Steelers Camp Takeaways: Run Defense Stands Up, Fields to Pickens Money

UNITY TWP., Pa. — We got our first look at Russell Wilson in a team period on Sunday, but the big story of the day at Pittsburgh Steelers training camp was the defense finally ratcheting up the physicality to match the offense and soundly winning the day on a run-focused afternoon practice at St. Vincent College.

The Steelers wore full pads, and worked goal line, short yardage, team run and seven shots periods, all with a heavy focus on heavy personnel from offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.

SEVEN SHOTS

1) Justin Fields dropped back to pass, and didn’t find anyone open. He eventually escaped the pocket and scored, but Mike Tomlin blew the whistle. Alex Highsmith was the closest to him; he pushed Dan Moore back into Fields.

2) Najee Harris tried the right side of the line, but was driven back by Isaiahh Loudermilk. Harris bounced off with a strong second effort back to his left, but two players dragged him down at the 1-yard line. I think it was Mark Robinson and DeShon Elliott.

3) Fields held onto the ball for a while, but eventually found Van Jefferson in the back of the left corner of the end zone for a score. Very solid pass protection here from the line, and a good job by Fields to be patient and wait for Jefferson to come open. He beat Beanie Bishop to the corner.

4) Jaylen Warren took the handoff behind the second-team offensive line. Montravius Adams pushed back Zach Frazier, and he and Elliott combined for the tackle for loss.

5) LaMical Perine went right and Tyler Murray stood him up at the goal line, but the official on the stripe ruled it a touchdown for Perine. I’d want another look if I was the defense.

6) Jonathan Ward tried the left side, but Nick Herbig strung the play out and Murray came flying over to make the tackle.

7) Kyle Allen looked to the right end zone corner for Jaray Jenkins, but his throw was too long and out of the end zone. Thomas Graham had solid coverage.

The second consecutive 5-2 victory for the defense, and the first one they’ve had against a fully padded offense.

GOAL LINE

The Steelers closed practice with a goal line drill, which is basically just another run-through of seven shots, usually with a greater focus on the running game.

1) Jaylen Warren got drilled by Miles Killebrew for a loss.

2) Fields rolled right and threw incomplete to Jack Colletto, with Elliott in coverage.

3) Najee Harris plowed over Elandon Roberts right up the middle for a score.

4) Fields tried a corner route to Connor Heyward, who caught it but did not get his feet down.

5) Perine went straight ahead up the middle, where he was swallowed whole by Breiden Fehoko and about four other defenders.

6) Kyle Allen rolled to his right and forced a pass back to the inside that was easily intercepted by Ryan Watts.

7) Warren with a little dive to the right, over Roberts for the score.

Another 5-2 win for the defense. The offense used almost exclusively 13 personnel (with three tight ends) and 22 personnel (with fullback Colletto).

NOTES FROM STEELERS TEAM PERIODS

🏈 Fields continues to look great throwing the ball. His mechanics are smooth. He’ll probably never be the most accurate quarterback in the world, but he’s had very few badly thrown balls the last few days. Almost all the negativity you can do find in his game is about getting the ball out and being decisive with his reads.

🏈 Colletto got his first carry in a short yardage period. Loudermilk pushed him back for a loss. It was a very nice day for 92, who has been passed by DeMarvin Leal in my eyes, but hasn’t been bad in his own right.

🏈 Fields found George Pickens over the middle on a play action pass — read that again and remember how many times you could have said it in the 2023 version of this offense — and then GP took off, out-running and evading the whole secondary down the field for a long touchdown.

🏈 Zach Frazier and Allen had another fumbled exchange. Allen hasn’t been nearly as good this week after staring training camp hot the first week.

🏈 The Steelers have been running a good bit of empty sets out of the heavier packages, but Harris had two false starts while motioned out wide today. That’s something to watch.

🏈 Warren had the best run of the day, bursting through a hole caused by Broderick Jones, who was playing left tackle, and gaining 10 yards on a short-yardage drill. Elliott made a touchdown-saving shoestring tackle.

🏈 Jonathan Ward might be separating himself in the depth running back battle. He ripped off an eight-yarder today. It’s a tight battle between him, Perine and Aaron Shampklin.

🏈 With Patrick Queen out, Payton Wilson and Mark Robinson got some first-team reps. Tyler Murray then filled in with the second team, and took advantage of his extra reps, making a number of nice plays.

🏈 Willington Previlon continues to play well. Just don’t ask him to talk about. He has declined consecutive interview requests over the last two days. Interesting man.

FIRST RUSSELL WILSON REP

Russell Wilson continued his pattern of only playing in individual periods, 7-on-7 and hading the ball off in a team setting. Except for his final team rep on Sunday, when he called an audible at the line and threw a six-yard out to Duece Watts. It wasn’t much, but that’s the first we’ve seen Wilson do that. He looks great in 7-on-7 work, though he did throw an interception in a 2-on-2 drill to reserve safety Nate Meadors on Sunday.

SUMMARY

The worst thing you want as a head coach in this setting is for one side of the ball to consistently dominate the other, so this was probably a very positive result for Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, after the offense had clearly been the better and more physical unit in the first few padded practices.

I think it’s safe to expect more from Russell Wilson starting after the off day on Tuesday.

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