LATROBE, PA (93.7 The Fan) – There was a brief lightning delay, but the Steelers again dodged most of the bad weather only dealing with a little drizzle at St. Vincent College on Saturday. The team now has just four more practices before the first preseason game on Friday.
The team worked in helmets only, so no pads as head coach Mike Tomlin said he wanted to allow his team to ‘bounce back’ after a physical practice Friday night at Latrobe Memorial Stadium. He said on Sunday they will go back to a physical workout with short yardage and goal line drills.
Several players got some or parts of the practice off and that included Minkah Fitzpatrick, Cam Heyward, Patrick Queen, TJ Watt, Isaac Seumalo .
A couple picks
There were a pair of interceptions, one thrown by Justin Fields and the other by Kyle Allen . One in an 11-on-11 drill as undrafted rookie Beanie Bishop was blitzing, he said he recognized a pass was coming to the running back, stopped and intercepted it with one hand and returned it about 10 yards for a touchdown.
“When I get to the ball, I try to make the most of it,” Bishop said. “Whenever I touch it, it’s like a one-man job type of deal.”
Also making his second interception was Thomas Graham , getting Allen on the first play of the second teamers in ‘seven shots’
Flat tackle
Steelers held a ‘flat tackle drill’ where a quarterback throws a short pass to a running back or receiver and he tries to beat an oncoming tackler. While Bishop had a big pick, he was beaten by the speed of Calvin Austin twice. Fields and linebacker Payton Wilson split results and Connor Heyward with a great form tackle, or with no pads, assumed tackle on Austin.
“We need defenders that can consistently make that tackle and can get their fist in the air, for example, on third down,” Tomlin said. “It’s a really fundamental thing, not a lot to talk about it, but being efficient in the flat is significant. We have to defend the pylon in the red zone. We can’t get beat to the flat.”
“Let’s be honest, Kansas City has probably won the last two Super Bowls in the flat. So, that's just a fertile territory of real estate that we have to acclimate ourselves to, see who can make plays in it, and that's a component of it.”
7 shots (from the 2-yard line, again no pads)
· coverage sack of Justin Fields
· Fields threw a strike back of the end zone TD to George Pickens ( Elandon Roberts in coverage)
· Fields scramble to the right finds Pickens for another TD
· Montravius Adams sacks Fields
· Graham INT Kyle Allen middle of the end zone (2nd INT of camp for Graham)
· Anthony Averett pass break up on a jump ball to tight end Darnell Washington by Allen. Averett gave up eight inches in the matchup
· DeMarvin Leal sacked Allen
Other notes
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