end of the last play of 7v7, falling hard on his right arm/shoulder and was in pain. He was examined and left practice early with a heavy wrap around his right shoulder.
WR Diontae Johnson and TE Connor Heyward, who left early/were dinged in yesterday’s practice, participated in full Saturday.
– The Steelers practiced on the turf field for the start of practice and during individual sessions (though the defensive linemen and EDGE rushers practiced in the right corner of the far, grass field) before making their way over to the near grass field right in front of the bleachers and fans. Another first. Steelers broadcaster Craig Wolfley announced that the team would make their way from the turf to grass field. Never heard them announce that before. But with this being the first weekend practice and a ton of fans there, it was good to let them know.
– A torrential 10-minute downpour occurred during today’s practice in the middle of a special teams session. Danny Smith remained his typical high-energy self, not letting himself being drenched bother him.
– Let’s get into the team sessions.
First Team Session (11 v 11)
1. Seven shots. Elijah Riley first-team slot reps today. Dan Moore Jr. the left tackle after Broderick Jones got a rep or two yesterday. Damontae Kazee and Keanu Neal the safety pairing, Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts the inside linebackers. RB Jaylen Warren getting the nod here over Najee Harris.
Kenny Pickett looks for George Pickens on a slant right side but Pickens double-catches it and can’t stay inbounds and falls out of the back of the end zone. Incomplete.
2. Now Harris comes in. Twelve personnel with Connor Heyward and Zach Gentry. Diontae Johnson and George Pickens the wideouts, Pickens slot left. Nothing there initially for Pickett, who is flushed to his right, under pressure. He throws the ball short of a diving Harris along the right side.
3. Isaac Seumalo steps out and takes a knee along the sideline. No sign of injury, he just came out. Kevin Dotson comes in at left guard with the first team. Pickett in an empty set, Warren stacked left. Pickett looks left side but is rejected by DL Cam Heyward, who swats it away.
“Going for the sweep!” someone on defense yells as they go up 3-0.
4. No sweep here. Pittsburgh’s offense finally finds the end zone, Pickett hitting TE Zach Gentry right side, who is able to hold on for the score.
5. Mitch Trubisky in at quarterback. Anthony McFarland Jr. the running back. Connor Heyward goes in motion left to right. Trubisky fires to him in the right flat. Heyward, falling to the ground, makes a nice grab to secure it on the way down for the score. Dude has good hands.
6. Pony set with RBs Jason Huntley and McFarland out there together. Trubisky puts up a fade in the right corner of the end zone for WR Cody White. But CB Cory Trice Jr. has the size to match him and defends it well, the pass falling out of bounds in the corner.
7. Pre-snap, TE Darnell Washington false starts and is removed from the play, replaced by Rodney Williams. Throw from Trubisky to WR Gunner Olszewski in the right flat. Caught but looked short of the goal line by a half-yard. Little hard to tell but I am giving the defense the win here. And the defense wins the day 5-2.
– Quick notes on one of the special teams sessions. CB James Pierre and WR Miles Boykin were the starting gunners during the period. RB Jason Huntley and WR Cody White were the backups. Miles Killebrew continued to run first-team upback/personal protector. Tre Norwood ran second team there with S Kenny Robinson and RB Darius Hagans the backup left and right wings.
While that was happening, the defensive players caught their breath on the bench. In this world of modern tech, many players and coaches were watching film on their tablets of presumably the previous seven shots session. Cam Heyward, Montravius Adams, and DL Coach Karl Dunbar were taking a look by themselves while S Damontae Kazee was watching with DC Teryl Austin. Moments later, Kazee was showing CBs Levi Wallace and Patrick Peterson something on the tablet.
Second Team Session
1. First-team line in, Moore at left tackle, Isaac Seumalo at left guard. Larry Ogunjobi and Cam Heyward the defensive tackles. T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith the EDGE rushers, Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts the inside linebackers. Bunch left look for the offense. Snap a bit low and slips out of Pickett’s hands. He picks the ball up and hits Diontae Johnson on a crosser working left to right, Elijah Riley running behind, for a gain of 7.
2. Moore seals Highsmith up the edge on this pass play. Pickett looks for Washington along the right side but he can’t box out Tre Norwood, who gets a hands in there and knocks the ball loose, incomplete.
3. Bunch left. Patrick Peterson aligned in the slot. Pocket collapses on Pickett, including from Cam Heyward, and he has to tuck and run. Happening a lot to the quarterbacks the past two days.
4. T.J. Watt providing pressure off the edge as he has throughout the first few days. Pickett wants TE Pat Freiermuth over the middle of the field, about 10 to 15 yards, but Norwood reads it well and nearly picks it off. Freiermuth had to turn defensive back and break it up.
5. Mitch Trubisky comes in. Empty set. Montravius Adams beats LG Kevin Dotson to the outside. Trubisky looks for Williams over the middle but his jersey gets tugged pretty good by Chapelle Russell and the pass is out in front and incomplete. Williams throws his hands up looking for a flag. If refs were there, one would’ve been thrown.
6. Nick Herbig and Markus Golden the second-team outside linebackers. McFarland in at RB. Herbig with another pressure, beating Le’Raven Clark. Trubisky finds Calvin Austin III for a short 5-yard gain.
7. Might’ve been offsides on the defense. Golden comes in unblocked but pulls up, knowing he can’t get near the quarterback. Trubisky has Gunner Olszewski open over the middle but the pass is slightly behind – still catchable – and it hits off Olszewski’s hands as he reaches back. Incomplete. Offense certainly had its struggles today.
8. Rodney Williams goes in motion. Chandon Sullivan seeing work in the slot. Nothing there for Trubisky and he tucks and runs. Rookie Broderick Jones shows effort here to run downfield and eventually catches up with Trubisky, flashing some of that athleticism that got him drafted in the first round.
9. Madre Harper and Luq Barcoo the cornerbacks. Mason Rudolph hits Jaylen Warren right side and he runs downfield before Nick Kwiatkoski tags him up. Eight-yard gain.
10. Third-team offensive line. Dylan Cook-Jarrid Williams-Ryan McCollum-Bill Dunkle-Spencer Anderson. No changes here. Empty set initially with McFarland motioning in, trying to ID man/zone. Something you may see a lot this year inside stadiums. Rudolph complete on a crosser to Ja’Marcus Bradley for 10 yards, tagged by Sullivan.
11. Jonathan Marshall and Breiden Fehoko the nickel defensive tackle pairing. With some of the rain, notes are a little water-logged and I don’t have the outcome here.
12. Rookie WR Jordan Byrd (more of a running back in college at San Diego State but playing wide receiver now). Hakeem Butler the Z-receiver. Mason Rudolph throws over Butler’s head and incomplete. Barcoo covering.
Third Team Session
1. Ball at the offense’s 34. Riley in at slot corner with Peterson and Wallace on the outside. Pickett in at quarterback, Harris in at running back. Diontae Johnson and George Pickens the outside receivers with Allen Robinson II the slot wideout. Pickett looks for Freiermuth over the middle but it’s well-defended by LB Cole Holcomb, who knocks it away as the two players go to the ground.
2. Austin jets across. Harris carry for 4 yards. Noticed Holcomb put a nice jolt/shock into RG James Daniels to fill his gap.
3. Larry Ogunjobi and Cam Heyward the defensive tackles. Watt generating some pressure. Pickett complete to Washington on a boot left side for a gain of 9.
4. Jaylen Warren in at running back. Pressure all-around, including from Watt and Heyward and Pickett gets bumped into, stumbling a bit and does not throw the football.
5. Second-team line of Jones-Dotson-Green-Herbig-Clark. Pistol formation with Mitch Trubisky directly in front of Warren. Austin jets across. Warren on the carry, LB Chapelle Russell playing inside/out and helps make the stop after 3 yards. Warren finishes his run all the way to the end zone, a common sight, but earns a big cheer from the crowd.
6. Armon Watts-Keeanu Benton-Isaiahh Loudermilk the second-team base defensive linemen. Nick Herbig and Markus Golden the EDGE pairing with Mark Robinson and Chapelle Russell the inside linebackers. Joey Porter Jr. and James Pierre the corners, Tre Norwood and Kenny Robinson the safeties.
Pony backfield and jet run to Anthony McFarland Jr. Robinson took a good angle and tags him after 4.
7. Gunner Olszewski and Calvin Austin III the pair of outside receivers. Twelve personnel. McFarland on the carry and shows good burst. We’ll call it a gain of 5. Isaiahh Loudermilk first to tag him while James Pierre chases McFarland to the end zone.
8. Porter and Pierre the outside corners with Duke Dawson in the slot. Jason Huntley the running back, Mitch Trubisky the quarterback. Trubisky boots right but Dawson is blitzing and is on top of him immediately. Trubisky throws right side in the vicinity of WR Miles Boykin but there’s no real chance to haul it in and the pass is incomplete. Kenny Robinson covering.
9. Mason Rudolph checks in. Cory Trice Jr. and Luq Barcoo the outside corners, Miles Killebrew and Chris Wilcox the safeties. Rudolph complete over the middle to WR Dez Fitzpatrick for a gain of 9.
10. David Perales and Quincy Roche the outside linebacker pairing. Rudolph under center, Huntley the running back. Huntley carry up the middle but runs into a wall and bounces left. Good fill by Kwiatkoski to force the cut. Going to put it down at just a gain of 1.
11. Kwiatkoski and Muse the inside linebacker pairing, Jonathan Marshall and James Nyamwaya the defensive tackles. Trice and Barcoo the outside corners with Tre Norwood in the slot. Pony set with McFarland set as the wing. Jordan Byrd motions across as the right side floods that area with McFarland going out too. Rudolph this Byrd for 4 until Kwiatkoski stops him. Interesting little wrinkle that had a heavy college feel. Wing plus motion plus throw to flat.
12. Dan Chisena and Hakeem Butler the outside wide receivers. Mason Rudolph in empty before Darius Hagans motions in. Nice play by David Perales to bat this ball at the line of scrimmage.
– Some 7v7 notes.
– Damontae Kazee with some of the biggest contact so far until the pads come on Tuesday. Flies down to separate player and ball on a throw over the middle for TE Zach Gentry. A few plays later, Kazee picked off a ricochet pass intended for Darnell Washington that was contested with the ball flying up backwards and into Kazee’s hands.
– Connor Heyward caught a downfield 7/corner route, a nice track and finish, though he did fumble/almost fumble (ball came out as he went to the ground) on a short crosser with Keanu Neal behind. “Hold onto that ball, Connor” a fan chirped from the front row of the bleachers.
– Anthony McFarland Jr. had a nice grab on a wheel route against LB Toby Nduwke, a back-shoulder play he found and reached back for.
– Hakeem Butler had one of the top plays of camp so far. Just 7v7 but he wrested the ball away from CB Luq Barcoo, positioned to pick it off, and ripped it from him deep downfield.
Fourth Team Session
1. Ball on the offense’s 19. Pickett in at quarterback. Looks left but Heyward has his second swat of the day. Incomplete. Defense playing a lot of volleyball the last two days, batting down passes at the line.
2. Inside zone run to Najee Harris. Elandon Roberts good run fill. T.J. Watt runs the hoop and catches up to Harris downfield, showing his hustle.
3. Dig from Pickett to Pickens is complete for 19 yards. Watt with another pressure. No big surprise but he’s been great to start camp. Montravius Adams looked to cross Mason Cole’s face here.
4. With Kazee dinged, Patrick Peterson getting safety reps opposite of Neal. Domino effect gives Joey Porter Jr. first-team snaps at left cornerback. Jaylen Warren carry left side for 2.
5. Second-team now in with Cory Trice Jr. and James Pierre at corner. Chapelle Russell and Mark Robinson at inside linebacker. Mitch Trubiskuy at quarterback. Warren stretch run right side. Good chase and display of athleticism from rookie NT Keeanu Benton. Gain of 6.
6. Nick Herbig at outside linebacker but walked out over the bunch set. Nice power rush from Markus Golden on the other side. Trubisky ends up running for a decent gain but no one is getting too close to the quarterback here.
7. Duke Dawson in the slot. Isaiahh Loudermilk and Keeanu Benton the defensive tackles. McFarland run up the middle for a short gain. Russell on the stop.
8. McFarland run left side for 4. DL Manny Jones giving chase.
9. Jonathan Marshall/Manny Jones the defensive tackle pairing. Madre Harper and Luq Barcoo the outside corners with Chandon Sullivan in the slot. Rudolph under center.
10. Extended play here with Rudolph finding TE Zach Gentry leaking out open in the right flat. Room for him to run after for a gain of 16 but the defense initially held up well here.
11. Hakeem Butler carrying over his 7v7 success, catching a deep downfield throw from Rudolph for 28 yards, working over Madre Harper, who couldn’t find the ball.
12. Rudolph under center. Huntley carry up the middle. NT Breiden Fehoko wraps him up and lets him go after a gain of 3.
Camp Summary
– Defense certainly won the day. Convincingly won seven shots, batted down passes, front seven continued to get pressure, and they contested several throws. Don’t blame all this on the rain other. The defense was winning before the downpour began.
– Nice to see Hakeem Butler make plays that got him back in the NFL. After a tough first day, he’s playing big and providing downfield splash.
– Connor Heyward has great hands. Dude just finds the ball well and makes tough grabs. Displayed in team and 7v7 today. Short, long, along the sideline, down the seam. Good day for him.
– On the other spectrum, been a quiet and tough three days for Darnell Washington. Trouble finishing in combat situations, a false start, and his impact has been pretty minimal. We’ll see how the run blocking looks when the pads come on.
– Overall, liked the play from the inside linebackers. Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts, Mark Robinson, Nick Kwiatkoski. Took good angles, played the run well, Holcomb with a nice breakup in coverage. These guys run and hustle well. Like Chapelle Russell’s effort, too.
– Damontae Kazee making plays on the ball the last two days. Breakup in seven shots on Friday, had a breakup and a pick in 7v7, normally slanted in the offense’s favor. Ditto Tre Norwood. He’s been active in the passing game.
Saint Vincent Photo Of The Day
Steelers’ band greeting fans as they walked into the Saint Vincent campus. Great atmosphere before the rain spoiled things.
Better Know A Steeler
A daily blurb offering a brief bio of an interesting former Steeler.
End Paul Moss is regarded as one of the finest athletes of the 1920s and 1930s, dubbed as such by famous sportswriter Grantland Rice. After wrapping up his college career at Purdue, Moss was part of the Steelers (then known as the Pittsburgh Pirates) inaugural squad in 1933 and caught the team’s first-ever offensive touchdown.
Bill Burr Quote Of The Day
“To me this is not yelling. I am not yelling. I’m just passionate about my opinions and I want to tell you all of them before you start talking again.”
