Tomlin Notes-Fields work, best QB, 7 shots, 1-on-1

LATROBE, PA (93.7 The Fan) – The first big news from Steelers camp on Friday was the same as Thursday, quarterback Russell Wilson did not practice due to tightness in his calf. As for those on the field, impressions of day two including Justin Fields and seven shots

Fields 1 ^st team

Due to the Wilson injury, which he said is nothing to panic about, Fields ran with the first team. The command of the offense is impressive, the results are inconsistent. He mixed a 35-yard strike to Calvin Austin between Minkah Fitzpatrick and Beanie Bishop, a jump ball TD to George Pickens and a perfect red zone TD to Van Jefferson with a bounced pass and a few times he would have been sacked in a real game.

A ‘great opportunity’ for Fields is how Tomlin described his performance.

“He’s done a good job. Every play and every day he’s going against a really good defense,” said QB Russell Wilson. “Made some really great plays and some plays he responded back to. That’s a part of practice and he’s doing a good job.”

“He’s a really good competitor. He processes it well and he’s a tremendous young talent.”

Allen shines

The best quarterback the first two days, or at least the most consistent, has been third-stringer Kyle Allen. It’s going two for two during seven shots, but more so just making good decisions and good throws. This doesn’t mean he’s in a QB competition, but does show that even down to their third-string QB, they’ve got someone who has been around the NFL.

Before anyone takes it anything more than just he’s had a couple of good days.

“It’s so early,” Tomlin said. “It really is, I’d be reaching there to talk about progress over the course of two days.”

Steelers 7 shots

It was the first time this camp the team did what has become a daily highlight, the ‘seven shots drill’. Offense gets the ball at the two-and-a-half-yard line (the start for a two-point conversion) and gets seven snaps. The first four snaps and the last one were mostly pitting the first team against first team, acknowledging Fields was the QB.

·     Fields pass to Pat Freiermuth, knocked down by DeShon Elliott
·     Fields pass just a little to high to Freiermuth on the goal line. During the play center Nate Herbig had his helmet ripped off, briefly there was some pushing, but nothing more.
·     Fields lone touchdown, a perfect pass to Van Jefferson nearly in the back corner
·     Next snap was the same play, but Fields pass was a little high, Beanie Bishop had good coverage
·     QB Kyle Allen with a quick throw into the middle of the end zone to MyCole Pruitt.
·     Allen then rolled to his right and threw a low pass that Roman Wilson dove for and caught just over the goal line.
·     Fields attempted a pass to Calvin Austin, but it was knocked away by Donte Jackson a couple of steps in the end zone.

Loving 1-on-1 work

We are getting to see some one-on-one battles here early in training camp. It’s something Tomlin likes to do in pitting players against each other.

“It’s just the nature of the matchup,” Tomlin explained. “Both guys are guys that play in the slot in situational ball. Just like you’ll see a lot of [DeShon] Elliott versus [Pat] Freiermuth. I think that’s what’s interesting about this environment. You work ones on ones, twos on twos and you see consistency in terms of matchups. And so guys are going to be challenged to win their matchup”.

“If they win their matchup enough, they get elevated into the next group and get a new challenge. That’s what training camp is about, certainly. And, so you’re going to identify matchups like Calvin [Austin III] and Beanie [Bishop], or ‘Muth’ [Pat Freiermuth] and ‘D. Elliott’ [DeShon Elliott], or whoever. That’s just a component of this thing. Zach Frazier and [Keeanu] Benton. It’s a lot of that going on, and it’s good. That’s how we all get better.”