LATROBE, Pa. - Key takeaways from today's practice at Saint Vincent College.
SEVEN SHOTS: QB Ben Roethlisberger was back in the practice-opening, 11-on-11, 2-yard drill after observing on Friday night. Roethlisberger hit RB Le'Veon Bell for one conversion at LB Ryan Shazier's expense and WR Antonio Brown for another on a slant. Roethlisberger's only miss was a throw for TE Heath Miller … QB Landry Jones was 2-for-3 in the drill (conversions to RB Josh Harris and WR Sammie Coates) … WR Eli Rogers scored/converted on a sweep.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers returned to Saint Vincent College following the night practice at Latrobe Memorial Stadium.
BACKS-on-'BACKERS (PASS COVERAGE):** Shazier and WR/RB Dri Archer tested each other's speed repeatedly … LB Terence Garvin had an interception and a pass defensed … LB Vince Williams, LB Lawrence Timmons, and Spence (twice) also batted balls down.
TACKLE FOOTBALL: DT Cam Thomas made the most of his reps with the first-team defense. Thomas blasted G Reese Dismukes into RB Cameron Stingily on what became a tackle for a loss and assisted DE Stephon Tuitt on another tackle for a loss … Spence and Timmons also dropped running backs short of the line of scrimmage … Archer lost his helmet on first contact on one of his carries but stayed with the play and managed a 1-yard gain … Stingily popped a run for approximately 15 yards thanks to a block by FB Roosevelt Nix … Harris earned Tomlin's approval and congratulations on a 5-yard run.
CATCH OF THE DAY: The one pass thrown in the 11-on-11 running game drill was caught by TE Cameron Clear, who initially juggled the throw from QB Landry Jones but recovered and held on despite being blasted by S Shamarko Thomas.
NO-HUDDLE: Roethlisberger was 4-for-6 in no-huddle work, including a perfectly placed sideline ball that allowed WR Darrius Heyward-Bey to get between S Alden Darby and CB Antwon Blake and come down with the ball inbounds ... S Ian Wild had an interception on a pass thrown by QB Tyler Murphy that was tipped … CB Cortez Allen had a pass defensed.
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HOUSEKEEPING:** Shazier (lower back), LB Jarvis Jones (bicep), Shamarko Thomas (shoulder), Harris (shoulder) and RB Ross Scheuerman (left Achilles) didn't finish practice. "I don't want to characterize these injuries as significant," Tomlin said. "I don't know that they are; I don't know that they aren't." … LB James Harrison, S Will Allen, TE Matt Spaeth, WR Martavis Bryant, DE Cam Heyward, RB DeAngelo Williams, WR Markus Wheaton, DT Steve McLendon and S Mike Mitchell were among those either held out of practice or nursing injuries.
DAY-TO-DAY PROPOSITION: Tomlin said there's no plan or standard associated with which veterans get a day off and when.
"I'm schizophrenic," Tomlin said. "I'm not even going to pretend like there's some rhyme or reason to it. If they're working well and we have enough healthy guys at the position from time to time I'll throw them a bone. Not a bone with a lot of meat on it, just a bone."
