LATROBE, Pa. – An NFL training camp can be divided into phases.
The first phase is the acclimation period, that series of practices mandated by the Collective Bargaining Agreement to be conducted without full pads. The next phase contains the practices that begin with the first day in pads and continue right up to the few days that serve as a ramp-up to the preseason opener. Then the final stage of training camp runs through the preseason and up to cut-down day, which in 2024 will be at 4 p.m. on Aug. 27.
With the Steelers off on Monday and their preseason opener scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 9 at Acrisure Stadium against the Houston Texans, Sunday's practice at Saint Vincent College represented the end of what might be termed Phase 2 of their training camp.
"Really good day today. Situational ball with an emphasis on goal line in particular," said Coach Mike Tomlin. "Really a day that featured our bigs – defensive line, offensive line and the way the game is played in there. We're not trying to trick anybody on a day like today. We want to see who can come off the ball, play with good pad level, defeat blocks, maintain blocks. Just a really good day in terms of getting to know one another.
"We're also tackling on days like today, so we're not speculating. It's just providing a better platform for guys to develop skills and show their skills. So, a very necessary day."
Sunday's practice plan included 7-Shots, Team Run, and Goal-Line, and there was a "run the ball, and stop the run" flavor to each one. In 7-Shots, during which the defense prevailed by a 4-3 margin, 5 of the plays could be characterized as running plays. Justin Fields scored one of the offense's touchdowns on a run, and RB La'Mical Perine powered across the goal line for another.
But the defense won the reps when Najee Harris was stopped by ILB Payton Wilson, when NT Montravius Adams got some help in denying Jaylen Warren up the middle, and when RB Jonathan Ward first was tripped up by ILB Tyler Matakevich and then finished off by LB Tyler Murray.
During the Goal-Line period, RB Jaylen Warren tried to follow FB Jack Colletto into the end zone but was stopped by DE DeMarvin Leal on one play, but on another similar play he was able to get into the end zone. Harris vaulted into the end zone over right guard on another running play.
But it wasn't all ground-and-pound, either. Safety DeShon Elliott broke up a pass for Colletto at the pylon, and DB Ryan Watts intercepted a Kyle Allen pass in the end zone.
"I thought we had some young defenders really stand up," said Tomlin about his assessment of Sunday's practice. "I held some guys out of the drill, like Larry Ogunjobi and Keeanu Benton, and so we had guys like Isaiahh Loudermilk and others – Logan Lee – stepping up in class and getting an opportunity to pit their skills against more established guys. And so it's always good when guys get an opportunity to do that, and to have some success. I thought some of those defensive linemen up front really represented themselves well."
TOMLIN'S INJURY UPDATE
"I'm glad we got through it relatively clean from an injury perspective. No new news there. The talk about all the other (players on the injury list) can be characterized as status quo. We've got an off day coming up on Monday, and so it's going to be a really big opportunity to get right (physically) in a short period of time. We're stepping into a stadium next week, so all this work is important, but obviously some of it is weighted more than others. So, it would behoove guys to get into that stadium on Friday night."
