Two- minute drill brings smile to Tomlin
Mike Tomlin’s comedic timing was above the line Wednesday when asked if that afternoon’s practice was the first time quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had been used in a two- minute drill.
“Not in life,” Tomlin said after a brief pause, smiling.
The question actually was whether it was Roethlisberger’s first crack at the Steelers defense in that situational setting in training camp this year, which Tomlin knew. “We did infuse him today,” Tomlin allowed, but no one would call it Roethlisberger’s finest late- game drive, even in a practice environment.
In an energetic final practice in full pads at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe before the team breaks camp, neither Roethlisberger — who practiced in shorts — nor backup Josh Dobbs proved victorious against the defense in the final portion of the session.
“Good, spirited day up here … our last full day here in Latrobe in pads,” Tomlin said afterward. “We didn’t keep any secrets, we revealed that to them, and there’s a certain urgency with that, certain things that we do here in the nature in which we work.”
Sure, there are still three exhibition games to play, but the defense can go into Week 2 of the preseason with some confidence from intrasquad competition.
Both Roethlisberger’s first team and Dobbs’ second team got the ball on their 36- yard line with 1: 51 remaining. Both drives were plagued by falsestart penalties on the first series, and neither one got far past midfield. Roethlisberger found Vance McDonald for 23 yards and a first down, but spiked the ball to stop the clock. After a short completion to JuJu Smith- Schuster and a pass breakup by Mike Hilton, Roethlisberger’s fourth- and- 9 throw was nearly intercepted by inside linebacker Tyler Matakevich to “win it” for the defense.
Once Dobbs got his chance, he completed his first two passes to Ryan Switzer and James Washington for 10 and 5 yards, respectively, to move the sticks. But two plays later, versatile defensive back Cam Sutton picked off a pass intended for Switzer, and that was the end of the first full practice since the death of receivers coach Darryl Drake.
“They won,” Tomlin said of the defense, hesitant to offer much more other than later praising their coverage downfield. “They did some good things.”
Injury report
Two standouts from the preseason debut Friday night, Michigan graduates Devin Bush and Zach Gentry, were sidelined Wednesday. According to Tomlin, both are being evaluated and the team will have more information Thursday. Both took part in the rain- shortened practice Tuesday, but Gentry had ice wrapped around his torso Wednesday.
Reserve offensive lineman B. J. Finney, who has been the first- team center in lieu of Maurkice Pouncey, left practice with heat- related symptoms. Pouncey is expected to participate in some capacity Thursday, and inside linebacker Vince Williams ( hamstring) is “getting close” to a return.
Tomlin said guard David DeCastro ( undisclosed) and cornerback Joe Haden ( lower body) remain day- today, but Haden was playing catch on the sideline with friend and Toronto Raptors guard Cameron Payne.
Line shuffling
With Finney joining DeCastro and Pouncey on the mend, the offensive line had a new look to it once again. It’s not uncommon for fellow starters Ramon Foster and Alejandro Villanueva to get veteran’s days off, either, so there has been a steady rotation throughout camp, but Wednesday saw second- year TCU product Patrick Morris as the first- team center.
Morris spent 2018 as an undrafted free agent on the practice squad. Matt Feiler again played right guard in place of DeCastro, with Chukwuma Okorafor in Feiler’s usual spot at right tackle while Foster and Villanueva were on the left side.