Training Camp 8/13

[RuthlessBurgher]

Steelers Training Camp Nuggets: What you need to know from the 8/13 practice

Getting you caught up on another training camp practice, one week before their second preseason game.

by Kelly Anozie
Aug 14, 2017, 8:30am EDT

The Steelers were back at it again after their assigned day off, following their preseason victory against the Giants on Friday. Before the Steelers took to the field, there was definitely excitement in the air with the long awaited return of receiver Martavis Bryant, who was cleared by the NFL on Wednesday to participate in preseason activities.

In today’s session, Antonio Brown finally got the competition he was looking for, a highlight play by someone unexpected, and the return of several players from injury. So let’s get to it.

This is a great sight to see. @ThaBestUNO #Steelers pic.twitter.com/i0BnKLEjMo

— Teresa Varley (@Teresa_Varley) August 13, 2017
Injury Report:

Sunday was promising on the injury front, as several players who did not see action during the Steelers first preseason game, made their return to the field. The most notable return was cornerback Artie Burns, who was sidelined with a leg injury sustained during their ‘Friday Night Lights’ practice back on August 4th. The other notable return was Steelers third-round pick Cameron Sutton, who had not seen any action since sustaining a lower body injury on July 29th.

The Steelers other third-round pick, James Connor, participated in 7-on-7 and individual work; from what has been reported, he is well on his way to returning to team drills. Despite the concussion, receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster sustained on Friday against the Giants, he was back in pads and ready for action. The other returnees included Alejandro Villanueva (undisclosed), Sean Davis (undisclosed), and Justin Hunter (shoulder).

The players who did not participate in today’s session included: Ryan Shazier (hamstring), Senquez Golson (hamstring), Mike Mitchell (lower body), Sammie Coates (knee), Keion Adams (shoulder), and Demarcus Ayers .

Training Camp Action:

Notable Passes defended/intercepted during drills:

•Cornerback Artie Burns interception vs. Antonio Brown

•Cornerback Coty Sensabaugh interception vs. Darrius Heyward-Bey

•Cornerback Brian Allen interception on Bart Houston

•Linebacker Vince Williams pass breakup on Xavier Grimble

•Linebacker T.J. Watt on pass breakup on Knile Davis

Notable Receptions/Touchdowns during drills:

•Wide Receiver Antonio Brown touchdown on Artie Burns

•Martavis Bryant reception on Brian Allen (Martavis had two receptions today).

•Justin Hunter reception on Coty Sensabaugh

•Tight End Jesse James goal line touchdown on Sean Davis

AB vs Artie B! #Steelers pic.twitter.com/NFMprVnBnr

— Blitzburgh (@Steel_Curtain4) August 13, 2017

Notable Performers:

Artie Burns - During his absence, Antonio Brown was quite frankly having his way with cornerbacks Coty Sensabaugh and Ross Cockrell. After burning Cockrell for a 35-yard touchdown last week, he ran up to Burns and emphatically voiced to him how “easy it was out there” and his desire to have him back.

Brown got his wish, and Burns did not disappoint.

During one-on-ones, Brown did get the best of Burns in the first repetition with a touchdown. Burns then countered in the next two repetitions with an incompletion and interception. The receptions that Brown made were hard-earned ones, as Burns’ intention was to make life difficult for Brown. As it stands, none of the corners (Sutton remains to be seen), possess the skill set necessary to give Antonio Brown the competition he wants, except for Artie Burns.

Sleep on me if you want Ima wake you up with no warning @TheRealBushyB_ pic.twitter.com/AHNc3HvekD

— Burns Jr Artie (@_audi August 13, 2017

Jesse James - James was credited with the best play of the day according to ESPN Senior Writer Jeremy Fowler. In his description, a goal line lob intended for James was tipped by strong safety Sean Davis. James was still able to catch the ball off the bounce and keep both feet inside for the touchdown. For the most part, James has not been overly impressive in camp, which is why his name has not been mentioned much. This particular day was a good one for him, which will hopefully lead to several more strong performances.

Brian Allen - Allen accounted for an interception and forced an incompletion on a pass intended for receiver Cobi Hamilton. From all reports, Allen is a quick study, and continues to get more acclimated with coverage. During the press coverage drill, Steelers analysts Tunch Ilkin and Craig Wolfley noted how Allen stood by defensive backs coach Carnell Lake and listened to his instructions. This is true sign of a player that is looking to get better with every practice.

https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2017/8/14/16141196/steelers-training-camp-nuggets-what-you-need-to-know-from-8-13-practice-antonio-brown-artie-burns

[RuthlessBurgher]

Steelers' DC says Artie Burns 'about 50-50' against Antonio Brown

7:00 AM ET
Jeremy Fowler
ESPN Staff Writer

LATROBE, Pa. -- Cornerback Artie Burns' return to the practice lineup seemed to give the Pittsburgh Steelers defense a boost during Sunday's training camp session. The offense looked a tad off as long-absent Martavis Bryant worked to get his timing down, but Burns got a pick in one-on-ones and a pass breakup in seven-man work. Corners Coty Sensabaugh, Brian Allen and Brandon Dixon recorded interceptions against the first, second and third teams.

These all are good signs, because as of Sunday afternoon defensive coordinator Keith Butler was fed up seeing Antonio Brown beat his corners over and over.

To be sure, Brown will always get his to some degree. Burns is the best man for the job. But as Butler points out, one man's not enough.

“They can’t let him win all the time. We have to win some of them," Butler said about guarding Brown. "Artie was doing that. He was about 50-50 with him, I think, before he got hurt. The guys covering him now, it’s an easy thing for him. He says it’s easy for him. It pisses me off when he says it’s easy for him. I like to be competitive. I want AB to be as good as he can because he’s going to doggone help us. We’ve got to have somebody who can get close to covering him. Artie was probably our closest one, but we have to have more than one to do it.”

Butler acknowledges Burns' ability to play press-man coverage is one of several catalysts necessary for Pittsburgh's defensive success. All three of last year's top rookies -- Burns, safety Sean Davis and tackle Javon Hargrave -- must take a step for the rest of the defense to do the same, Butler said.

But Burns' style of play might provide the most flexibility. And Butler once again sounds ready to mix and match man coverages with his zone concepts.

“It means we can play different defenses, we can put a little bit of pressure on the quarterback, it’s not just going to be an easy throw-and-catch for the quarterback to pick it up and throw it outside, throw it inside against a zone defense or stuff like that," Butler said. "We’ve got to be able to change up a little bit.”

Luckily for Butler, his front three of Hargrave, Cam Heyward and Stephon Tuitt got major push in the preseason debut against the New York Giants, helping T.J. Watt record his first two career sacks. Butler said those three plus veteran Tyson Alualu and L.T. Walton provide the most line depth he's had in a while.

Butler likes to get natural pressure (i.e., no blitzing), so a stout, healthy line is a good start.

"We’re still in the making. We’re far from being a great defense," Butler said. "If you want to win it all, you have to have a really good defense. I don’t want to go into the first game like a couple of years ago and everyone not having played together."

The Steelers hope their defensive starters -- including safety Mike Mitchell and linebacker Ryan Shazier (lower-body injuries) -- will be back as soon as this week.


A few other Steelers practice notes:


▪ Allen is getting better. Not sure if he'll make the 53-man roster, but he's making a push. He's not as much of a project as expected, given his conversion from receiver to corner at Utah. He's an active jammer at the line, his footwork is pretty good and he's a willing tackler. Needs work tracking the ball but he's improving there, too.


▪ Jesse James made possibly the catch of camp in goal-line work. Ben Roethlisberger threw a lob to James, who was well-covered by Davis. The ball hit somewhere between both players and bounced straight up. James positioned himself for the ball and kept both feet in bounds.


▪ Joshua Dobbs went 1-of-2 in "seven shots," including a well-timed score to Phazahn Odom. Dobbs had trouble with accuracy Sunday, often throwing the ball too high.


▪ Receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was back in practice, two days after being evaluated for a possible concussion Friday at New York.


▪ Tyler Matakevich has heard his nickname -- "Dirty Red" -- a bunch in recent camp practices, usually as praise for a good play. He's always been solid against the run, but he's improving in pass coverage, which was a problem area in the spring.


▪ Bryant definitely looks as fast and strong as advertised, but his timing on routes appears off. That's to be expected. He seemed to have trouble locating the ball, particularly on sideline work. He and Roethlisberger should be able to clean that up soon.


http://www.espn.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/post/_/id/24592/defensive-coordinator-says-artie-burns-about-50-50-against-antonio-brown

[RuthlessBurgher]

'He looked like Martavis'
Posted 15 hours ago


By Mike Prisuta

Bryant begins the process of knocking off the rust.

LATROBE, Pa. _ A familiar face returned to the practice field this afternoon, and a recognizable game was on display.

“He looked like Martavis,” head coach Mike Tomlin assessed after wide receiver Martavis Bryant’s first practice of training camp at Saint Vincent College. “He’s a talented athlete, he’s in good condition, but that’s just an element of it. Knocking the rust off, getting acclimated, or re-acclimated to football and the details associated with what’s required to win at this level will be a process.

“It’ll be fun to watch him work through it.”

For Bryant, the process initially included:

-Catching punts from the JUGS machine before practice.

-Lining up in the slot and wide during a couple of reps in “Seven Shots,” the practice-opening conversion/short-yardage drill (Bryant didn’t have a pass thrown in his direction in the drill).

-Working 1-on-1 against cornerback Ross Cockrell in a wide receivers/defensive backs drill. Bryant caught one of three passes thrown by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger while trying to shake Cockrell’s aggressive, physical coverage.

-Attempting to block safety Sean Davis on a carry by running back Knile Davis in the 11-on-11 “tackle football” period.

-Catching a pass from quarterback Joshua Dobbs in a third-down drill behind cornerback Brian Allen’s diving attempt to knock the ball down, and then turning up the field and covering the length of the sideline.

-And last but not least, lining up with the first-team offense in the final 11-on-11 period of practice, along with wide receivers Antonio Brown and Eli Rogers, tight end Jesse James and Davis while the Steelers worked on their no-huddle offense. Roethlisberger’s first attempt to hit Bryant fell incomplete but the second resulted in a completion over the middle.

MEDICAL FILE: Quarterback Landry Jones, wide receiver Demarcus Ayers, wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, cornerback Cam Sutton, safety Mike Mitchell, cornerback Senquez Golson, safety Sean Davis, running back James Conner, linebacker Ryan Shazier, center Maurkice Pouncey, outside linebacker Anthony Chickillo, offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert, outside linebacker James Harrison and outside linebacker Keion Adams were among the players who didn’t practice or were limited in practice due to either injury or a coach’s decision.

In addition to Bryant, wide receiver Justin Hunter, cornerback Artie Burns, running back Trey Williams, outside linebacker Bud Dupree and offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva were among the players who returned to practice.

PROPER PRACTICE ETIQUETTE: Safety Jacob Hagen had a chance to blow up wide receiver Marcus Tucker but didn’t during a non-tackling, two-minute drill. Tomlin noticed.

“Good angle,” Tomlin said to Hagen, then added in Tucker’s direction, “He let you live right there, one-six.”

Tomlin then told a couple of reporters standing on the sideline that Hagen had made “a good, professional play,” by getting in position to make the play but not finishing it at Tucker’s expense, an aspect of practice etiquette with which some younger players traditionally struggle.

“He gets it,” Tomlin said of Hagen.

CATCH OF THE DAY: A Roethlisberger pass form James in “Seven Shots” was tipped into the air by Sean Davis, who had gotten position between Roethlisberger and James. But James stayed with the ball and stretched to catch the carom while keeping his feet in bounds.

QUICK-HITTERS: The offense won “Seven Shots,” 4-3, on a conversion/touchdown run by Knile Davis … Wide receiver Cobi Hamilton threw his towel on the field after a battle with cornerback Brandon Dixon during the cornerbacks-wide receivers drill that had resulted in an incompletion. That was apparently Hamilton’s way of signaling that pass interference had been committed … Burns intercepted Roethlisberger on a pass intended for wide receiver Antonio Brown in the cornerbacks/wide receivers drill … Nose tackle Javon Hargrave dropped Davis for a loss in “tackle football.” Davis also lost yardage when he bounced off defensive end Cam Heyward in the backfield and was eventually finished off by linebacker Tyler Matakevich. And nose tackle L.T. Walton managed to get Davis down for a loss while being blocked by center Kyle Friend. Davis’ next carry went for approximately 10 yards … The defense stopped the offense twice in two-minute work (the offense failed to drive 49 yards for a touchdown, with one timeout, in 1:18 both times). The second possession ended when Allen intercepted quarterback Bart Houston.

http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/He-looked-like-Martavis/95fa4530-bc21-45ec-9322-508306cf4a4f

[Iron City Inc.]

Does anyone here thing Theresa Varley has been at camp every day? To know if James has blasted the sled in practice daily n has been the clear cut #1 TE for a reason. Not blowing assignments, catching everything tossed his way and improving his blocking on a daily basis. Now he will never be Gronk but my point is where do these folks get their info from. Just make it up as they go. He has had an excellent camp.
My message be aware of some of these draft reports where truth is mixed with a lot of fluff! Depo guys are there every day, much better evaluations minus the fluff.