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Pads will be on. Can't wait to read the reports
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"My team, may they always be right, but right or wrong...MY TEAM!" -
Steelers 2021 Training Camp: Tracking Wednesday’s Practice at Heinz Field
The Steelers are putting on the pads Wednesday and will have fans in the stands at Heinz Field.
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Thanks for video H.Trolls are people too.Comment
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As expected some good, some bad. Best part for me..."Jaylen Samuels might not make the roster"
From the Notepad: Steelers Put Pads On and Things Get Chippy
Najee Harris vs. Marcus Allen, fans, and finally, Pittsburgh Steelers football in pads.
NOAH STRACKBEIN14 HOURS AGO
PITTSBURGH -- The pads are on. That's right, Pittsburgh Steelers training camp is officially - real.
Day 1 of pads was just as exciting as you'd think. Fans were in the stands, backs on backers were going on, and yes, there were even some fights.
Overall, Steelers camp felt like it finally took off on Wednesday, and for the first time, it was clear who was standing out - and who wasn't.
While there's plenty of time to figure out who's making/missing this team, the first day of pads was more to see who's real. Playing football in shorts shows your IQ, but the NFL game gets fast when people are hitting. Not everyone adapts well.
Let's dig in...
Antoine Brooks Jr. Has Work to Do
Brooks is in line to be the Steelers' starting nickelback this season, but there's work that needs to be done before he's the next Mike Hilton.
While one-on-one cornerback vs. wide receiver drills aren't designed for the defense, he got beat multiple times. Coverage is still a skill he's improving on, while his ability to blitz seems to be something he's been working on - and showing confidence in.
Najee Harris vs. Marcus Allen Was More Exciting Than You'd Expect
The first backs-on-backers rep was Benny Snell Jr. vs. Robert Spillane. Spillane won with some ease. Snell bounced back, though, which was no surprise.
Najee Harris vs. Marcus Allen was the show to watch, though. And truthfully, it looked like Harris had some work to do in the beginning.
Allen came out strong with two wins back-to-back. The two got in each other's face after the second rep and things got a little heated. On the next rep, Harris one. Then they took a break.
When they faced off again, it went Allen, then Harris. Tensions were high.
Harris earned his stripes on the final battle, and the two hugged it out and went on. A good move for two teammates, and a good win for the rookie.
"His demeanor was telling," head coach Mike Tomlin said on Harris. "It was exciting that he had an appetite for that action."
Can Pat Freiermuth Block?
That question is still up for debate. While Freiermuth did show some blocking ability during backs-on-backers, he also lost his fair share of reps.
The tight end won two impressive goes with Alex Highsmith. Then, Highsmith came back later in the drill and beat Freiermuth win an impressive bull rush.
Mike Tomlin asks Freiermuth every time he catches a ball if he can block. I guess we'll wait and see.
Kallen Ballage Continues to Make a Case
Ballage bounced outside during team drills (that were not live) and found a hole for a pretty big gain. Whenever the defense isn't tackling to the ground, it's easy to say a runner made a good cut, but this isn't the first time Ballage has done so.
The NFL journeyman is fighting for a roster spot, and he's making a case. He stopped Buddy Johnson in backs-on-backers and then found himself in open field during a few runs.
Ballage is someone worth watching these next two weeks.
Jaylen Samuels Might Not Make The Roster
On the other hand, Samuels looks like he's given up. Maybe that's harsh, but until the energy is back from this fourth-year runner, he's a player that's on the outside looking in for this roster.
Samuels was beaten by Ulysees Gilbert III on backs-on-backers. Then, he virtually disappeared. Literally.
At one point, I was asked if Samuels was even playing today; that's how unnoticeable he was on Wednesday. It was the same during OTAs and minicamp.
Right now, he's just not someone who looks like he's making this team better.
Having Fans Back is Fun
Man, having fans back in the building was incredible. Walking into the seats and hearing the roar of fans was more bone-chilling than I remembered.
And that was just with 6,000.
Steelers Nation, get excited. If you haven't bought your tickets yet, do so. Football being played with fans is actual football - and there's nothing like it.
Interior Line - Okay. Backup Tackles - Not Okay.
The Steelers continue to wait for Zach Banner and Chuks Okorafor to return to the field. Meanwhile, they're working with Joe Haeg and Dan Moore Jr. at left and right tackle.
It's been rough.
The Steelers need Banner and Okorafor back, but they also need to find reliable backups. Haeg and Moore might be their only options, but they aren't starter-worthy.
Working with two players who are coming into training camp with injuries, that's concerning.
On the inside, Kendrick Green, Trai Turner and Rashaad Coward are playing well. Coward is earning himself a backup job. Green and Turner are creating hope that maybe this offensive line will be okay.
Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.Comment
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Brooke Pryor
@bepryor
James Pierre is getting a lot of work on the outside opposite Cam Sutton with Joe Haden out today.
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Great updates, keep them coming! I think Samuels is gone, barring injuries.
I am very interested to see Spillane and Highsmith this year. Both coming into their 2 year with the Steelers and benefitting with a full training camp should help tremendously.
I watched some tape on Spillane last year and he brings the wood. He is a hitter.Help me find my post proving I am a Yinzer!
I will tip my hat to Tomlin if he has a winning record and the team makes the play-offs in the upcoming season.Comment
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Steelers inside the ropes: Undrafted WR Rico Bussey steals the show
CHRIS ADAMSKI | Thursday, July 29, 2021
One of three undrafted rookies among an 11-man Pittsburgh Steelers wide receivers corps in which there perhaps are six men fighting for one possible open spot, Rico Bussey has the odds stacked against him.
The rookie who played at the University of Hawaii was designated as the star of Thursday’s open practice at Heinz Field after puncturing the session with a touchdown catch of about 25 yards that gave the offense a touchdown to end a simulated 2-minute drill.
Bussey had another catch from Dwayne Haskins to kick off the drill, which to be precise began with 1 minute, 18 seconds remaining on the clock for the second-teamers after the first-team defense held in the first rep.
Bussey was targeted on three of Haskins’ five snaps, making two catches. The 6-0, 195-pound Bussey also had a pair of catches a few snaps apart earlier during an 11-on-11 drill — the first while leaping and fighting off Justin Layne, the second on a deep ball thrown by Josh Dobbs down the opposite sideline over Stephen Denmark.
Wearing the familiar No. 84 of former star Steelers receiver Antonio Brown, Bussey had a big year (1,017 yards) for North Texas in 2018 but suffered a torn ACL the next year.
The first-team offense, led by quarterback Mason Rudolph, did not score on its 2-minute try — and coach Mike Tomlin wasn’t happy about it. With 15 seconds left, Rudolph hit JuJu Smith-Schuster over the middle but he was “tackled” (players did not wear pads Thursday) by Minkah Fitzpatrick inside the 5-yard line. Time expired before the offense could get off another play, and Tomlin fumed. Later, he said “everyone” was at fault — the route run, the decision to throw it and the lack of awareness to get out of bounds.
There was plenty of punting work Thursday. And while much of it was done to help special teams coordinator Danny Smith assemble his coverage and return teams, most eyes were on Jordan Berry and Pressley Harvin III. The sixth-year Steelers punter and rookie seventh-round pick, respectively, are in a camp battle to see who will begin the season with the gig. Harvin was good enough that Tomlin quipped he “looked like Ray Guy” at points, albeit Harvin showed some inconsistency at other times. The work from both punters wasn’t limited to just booming long punts; each also repped on directional kicks and situationally such as from their own end zone.
OLB Melvin Ingram playfully fielded some of the punts. The veteran newcomer mostly took the day off from team drills.
Third-year TE Zach Gentry continued to raise eyebrows at camp. Part of his impressive Thursday was when he showed good body control in making catches over Robert Spillane and Jamir Jones on consecutive reps in a one-on-one passing drill.
The drill had two groups working simultaneously — wide receivers vs. defensive backs near the south end zone and tight ends vs. linebackers near midfield. Quarterbacks rotated to each group. Though the offensive players have a significant advantage in the format, among the others who made standout catches were WR Ray-Ray McCloud (beating S Minkah Fitzpatrick to the pylon for a “touchdown”), WR Diontae Johnson (hauling in a perfectly-thrown Rudolph pass at a back-corner pylon with Fitzpatrick in coverage), RB Jaylen Samuels (using a double-move to score a long “touchdown” off a pass from Ben Roethlisberger) and TE Dax Raymond (who beat LBs Ulyesees Gilbert III and Quincy Roche for long “touchdowns” on separate plays).
Raymond, who suffered an injury late in the 2-minute drill, also made a nice catch over LB Calvin Bundage off a well-delivered ball from Dobbs during an 11-on-11 drill.
Smith-Schuster had a conspicuous drop when a deep sideline ball thrown by Rudolph appeared to clang off his facemask while CB James Pierre was in coverage.
Haskins’ arm is proving first-round worthy. Perhaps his best throw Thursday was while on the run, delivering a strike to TE Kevin Rader about 25 yards downfield during a team drill.
Rookie S Tre Norwood had two noticeable interceptions Thursday, the first during the one-one-one drill and the second of a Rudolph overthrow in 11-on-11 play.
The offense continued its run of success in the daily “Seven Shots” 2-point conversion simulation drill. Thursday, touchdowns were scored on four of the seven snaps — WR Chase Claypool making a contested catch over CB Cameron Sutton, a wide open Claypool finding a soft spot in the coverage at the goal line, McCloud with a catch after Rudolph scrambled and Haskins finding Tyler Simmons, who beat Denmark running across the back of the end zone.
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Brian Batko
@BrianBatko
Steelers first-team offense going through their walk-thru, with Ben Roethlisberger at QB, Pat Freiermuth at TE, Zach Banner at RT, Kendrick Green at C, Rashaad Coward at LG, Chuks Okorafor at LT. The Big 3 at receiver, of course.
For the second-team offense in walk-thru, Kevin Dotson is the left guard and JC Hassenauer the right guard. Dan Moore at LT, Joe Haeg at RT. John Leglue playing C. Dwayne Haskins at QB, Kalen Ballage at RB.
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