After seven straight days of practice in Latrobe, the Steelers are enjoying a day off today. Perhaps more than ever before, they need it. Head Coach Mike Tomlin has introduced something not seen at training camp since, well, maybe ever. Tomlin is having the players go 11-0n-11 in full-contact, tackling drills.
So what you’re telling me is that Tomlin is having players like Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell, Emmanuel Sanders and Brett Keisel actually hit each other during training camp? The reasoning boils down to two, well, really one number – eight. At 8-8 last season, the Steelers disappointed. After consistently putting out a very good product, the team slipped last year. If they went 10-6 or 11-5 last year, hell, even if they went 9-7, the live tackling wouldn’t happen.
I don’t want to say that it’s a punishment, but it is a way to get the team mentally tougher. You know what, I’m okay with it.
Sure, the Steelers led the league in total defense last year (275.8 ypg), first against the pass (185.2) and second against the rush (90.6), but they didn’t pass the eye test. The splash plays that makes Dick LeBeau’s defense so special were missing. The Steelers had just 10 interceptions last year, which put them ahead of only the Kansas City Chiefs as they tied with the Miami Dolphins. Do know know what category the team finished last in? You guessed it: tackling. Admittedly, the stat can be skewed by three-and-outs, incompletions and so on, but watching the games last year, didn’t it seem as if the Steelers struggled with tackling?
It not only allows the offensive players to get used to getting hit, but it helps the defensive side of the ball as well improve its tackling.
Then the big question comes that you have undoubtedly already asked yourself by this point in the article: What about injuries?
Good question. If a starter suffered a torn ACL, can you imagine what the media and fans would be saying? Some think Tomlin is on the hot seat now (he’s not), but if that happened, just imagine the outcry for his job for doing something so “stupid.” If you look at some of the injuries from this year’s training camp and offseason, you’ll see that they can occur at anytime. Ask Jeremy Maclin who tore his ACL in a non-contact drill or Kevin Kolb who tweaked his knee when slipping on a map.
I’m more than okay with the hard-hitting practices the Steelers are having in order to improve this season. Let the players get fired up and let them get prepared for the regular season. After a 8-8 season, something has to change.
