The fifth straight day of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp practice, the team back on the field less than 24 hours after Friday Night Lights. A lighter day after a physical camp at the high school but we have you covered for today’s news and notes.
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CAMP Notes (Day 9)
– No pads today. That’s logical after the night practice but in past years, the team has gone padded-up after Friday Night Lights. But yesterday’s session was so intense and quality that Mike Tomlin gave the team lighter work Saturday.
– Injury roundup: Not practicing today were OLB Kyron Johnson (hamstring), CB Grayland Arnold (unknown), OLB Jeremiah Moon (unknown), LB Patrick Queen (foot or ankle), and three rest players: OG Isaac Seumalo, OLB T.J. Watt, and DL Cam Heyward. FS Minkah Fitzpatrick remained limited, working during individual and 7 on 7 but not team. Mike Tomlin says it’s giving others the chance to see safety reps. Queen looks fine and I’m not worried about him missing a day. He could be held out tomorrow but nothing to be alarmed by.
QB Russell Wilson (calf) is status quo in terms of reps and participation. TE Rodney Williams (shoulder) returned full, though the pad-less practice helped.
– Rain and threat of lightning chased fans and media from bleachers and the field early in practice. It was only a short time away while the players still went through warmups on the field.
– LB Payton Wilson was not the first player on the field today. That award went to S Damontae Kazee, hitting the grass at 1:05 PM/EST, stretching, warming up, and working on his backpedal and break with DBs Coach Grady Brown pre-practice. Wilson came down to the field at 1:11 PM.
– With the night practice, players may be in a slower gear in the dog days of camp. Usually, the field is pretty populated with players well before practice starts. A little after 1:30 today, still 20 minutes before the official start of practice, there were only five players on the field: QB Russell Wilson, QB John Rhys Plumlee, OG Mason McCormick, Kazee, and Payton Wilson.
– Wilson playing catch with his son before practice, which was cool to see. Special moment, no doubt.
– Rookie S Ryan Watts spent a fair amount of time on the JUGS machine before practice. After getting work there, Watts, Kazee, S Miles Killebrew, and TE Pat Freiermuth chilled on the bench. On a separate bench, a couple linemen chilled before the first horn: Ryan McCollum, Mason McCormick, Nate Herbig, and Zach Frazier.
– McCormick snapped in QB/C exchange work early in practice. Still hasn’t worked in team there. With Seumalo out, Spencer Anderson soaked up the first-team LG reps in addition to second-team RG work.
– Interesting to note that during individual session, slot CBs Beanie Bishop Jr. and Thomas Graham Jr. worked away from the other cornerbacks with a coach. Hard to tell exactly what they were doing, positioned all the way on the far field.
First Team Period (11 on 11)
1. Seven Shots. Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig the outside linebackers. Payton Wilson and Elandon Roberts the inside linebackers. Larry Ogunjobi and Keeanu Benton the defensive tackles. 12 personnel. Justin Fields in at QB. Looks left side but nothing is there. Scrambles for a touchdown, but I give this rep to the defense.
2. Anderson in at LG. 11 personnel. Trips right with George Pickens, Van Jefferson, and Pat Freiermuth. WR Calvin Austin III the X-receiver. Fields touchdown pass to Pickens over the middle working on LB Elandon Roberts.
3. Joey Porter Jr. and Donte Jackson the outside corners and Beanie Bishop Jr. in the slot. Damontae Kazee and DeShon Elliott the safety duo. Empty set, 11 personnel with Jefferson-Austin-Pickens the receivers to the right. Connor Heyward backside X-receiver in this 3×1 look.
Fields hits Pickens for another touchdown, right side against Elliott for the score.
4. Broderick Jones shifts over to left tackle while Troy Fautanu gets a first team right tackle rep. Fields’ throw over the middle is batted down, a recurring theme for him in camp. Incomplete.
5. Breiden Fehoko and Logan Lee the defensive tackles. Nick Herbig doubling up reps with Julius Welschof opposite. Kyle Allen in at QB. 11 personnel. Tarik Black the X-receiver. Allen forces a throw over the middle, and it has no chance of finding its target. CB Thomas Graham Jr. picks it off and takes it out of the end zone.
6. 13 personnel. WR Duece Watts the lone wide receiver. LB Tyler Murray pressures Allen, who rolls to his right. Crazy throwback attempt to the left side, not an advisable pass, but Allen puts it up for TE Darnell Washington. CB Anthony Averett contests it well, even as Washington skies over him, and it’s incomplete. Not sure if this was a Y-leak and designed throwback, if Allen made a careless decision, or if he just decided to give Washington the chance just to see what he could do.
7. Last rep. DeMarvin Leal beats RT Anderson Hardy, forcing Allen to scramble right side for a touchdown. But rep goes to the defense, and it wind the perod, 5-2.
1v1 Tackling Drill
– One underrated but awesome drill ran once per camp is the 1v1 sideline tackling drill. Normally, it’s a “live” session with full tackling. But without pads today, it was just a touch/wrap session. That kinda bummed me out, so I didn’t chart every single rep but the notes I took are below.
– Calvin Austin III had a nice shake on DeShon Elliott.
– QBs John Rhys Plumlee and QB Justin Fields took part in this drill as the runner/receiver, catching a short 2- to 3-yard pass to begin the drill. Working on them simulating scrambling in the open field.
– “Nice sure hands, Ryan,” Mike Tomlin called out to rookie Ryan Watts after a solid rep. Watts did well playing inside/out in this session.
– WR Jaray Jenkins showed up well in this drill, shaking out LB Tyler Matakevich on one rep. Granted, it’s receiver-linebacker but still confined space and a good win for Jenkins.
– Beanie Bishop Jr. had a couple strong reps early, coaches liking his aggression and flying downhill. “There ya go, Beanie!” a coach called out after a win against TE Matt Sokol. Later, another good rep had a coach say, “That’s it, Beanie! Take the air out of it!” Meaning, not breaking down early and closing the gap between the ball carrier.
But it wasn’t all roses. Austin beat Bishop twice to close the drill. Austin juked him inside the first time and Tomlin called out, “Get him again, Cal.” He did indeed get him again the following rep.
– LB Jacoby Windmon struggled taking good angles in this drill. Too sharp and gave up the sideline.
– Mike Tomlin called out a couple reps he wanted to specifically see, including Cam Sutton versus Calvin Austin III.
– WR Dez Fitzpatrick and several offensive players the tacklers in this drill to work on special teams. Fitzpatrick breaking down a little too early.
– TE Rodney Williams looking good in the drill. “Good acceleration, Rodney,” Tomlin yelled, praising Williams for chewing up grass and closing space.
– TE Connor Heyward had a good rep as the defender/tackler against Austin.
– QB John Rhys Plumlee had a solid final rep working on Rodney Williams, walking the tightrope along the sideline and avoiding Williams’ hands as he skirted past him. Plumlee must’ve been the “tag” champ as a kid.
– Some special teams notes. Punt and FG work today.
Punt protect/coverage unit featured Miles Killebrew as the upback with Rodney Williams at left wing and DeShon Elliott at right wing. On the line: Mark Robinson-Tyler Matakevich-Christian Kuntz-Nick Herbig-Connor Heyward.
Cameron Johnston distance and hangtime from his own end zone: 4.21 seconds (51 yards).
Then from his own 47. 3.97 seconds (bounced into end zone). He did have a non-snapped punt from the same LOS that came to rest right at the 1. That was pretty.
– Rest of his punts from his own 21: 4.38 seconds (don’t have distance), 4.40 seconds (47 yards), 3.37 seconds (44 yards), 4.46 seconds (39 yards, out of bounds left side), 5.05 seconds (56 yards), 4.64 seconds (don’t have distance), 4.60 seconds (46 yards), 4.74 seconds (55 yards), 3.90 seconds (35 yards). Last one was a dud, but most others were solid, getting applause from the crowd for these punts. They’re happy to see a change.
– Want to note rookie DL Logan Lee. As he did once before, the sixth-round pick snapped at least one field goal and one punt. Emergency backup, and Tomlin praised Lee for a good snap on his punt. Christian Kuntz handled the rest of the snaps, including the two “mayday” field goals to close that portion.
– Didn’t chart every field goal attempt but Chris Boswell missed wide right from 46. He then hit from 50 yards out. Matthew Wright hit from 46 but missed from 50, according to the refs underneath the uprights.
Second Team Period (11 on 11)
1. Montravius Adams and Keeanu Benton the defensive tackles. Nick Herbig at LOLB, Alex Highsmith ROLB. 11 personnel, DeShon Elliott seeing the slot reps to start the period with Damontae Kazee and Nate Meadors the safety duo. Najee Harris run right side for roughly 3. No tackling here or anywhere else today.
2. Payton Wilson and Elandon Roberts the inside linebackers. 13 personnel. George Pickens the lone receiver. Fields wants Pickens on the left side, but he’s bracketed with the corner playing trial technique underneath him. Fields gets his eyes to the right and hits his checkdown, finding RB Jaylen Warren for 4. Payton Wilson on the stop.
3. 12 personnel. Harris zone run left side. NT Keeanu Benton knifes through while LB Mark Robinson is also there. I’ll give Harris 4 but tough to judge.
4. Adams and Loudermilk the DTs. Troy Fautanu steps in for a RT rep with Dan Moore Jr. on the left side. Jaylen Warren run left side. Good block from Mason McCormick for a gain of about 5. Warren, as always, finishes this run in the end zone.
5. Second-team o-line of Cook-McCormick-Frazier-Anderson-Fautanu. DeMarvin Leal and Julius Welschof at outside linebacker. Kyle Allen in at QB. RB Jonathan Ward carry left side. CB Kalon Barnes sets the edge, and I’ll give Ward 2.
6. Anthony Averett and Kalon Barnes the corner pairing. D-line trio of Jacob Slade-Breiden Fehoko-Logan Lee. Jacoby Windmon and Tyler Murray the ILB duo. 12 personnel. RB La’Mical Perine right side for about 5.
7. 11 personnel. Jaray Jenkins the Z-receiver. Ward with the carry up the middle/right guard. Fehoko gets off a block and makes the tag after a gain of 2.
8. 11 personnel. Darius Rush and Kalon Barnes the cornerbacks. Miles Killebrew and Nate Meadors the safeties with Willington Previlon and Logan Lee the defensive tackle pairing in nickel defense. Justin Fields in at QB, 11 personnel. Pickens comes across the line of scrimmage from right to left into the flat, the first read. Tyler Murray reads it well and takes it away so Fields utilizes his legs and scrambles instead. Murray talking and sorta poking at Pickens as if to say, “I saw that one coming” as the play winds down.
9. 21 personnel. Jack Colletto in at FB. RB Aaron Shampklin right side. Don’t have distance. DeMarvin Leal and Montravius Adams flying in on this one.
10. Cam Sutton and Ryan Watts at safety. 12 personnel. Kyler McMichael and Cory Trice Jr. the outside corners. Screen left from Kyle Allen to RB Daijun Edwards. Logan Lee and Ryan Watts are all over it. No gain.
11. Jacoby Windmon and Markus Golden at OLB. Tyler Murray and Tyler Matakevich at ILB. Russell Wilson in at QB. Handoff to Shampklin, who puts a hard shoulder through Murray in this non-tackling session. Gain of 4.
12. 12 personnel. Payton Wilson and Mark Robinson in at ILB. John Rhys Plumlee enters the game. Under center, he makes a check at the line of scrimmage. An encouraging sign for a rookie. Then he fumbles the exchange, and the ball bounces away from him before recovering. Less…encouraging.
Third Team Session (11 on 11)
1. O-line of Moore-Anderson-Herbig-Daniels-Jones. 4×1 look pre-snap with a diamond to the right side, Jaylen Warren behind a trips bunch. He motions left and then right, and Fields wants him in the right flat. CB Beanie Bishop Jr. is blitzing and reads it, timing his jump and engulfing the football as Fields fires it. INT for a touchdown. Nice play.
2. 11 personnel. Fields complete to George Pickens left side for 6 yards, Cory Trice Jr. covering.
3. Third-down period with Trice out there, though the defense did rest some players today. Porter and Trice outside corners. Keeanu Benton gets the pressure. Fields complete to Van Jefferson for 12 yards against Porter.
4. Porter and Averett the outside corners with Bishop in the slot and Trice the dime defender. Screen left from Fields to Warren for 3, Nate Meadors on the tag and then points to the offense in celebration.
5. Kyle Allen in at QB. 12 personnel. Looks for TE Darnell Washington over the middle but Averett breaks it up.
6. 12 personnel. Ryan Watts down low mugging the A-gap alongside Payton Wilson. Cam Sutton at safety. Free rush from DeMarvin Leal and Allen throws the ball away.
7. Previlon and Slade the defensive tackles. 11 personnel. Rodney Williams in as the Y-off. Allen floats a checkdown to La’Mical Perine, complete for 5 before Averett and OLB Julius Welschof get in on the stop.
8. 11 personnel. Same look and motion as play one but here, Fields fakes the screen to the right and fires back to the left to George Pickens on a tunnel screen. Gain of about 10. Nice constraint play wrinkle from Arthur Smith.
9. Previlon and Lee the DTs. McMichael and Rush on the outside and Bishop in the slot. Watts and Sutton at safety. 12 personnel. Fields pump fakes, spins to the right, and checks down to RB Aaron Shampklin for 5.
10. 11 personnel. Kyle Allen in at QB. Markus Golden and Jacboy Windmon the OLBs. Golden rips through RT Anderson Hardy, flushing Allen left. Mark Robinson also gives chase and tags Allen, who barely crossed the LOS if he even got that far and never threw it.
11. Breiden Fehoko over center and Jacob Slade at RDT. 11 personnel. Allen complete to WR Jacob Copeland for 9, Killebrew on the tag.
12. Payton Wilson the lone ILB in this dime grouping. Ryan Watts down low like the 6th DB. Sutton and Killebrew the deep safeties. 11 personnel. Bishop on a blitz. Allen hits Edwards for 3, McMichael on the tag.
Fourth Team Period (11 on 11)
1. Line of scrimmage on the 18. O-line of Moore-Anderson-Herbig-Daniels-Jones. 21 personnel, Connor Heyward at fullback. Justin Fields under center. Zone handoff to Harris for 4. Fist bump between Ogunjobi and Roberts after the rep.
2. D-line of Ogunjobi-Benton-Loudermilk. Nick Herbig LOLB but walks out with Markus Golden at ROLB. RPO. Fields completes to Pat Freiermuth for 5 on a slant, Donte Jackson right on him but can’t knock the ball out.
3. Anthony Averett and Joey Porter Jr. at corner with Beanie Bishop Jr. at slot corner. 11 personnel. Cross-body throw by Fields to Pickens is risky, Kazee flying in and knocking it away. Nearly picked it.
4. Adams and Previlon the DTs, Previlon seeing increased and higher-quality reps. Warren run right side. Previlon sheds and spins Warren down. Gain of 4.
5. Previlon-Adams-Lee the base three, Adams subbing and directing Previlon to his LDE spot. 12 personnel. Allen at QB. Zone run by Jonathan Ward to the right. Gain of 3.
6. 11 personnel. DeMarvin Leal and Julius Welschof the OLBs. Allen complete to Scotty Miller right side for 8.
7. Cory Trice Jr. and Kalon Barnes the corners. Breiden Fehoko and Jacob Slade the DTs. Tyler Murray and Jacoby Windmon at ILB. Allen under center. Matt Sokol false starts and he takes a lap, Darnell Washington replacing him. Perine run left side, Welschof on the tag after Barnes keeps the run inside.
8. 21 personnel. Perine run left side. Colletto in at fullback. Tyler Matakevich flies through on the tag, gain of about 2.
9. O-line of Hamilton-Beach-McCollum-Fisher-Hardy. Fields in at QB. Empty set, 11 personnel. Fields nice throw left sideline, Van Jefferson making a nice grab for 25 yards.
10. Kyle Allen boot right. Windmon gets pressure. Throw is dead and at the feet of the intended RB.
11. Previlon and Lee the DTs. Windmon and Golden the OLBs. 11 personnel. Wide receivers are really confused about where to line up, Dez Fitzpatrick and others. Finally get set. Allen is in the pistol, his depth looks a little shallow, and Ryan McCollum flips the ball over his head. Absolute train wreck of a play and McCollum runs a lap. The rest of the offense should’ve joined him.
12. Zach Frazier comes in to snap while McCollum is taking his tour of the sideline. John Rhys Plumlee also enters. Play-action and strong throw medium right side complete to Duece Watts for a gain of 24. Nice to write something positive about Plumlee and Watts.
Seven on Seven
– No play-by-play but some notes. Russell Wilson continues to participate in this.
– Quez Watkins made a leaping catch and showed plus body control on a corner route to the back left pylon.
– Wilson continues to show good zip on the football.
– Receivers needed to work harder in scramble drills to get open. Little too slow moving here.
Fifth Team Period (11 on 11)
1. Ball on the defense’s 18 for some red zone work. Fields in at QB. 12 personnel, Freiermuth standing up slot right. Nick Herbig blows up this run but it’s a gain of 3 to Harris as he jets past in this non-tackling session.
2. Troy Fautanu comes in with the 1s to play right tackle. He immediately false starts, takes a lap, and Broderick Jones comes in to replace him. 11 personnel. Fields screen left intended for Jaylen Warren doinks off Spencer Anderson’s back. Incomplete.
3. Jones still in at RT. 11 personnel, trips left. Herbig beats Jones around the edge. Fields steps up and flushes right, not seeing Najee Harris wide open left side. No one even close to him. Harris “catches” a ball from a teammate or staffer as the play ends to take into the end zone for the touchdown he missed out on.
4. 12 personnel. Fields complete to Warren on a designed swing screen for 3. Situational work to get guys in space.
5. 21 personnel. Ward carry left side with a good hole. Robinson on the tag after about 10 as Ward takes it into the end zone, though I won’t rule this a touchdown.
6. O-line of Cook-McCormick-Frazier-Anderson-Fautanu. 11 personnel. Allen complete to Ward for a 12-yard touchdown, beating Windmon out to the left side.
7. 11 personnel. Sutton and Killebrew the safeties. Rush and Barnes the outside corners with Graham over slot. Designed screen in the left flat to TE Matt Sokol. Gain of 10.
8. Fields back in as he often is for the eighth rep. Empty set from 13 personnel. Calvin Austin III the X-receiver. Fields boot right. Flat is the first read to Perine but that’s taken away. Fields works his progression on a lo-hi read to TE MyCole Pruitt. Throw is high and skims over Pruitt’s fingertips, incomplete.
9. 11 personnel. George Pickens and Van Jefferson on the outside with Calvin Austin III in the slot. Graham the slot corner. Fields touchdown to Pat Freiermuth right side, a 5-yard score against CB Kyler McMichael.
10. 12 personnel. Fields touchdown to Jefferson against McMichael over the middle, Jefferson leaving his feet to make the grab.
11. 12 personnel. Fields to Connor Heyward right side off play-action, but Tyler Murray is right there to close on it.
12. McMichael and Trice at cornerback. Good touch throw from Kyle Allen to WR Dez Fitzpatrick for a 5-yard touchdown in the back right corner.
Camp Recap (TL;DR)
– Lighter and lower-key practice today so fewer takeaways and major updates. Sounds like Sunday will be in pads and physical.
– Over the course of camp, Justin Fields’ play has ascended while Kyle Allen’s play has descended.
– Fields’ connection with George Pickens is strong. And growing.
– WR Van Jefferson has had a steady camp. Good hands, good-enough athlete, versatile, and can block.
– One guy we don’t talk about much because reps have been hard to find. No Patrick Queen meant more time for Tyler Murray, who quickly diagnosed plays, especially off play-action.
– DL Willington Previlon’s couple good practices might be giving him elevated reps.
– Cam Sutton has been a safety, not a corner, throughout the week.
– Thomas Graham has two picks this camp. He’s found the ball well.
– Happy to see that pick by Beanie Bishop Jr.. He’s gotten reps but this is the first big-time play he’s made in the team period.
– As Teryl Austin indicated, Cory Trice Jr. is getting more reps. As is Anthony Averett. Darius Rush and Kalon Barnes are seeing less time after being the primary backup cornerbacks the first four days of camp.
Saint Vincent Snapshot
Quarterbacks going through drills while QBs Coach Tom Arth (white long-sleeve shirt, black shorts) watches on.
Steelers Short Kings
A series on the shortest and smallest players in team history with large stories to tell.
HB Mel Odelli: 5-8, 176 pounds (1945)
The first draft pick of this series, Odelli was taken in the 14th round of the ’45 draft, hailing from Duquesne. He appeared in just two games and has no official stats.
His non-football feats are far more impressive. He fought in World War II as a B-24 Gunner serving with the 445th Bomb Group. Odelli completed 35 missions and has a book, Touchdown at Tibenham, written about his life. After completing his service in the Army, he worked in a coal mine for 32 years.
Norm MacDonald Quote/Joke Of The Day
“When I was a child, they told me children are our future. Then I grew up and now they’re saying it’s actually these new children. I know a Ponzi scheme when I see one.”
