Another morning practice at Saint Vincent College on Wednesday, a 10:30 start time due to the weather, although the forecast was clear all morning and it’s not raining in Latrobe right now. So I’m not sure what prompted the team to make this decision. Anyway, let’s talk about what happened on the 11th.
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Camp notes (day 11)
– No pads today as the team worked in shorts and shells. Therefore, a practice of lower intensity and without tackling. At least, none expected by the coaches.
– Injury Report: Not practicing today include: WR Chase Claypool (undisclosed), FB Derek Watt (shoulder), EDGE Alex Highsmith (ribs), EDGE Genard Avery (groin), OG Kevin Dotson (right ankle), NT Montravius Adams (ankle). ), WR Diontae Johnson (hip), TE Zach Gentry (undisclosed), LB Ulysees Gilbert III (right foot), RB Mataeo Durant (undisclosed) and LB Marcus Allen (hamstring).
I didn’t see Claypool or Gentry on the field today. Dotson went down a bit in the session and walked well with nothing on his injured right foot/ankle. This is a good sign. Gilbert is left with a boot. Durant did some side work with a trainer during one of the team’s special sessions and stood next to S&C assistant coach Marcel Pastoor at the end of practice. Marcus Allen jogged and walked around midfield, the first signs of a return from a leg injury like his. There are still days to go, but there is progress. Allen also served as the team DJ during the stretch, so that keeps him busy.
RB Najee Harris was limited but worked in positional drills. He looked explosive and was cutting and looks pretty healthy, although the Steelers are being cautious. NT Tyson Alualu remains limited.
– DeMarvin Leal and Minkah Fitzpatrick both wrapped their right wrists before the start of practice.
– A lonely start to the day for TE Pat Freiermuth. During an early special teams session, with Gentry out, Freiermuth was all alone next to Alfredo Roberts. The other TEs (Kevin Rader, Connor Heyward and Jace Sternberger) were working in the special teams session.
– Some coaches chatting during the stretching line. OC Matt Canada and OL Pat Meyer. At midfield, away from everyone, waiting for the defense to catch up, DC Teryl Austin and OLB assistant coach Denzel Martin were arguing.
– The Steelers start most of their setup session working with jet WR. That included today.
– Mike Tomlin hanging around the tight ends as they passed for drills, a W drill and finishing with a sack. Tomlin with a quick shout to Connor Heyward, “Put your weight down, Connor” as he started to walk off to a different group.
– Some of Frisman Jackson’s training points heard during the day. “Eyes in the Sky” on the follow-up fades out. “Strong hands, soft hands,” as they went through the chutes and ended up with a catch. A quick summary of the day. Go through slides catching rugby balls then run half speed routes on back shoulder throws, dog/fairies, catch passes thrown high over the receiver’s head and then low passes to the knees to work on passes out of their box . Then they got close to the quarterbacks and ran air routes. Here’s a quick look at how the receivers go through their portion of individual practice.
– Miles Boykin, James Pierre, Linden Stephens and Tyler Snead work as gunners during special teams work. During the punt sessions, Tre Norwood worked as a first-team punter with Karl Joseph and Benny Snell as the starting tight ends. Second-team Jaylen Warren with Donovan Stiner and Javon McKinley the second-string wings.
– Quick notes 7v7. Connor Heyward good catch up the middle during the session. Jace Sternberger had a drop on a cruiserweight that worked with Robert Spillane. Tyler Snead burned Chris Steele down the right sideline and caught a nice throw by Kenny Pickett, who got punched by the coaches after the play. Pickett and Snead found themselves in a mismatch again in the final 7-on-7 performance.
– Some notes on round trip time and yards. Deep passes, so I didn’t track the yardage, but both avoided touchbacks. Cameron Nizialek had a hangtime of 4.32, Pressley Harvin a hangtime of 4.47.
Here are the patios and outdoor patios.
Pressley Harvin III: 4.60 (N/A yds), 4.83 (49 yds), 3.69 (44 yds), 4.62 (54 yds), 4.84 (54 yds), 4.70 ( 59 yards), 4.68 (62 yards).
Cameron Nizialek: 4.66 (53 yds), 4.53 (51 yds), 4.49 (44 yds – out of bounds), 4.61 (43 yds), 4.66 (43 yds).
It should be noted that PR Tyler Vaughns shut down a punt in the air with no rush on one attempt.
– OK, let’s talk about seven shots.
First session
1. Minkah Fitzpatrick/Terrell Edmunds the safety pairing. TJ Watt and Derrek Tuszka at OLB. Kendrick Green at LG, Mitch Trubisky at QB and Benny Snell at RB. Devin Bush and Myles Jack the ILBs, Larry Ogunjobi and Chris Wormley the DTs. Ahkello Witherspoon LCB, Cam Sutton RCB, Arthur Maulet in the slot.
Trubisky retires. Nothing is available, it floats and rolls to its right. He throws Anthony Miller the clips out of his hand and out of bounds, but Miller didn’t really get a chance to make the catch. Good coverage by Ahekllo Witherspoon. As Trubisky started to run to his right, someone yelled, maybe Cam Heyward, “he’s not there,” recognizing how well-defended this play was. The pass is incomplete and the defense gets on the board first.
2. Trubisky a little hesitant and shoots to the left side. Karl Joseph jumps underneath and almost catches it, but the pass is incomplete. Devin Bush is excited and jumps and grabs the crossbar, hanging for a moment, before letting it go as the goal posts sway.
3. Connor Heyward’s throw over the middle is almost picked off by Robert Spillane, the pass slips through his hands and out of the back of the end zone. Spillane’s hands haven’t been the best this summer, but he’s making plays on the football.
4. Trubisky still at QB. Jaylen Warren steps in at RB. Rookie Calvin Austin II in the slot. Trubisky looks for Austin on a corner route down the right sideline, but the pass is ahead and incomplete with Arthur Maulet providing coverage. Trubisky and the offense with him goes 0-4.
5. Mason Rudolph at QB. James Pierre at LCB. Throw to the left side and Miles Boykin makes a nice one-handed catch against Levi Wallace for the TD. Very good catch.
6. Master Teague in RB. Slant/flat combination to the left and Cody White sinks into the slant for the TE inside the goal line.
7. Kenny Pickett at QB. Donovan Jeter and Khalil Davis the DTs. James Pierre, Levi Wallace the outside corners with Karl Joseph in the slot. Pickett’s throw to TE Jace Sternberger is incomplete.
The defense wins seven shots, 5-2, with Mason Rudolph the only QB to throw touchdowns here.
– Notes WR vs DB 1v1 with some RB/LB mixed in throughout this exercise.
WR/DB + RB/LB 1v1s
1. Good representation of Ahkello Witherspoon, going up against George Pickens. Picens with a slower pitch off the line, but with active feet trying to get Witherspoon to bite. But Witherspoon stays patient and breaks the route as Pickens makes his tilt. Throw the ball away from the incomplete.
2. Quick cut from Connor Heyward who makes a good hand catch, taking the ball out of his frame by working Robert Spillane.
3. Anthony Miller fakes a corner route and breaks to make the catch on a deep curl against James Pierre, who was stretching Miller a bit vertically and couldn’t break away from him.
4. Some contact with Anthony McFarland leaning toward Robert Spillane on the break before breaking out on an outlet route and making a nice catch.
5. Calvin Austin double plays Chris Steele and runs down the right side. He has a step up on fellow rookie Chris Steele. Ball thrown over the right shoulder and Austin has to fade a bit to his right and turn his head that way to meet it. I don’t quite get it and it falls into his hands incomplete.
6. Jace Sternberger on a corner route against Donovan Stiner, who has good but not airtight coverage. Throwing to the front and incomplete, Stiner’s coverage forces some passing to the front based on his leverage underneath.
7. McFarland pushes to make the catch against Spillane.
8. Steven Sims creates a ton of space on this 10-yard dig against Justin Layne, who gives up a lot of separation. But the throw is low and Sims can’t make the catch, even though it could be caught. Chris Oladokun on the pitch. The first time we’ve mentioned his name, even though he’s worked in these 1v1 sessions every day, and we’re talking about him for the wrong reasons here. This is the extent of Oladokun’s “representations”. Launches in 1v1 competition period.
9. Nice sliding catch on a corner route by Connor Heyward working against Stiner.
10. Miles Boykin breaks into a deep curl against Chris Steele and makes the catch.
11. Mike Tomlin specifically calls for a matchup between Pickens and Witherspoon. “14/25, right here!” And so they line up. Pickens runs a route down the right sideline. Maybe a little contact, but Pickens, seemingly gliding and not breaking a sweat, steps over Witherspoon and takes the ball off his left shoulder, pulling back a bit and catching the ball. Very good representation.
12. Spillane half-steps back but takes McFarland upright. The step is a little too far inside and is incomplete, McFarland falls in love but doesn’t reach…