PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It was something Steelers linebacker Joe Schobert said when asked after the 16-16 tie against Detroit about the issues cropping up stopping the run.
“I mean it’s something we have to go and execute,” Schobert said. “It’s hard to execute in the middle of the season at practice. It’s something we have to work on to get ourselves into those positions and take practice seriously to be able to improve on that.”
Next question about the increase in penalties adding to the defensive frustration.
“It was a sloppy game all around today-the conditions, plays, penalties on the field,” Schobert said. “We bring in refs into practice. With tackling have to execute it and take it seriously in practice to be able to show up on Sunday.”
Twice he used the phrase ‘take it seriously in practice’. Here is a new Steelers player this year commenting on the seriousness of practice. Schobert played on a winless team, played on a pair of teams that went 1-15. Before coming to Pittsburgh, Schobert was 15-64-1 in his NFL career.
Does he think the Steelers have issues taking practice seriously?
“No not necessarily, but it’s something that when repeat mistakes show up, you have to start emphasizing them in practice, which we have been doing,” Schobert said. “It’s a learning process, you got to start doing it all the time in practice, to have it carry over. You can’t do it one week and expect it to produce on game day. You got to stack your weeks and practices on top of each other to be able to carry it over.”
So in clarifying his remarks, it doesn’t sound like every practice is bad. But there is a lack of consistency with Steelers defensive practices.
Asked about Schobert’s comments, second-year linebacker Alex Highsmith said.
“Practice is measured by the outcome of the game,” Highsmith said. “We have to be better at practice and that’s where it starts. We know we have to have a great week coming up.”
The Steelers defensive captain would say this.
“We need to do a better job,” said Cam Heyward. “They got to stick with the run and we got to buckle up. I’m first to say I have to be better. It starts in practice.”
“It’s not a switch, it goes back to practicing. Getting off blocks, fundamentals, technique, driving your feet on contact. I know they sound like small things but they really do make a difference.”
That all is important.
Let’s grasp what was said here, a player who never had a winning season in the NFL notices issues in practices. It’s time to clean that up before the defense gets cleaned up again on the field.