Joe Schobert Sees First Game in a Steelers Uniform as a Success

PITTSBURGH — Somehow lost in the ruckus of Ben Roethlisberger’s standout play and Pat Freiermuth’s two touchdowns in the Steelers preseason victory over the Detroit Lions on Saturday was the debut of new linebacker in Joe Schobert.

Coming into the game, Schobert and Devin Bush seemingly wanted to get a rapport together. They both ended up playing into the second half as a result. However, with Schobert’s first game now behind him, he saw it as a success, even if there some personal bumps.

“A bunch of three-and-outs, offense had a lot of long drives, defense didn’t really have to do a lot in the first half, so it was a success in my book,” Schobert said.

Those bumps in the road come in the form of simple knowing of his assignments. The Steelers are still only installing the basic stuff for Schobert in the defense. So, it would be reasonable for him to know a little bit less than anyone else around him. He did play slower than most last night, although he was overall solid. Still, Schobert admits that there was a lot of hesistancy on his part throughout the night.

“This was my first live-action of any kind,” Schobert said. “In training camp, we didn’t tackle in practice in Jacksonville, and I got traded before the first game, so it was jumping into the first out there. It was good though, I think. A little concern just in my job and my responsibility so I didn’t play as fast as I could, but I think, overall, it was a good night.”

While he was playing a step slow, Schobert did feel he got the help from everyone around him. In terms of communication, Schobert sees the Steelers as exceptional and crystal clear with their responsibilites. He feels that in the future, they will help him even as he gets comfortable in the system.

“Having veterans on this team at every level, coming into it as a new player in a new scheme, has been a huge boon for me,” Schobert said. “Those guys have been doing a great job. They communicate all of their responsibilities and my responsibility when I’m in coverage or something with them or rushing with Cam [Heyward] and those guys. They do a great job, and it’s great for me to have a group like them around me.”

Schobert had a solid first outing in a Steelers uniform. The Steelers were not beaten underneath in the middle of the field nearly as much as they were against the Eagles and Cowboys. Robert Spillane continued to struggle in coverage as well, only showing the necessity for the move to occur.