Former receivers coach Drake honored before, during game
In their first game since the stunning death of assistant Darryl Drake last week at training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, the Steelers honored their beloved receivers coach with several tributes Saturday night at Heinz Field.
The team affixed yellow stickers that read “DD” to the back of each player’s helmet, which they will wear all season. Drake’s charges, the wide receivers, took their gear a step further by wearing sweatshirts with “SHUT OUT THE NOISE — Coach Darryl Drake” written on them in pregame warm-ups. That was one of Drake’s common phrases.
Offensive starters were announced before the game, as usual, but there was no running out of the tunnel, and with 10 minutes until kickoff, the entire team dropped to one knee in a circle around coach Mike Tomlin to pray. Five minutes later, Heinz Field held a moment of silence for Drake.
In Drake’s absence on the sideline, the Steelers wideouts most frequently worked with coaching assistant Blaine Stewart and coaching intern William Gay in between plays. All 11 players at the position were in uniform and played.
More healthy options
After a spate of inactives for the first exhibition, the Steelers had more starters and newcomers in action for the first time this preseason.
On offense, James Conner, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Donte Moncrief, Diontae Johnson, Vance McDonald, Ramon Foster and Alejandro Villanueva made their 2019 debuts. Foster and Villanueva manned the left side of the line well into the second quarter, but center Maurkice Pouncey and right guard David DeCastro remained out. In their place, usual right tackle Matt Feiler started at right guard, swing tackle Chukwuma Okorafor played Feiler’s spot and versatile reserve B.J Finney started at center.
Conner and Smith-Schuster didn’t play long, and neitherdid Moncrief, who made his first catch in a Steelers uniform but promptly fumbled it to the Chiefs. Johnson fielded the first three punts, but he muffed one himself, though he managed to recover it.
On defense, the first team looked a lot like it will come the regular season. Stephon Tuitt and Cameron Heyward joined Javon Hargrave on the line after missing last week, and T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree also returned on the edges. Steven Nelson and Artie Burns were the starting cornerbacks, with Sean Davis at safety after all three sat out Week 1. Tyler Matakevich started next to Mark Barron at inside linebacker as first-round pick Devin Bush didn’t play. Bush, who dressed for the game, missed time in practice this week with an undisclosed day-to-day injury.
Watt, Dupree, Burns and Davis remained in the game deep into the first half. Rookie Ulysees Gilbert, coming off his standout performance a week ago, was the first inside linebacker to replace Barron next to Matakevich.
Not dressed were Ben Roethlisberger, Pouncey, DeCastro, Joe Haden, Vince Williams, Ola Adeniyi, Sutton Smith, Zach Gentry and Christian Scotland-Williamson. None of those were surprises.
Weather delay
The game was scheduled for a 7:35 p.m. kickoff, but didn’t begin until 8:30. Rain came in buckets right around the original start time, and lightning in the area caused it to be delayed. Fans were forced to the concourse areas around 6:30 until about 7:30.