No person pushes his group more durable in coaching camp than does Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. Even gamers coming from organizations identified for his or her physicality discover Latrobe to be an eye-opening expertise. The Steelers are certainly one of few groups who truly go full-contact in stay tackling drills, and so they accomplish that recurrently.
It makes a distinction, in line with the gamers on the market who’re speculated to sort out — and Professional Soccer Focus. The outlet has the Steelers as probably the most environment friendly tackling protection within the league to this point this yr. Guys like Payton Wilson and DeMarvin Leal see that as an extension of what they began at Saint Vincent Faculty.
“I believe it’s huge, particularly Week 1. Lots of groups haven’t tackled but, and we just about had a complete season value of tackling popping out of Latrobe,” Wilson mentioned on Wednesday, by way of the Steelers’ web site. “[It’s just] the pace with which we play the sport. Coach Mike Tomlin says it on a regular basis. We don’t heat as much as it. Sport 1, 2, and three we got here out flying, got here out hitting, and I believe quite a lot of that’s a credit score to how we do camp and the way a lot we hit and go stay in camp.”
Wilson is a rookie, so he has no foundation for comparability to different NFL coaching camps, right here or elsewhere. However he is aware of that what the Steelers do in coaching camp is under no circumstances the NFL norm. They’re now an outlier, with many groups opting to reduce the work of their core starters. Positive, Tomlin gives veteran days off and a “contusion of the delivery certificates” right here and there. However in case you’re on the sector in pads, you’re both hitting or taking a success.
“It’s helped lots, actually,” mentioned third-year DL DeMarvin Leal, who is aware of what Steelers coaching camp is like. “Latrobe does quite a lot of loopy issues to us. Generally good, typically very good. That is a type of conditions the place it’s excellent. We’re simply gonna preserve constructing, preserve shifting with this momentum, and preserve stacking these wins.”
Not solely are the Steelers certainly one of few groups with stay tackling drills, they’re certainly one of few groups who nonetheless journey off-site for camp. They imagine Latrobe gives them quite a lot of various things, and new gamers, rookie or veteran, purchase in rapidly.
Elandon Roberts is among the Steelers’ most bodily gamers, if not the most bodily. Nevertheless, even he discovered himself stunned getting into coaching camp final yr for the primary time with the group. He by no means skilled a camp like that earlier than, however he rapidly grew to find it irresistible, anticipating subsequent season.
Coming into Week 4, the Steelers have each the top-ranked scoring and yardage protection. They rank sixth in takeaways, seventh in drive time, and first on third down. On 32 makes an attempt, opposing offenses have transformed simply seven instances on third down. The Steelers’ defensive backs specifically deserve reward for his or her spectacular work in tackling effectivity. And I’m positive it has one thing to do with the loopy doings up in Latrobe.
