PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – After back-to-back physical, padded practices within 19 hours of each other, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin went with no pads on Sunday. Tomlin said he challenged the team to have the same urgency as previous workouts.
“It’s really kind of indicative of the season,” Tomlin said. “We don’t carry pads all the time during the season.
Regardless of attire, we got to come out here and be focused on the work. Also leading up to the off day, being able to display single focus and being productive.”
Injuries
Several players didn’t dress in uniform on Sunday including Cam Heyward and TJ Watt. Several dressed but were given the day off-WR Diontae Johnson, QB Mason Rudolph, WR Allen Robinson, LG Isaac Seumalo. Others were held out due to injury-LB Nick Herbig (hip), CB Joey Porter, Junior (ankle), S Damontae Kazee (ankle), S Keanu Neal (undisclosed). The last two are ‘working their way back’. Tomlin said safety S Tre Norwood suffered a lower-leg injury and is being evaluated. All other injuries are day-to-day.
Defense rules
Whether it was the 5-2 win in the ‘7-shots’ drill or the goal line stops during the two-minute drills (stopped the first team at the two-yard line and the second team in the red zone), the defense ruled the day on Sunday.
“That’s the overriding purpose of 7-shots, to be quite honest with you,” Tomlin said. “To be able to apply it to other circumstances and keep a point total down. We spend a lot of time in that area of the field trying to familiarize ourselves with calls down there and be in position to execute. Things happen quickly down there and it was a good day for them in that regard.”
7 shots
· Kenny Pickett corner TD to Cody White
· Pickett scrambled, stopped short
· Pickett misses George Pickens in the back of the end zone
· Pickett too high for Calvin Austin (Madre Harper coverage)
· Mitch Trubisky to Darnell Washington on a stop route in the middle of the end zone TD
· Trubisky to Miles Boykin diving catch corner-disputed TD—ruled incomplete
· Boykin drop in the end zone
Other notes
· Nate Herbig started for Seumalo at left guard with Dan Moore getting the first-team reps at left tackle joined by Mason Cole, James Daniels and Chukwuma Okorafor
· Kenny Robinson had an interception and a nice recovery to bat a pass away from Connor Heyward on one-on-one drills
· LB Kwon Alexander had great coverage during one-on-one drills to knock a pass away from Washington.
· Chandon Sullivan played some safety
· Minkah Fitzpatrick competed in his first team drills of camp, just a few snaps
· Kendrick Green got a few more reps at H-back and caught a few passes after practice on the jugs machine
· Austin had a couple of nice catches, but also fumbled—forced by LB Cole Holcomb
· WR Hakeem Butler made a couple of nice contested catches
· The punters battled, here are the unofficial results
o Pressley Harvin (65, 54, 51, 44, 41, 61 yards)
o Braden Mann (58, 48, 39, 55 and 40 yards)
Monday is an off day before a pair of practices on Tuesday and Wednesday at St. Vincent College and the first preseason game Friday at Tampa Bay.