Benton Dominates, Rodgers & Metcalf Connection Grows Stronger | Steelers Camp Report
Brendan Howe & Zachary Smith go through their main takeaways as the team took the field at Latrobe Memorial for their yearly night practice. #Steelers #pittsburghsteelers #herewego
Video Transcript
Hey, everybody.
I am Brendan Howe of Steelers Now, and behind us is not Latrobe Memorial Stadium.
I don't even think that's M- the real Mr. Rogers.
Anyways, we were there at the night practice tonight, me and Zachary Smith here.
Got to check out my first night practice, which I thought was really cool.
I cover a lot of high school football, for my day job, and it seemed like that same sort of vibe, which was to be expected from being in a high school stadium in a smaller community.
Mm-hmm.
So, to kind of start it out here, I'll toss it to you, Smitty.
What stood out?
well, I will say we did They put out the attendance afterwards, 8,300 people.
That's a significant decrease from what it has been in the past.
In other words, talk about what's it gonna be like from a Friday night to a Saturday night.
I actually thought it could be the same, if not better, just because people don't have to take off early for work.
It's the weekend.
Like, you got no other plans really to clear out the calendar for.
So I thought we'd see, better Not to say it wasn't a great turnout, and it is so cool to me.
You mentioned, like, the small community aspect of it.
People were just, like, sitting out in chairs- Yeah in their yards, having a cookout, swimming, doing all this stuff, during it.
We come through in the bus just like the team does, and it's just like, it's just a celebration around here, and it's awesome to see.
So my first takeaway is shout out to Latrobe as always for putting on a great event.
The night lights practices are always awesome.
In stadium, it still wasn't as physical, as I would've liked to see.
Like, the backs on backers has not returned, even though McCarthy said he was a- Yeah massive fan of the drill.
We do get one-on-ones, offensive line, defensive line was what I had my eye on.
I told Alan, "That's what I wanna focus on today," 'cause we were watching the wide receiver DBs yesterday, and man, was Keanu Benton good.
First and foremost, him even being out there I think was a welcome sight.
He had had, like, this massive wrap on his hand yesterday, and he was just doing wind sprints.
So I was curious if he'd have a few down days.
He gets back out on the field today and was just dominating every single rep.
It didn't matter who he was going against.
So a really good day for 95, and a pretty tough day, and I know that we've continued to say this.
I don't wanna single him out, but he's, in the past pro stuff, man, he's a work in progress.
That's Jennings-Dougher, who just has not really had, moments of positivity, to be honest with you, in these one-on-ones.
And they, and then they started doing some combo stuff, you know, two on two, three on three stuff, and I, I would say it was a lot of back and forth.
Like, I don't know whose side I would give it to overall between the offensive line and defensive line.
I will say, I didn't think Broderick Jones had a very good day, even when he was going against some of the lesser competition.
Yeah.
You were on that side, and Alan actually asked me, he goes, "Where do you wanna go, receivers and DBs or the offensive line, defensive line?"
I told him to guess.
I guess Alan doesn't know me well enough yet still- because I said, "I'm sticking over here with receivers like we did yesterday."
we didn't really get to tell the full scope of things yesterday because of it being a closed- Right practice and having to confirm things.
Tonight, we got to see everything, or I get to talk about everything.
The thing that stood out the most to me, and it was kin- kind of like a goal line one-on-one, we talked yesterday about, Asante Samuel and Aaron Rodgers- Yeah kind of talking and Aaron coaching him up a little bit.
Then the communication aspect between DK and Aaron.
So DK and Aaron talk.
I- it's kinda like that typical, like, you're out with your friends in the backyard, and, like, you go up to the quarterback and say, like, "This is the route I want."
Mm-hmm.
And you could tell them talking about that.
DK runs out, he runs a slant, and beats Asante Samuel.
So Aaron talks to Asante for, about 30 seconds before the next rep starts.
And a few minutes later, DK runs back out there, same play, same result.
A little bit more physical.
They both hit the ground.
Asante tried his hardest to get that ball out but just couldn't.
So yeah, Asante Samuel, who's been really, really good this entire camp maybe does have some sort of kryptonite in DK Metcalf, which it's respectable- Yeah, at least on those slants.
I mean, that's how you get DK to win.
Yeah.
Like, we talked about this quite a bit, Alan and I.
Like, where do you find the explosives- Yeah for the Steelers offense?
And I really think it's getting DK on in-breaking stuff as opposed to just run and goes and nine routes and stuff, and getting him on the in-breaking stuff and letting him turn into a running back, 'cause he's so good once you get the ball in his hands, and no one really wants to tackle- Yeah one-on-one.
So, yeah, that's definitely interesting.
I think that'll be a fun battle to continue to watch.
He had a spectacular catch, too, down the right sideline during seven-on-sevens where he reached around Asante and caught it one-handed, like underhanded, and pulled it in.
They both hit the ground again, and I was, I was watching for a celebration.
DK kinda just gets up, looks at the ball, and walks away.
He, like, does a- Yeah handshake with Jalen Warren, and that was, that was about all that happened.
There's Have you noticed the receivers, maybe even the DBs too, like when they're, they're, they're al- I don't know if it's, like, their specific hand.
For some reason, they're, like, doing this enclosed hand thing and, like, gripping it like this- as a celebration.
Really?
I, I noticed it yesterday, and I was like, "What's that?"
And then I was seeing it today too with wide receivers celebrating with each other.
I don't know.
Maybe- I saw Brian nickels the other day.
He was He, like, stomped, like he's putting out a cigarette and, like- like, moved his foot.
So, uh- Robert Spears Jennings, who I actually spoke today after practice for the first time, di- does the little box- Box and thumbs down thumbs down.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I don't know where that came from.
That's an interesting one.
He, he also has his nickname on Instagram as The Landlord, which I wanna ask him about.
Where'd that nickname come from?
Do you own properties, or are you saying you own parts of the field?
That remains to be seen.
Yeah.
Drew Aller also, it was about what you'd expect from Drew Aller where you see these flashes, and then also you see moments of, like, okay, I see why he- Yeah wasn't a top 10 quarterback and he fell to the third round.
Yeah.
He had a few d- actually back-to-back deep balls where he's Robert Tunney down the left sideline, kinda loops it in, really pretty pass.
Next play, does the same, bombs it to Brandon Smith, who dives, catches it, gets a, a pop from the crowd.
I talked to Aller afterwards, actually, and asked him how it feels to let loose on those passes because if, obviously Aaron Rodgers's deep ball stands out above all else- Mm-hmm like, in NFL history really, and Drew Aller, I would argue, has maybe the second prettiest deep ball on this team from what I've been able to, to see.
And he said that he's trying to learn a bit more from Rodgers in terms of the placement, how to throw better deep balls, which is something that he loved deep ball.
I love deep ball.
Like- Yeah I think that'd be really exciting to see.
It's just And there, there's so That's what, like, what defenses have taken away, though.
Like, I think- Yeah that that's why, again, going back to where this team's able to create is explosives.
To me, the three guys that I single out first and foremost are DK Metcalf, Jalen Warren, and Darnell Washington because of what they can do after the catch, their break, tackle ability.
To, to me, I, I just, I mean, I'm not saying you're not gonna see it, but it's just so hard to create explosives in terms of taking the top off of defense with the way defenses play.
Our photographer, Ed Thompson, almost- Yeah saw his life end at the hands- of Darnell Washington tonight.
I- Oh, was he closest to that?
Okay he was closest, and I guess, like, the split second right before Washington caught the ball, someone asked him a question, he turned around, he answered the question.
And as he turned, he moved out of the way, but you see Darnell Washington catch the ball.
I think two guys were on him at once.
He pulls that down full speed, runs into the sideline, and it was like the Red Sea.
Every media member/whoever was on that sideline- Got out of the way got right out of the way.
Like, "Go on, big man."
It's- I have a few more things that y- you popped in my mind as you were talking there.
Brandon Smith has been so good.
Yeah.
Like, no matter what group that he's been wantin'- running with, he's been super good.
I'm excited to watch him in the preseason.
He might be my new pick to lead this team in receiving yards in the preseason.
My A.T. Perry selection kinda dead on arrival- Yeah 'cause he didn't make it the first preseason game.
On the one side.
And then the other thing was, something else I noticed in team period, this team was getting a lot of run plays that were going for what you would consider Again, you're not live tackling, but before even first contact was being made, there had been explosive runs coming off to the left side.
You know Darnell Washington is obviously a force multiplier in the run game, but Troy Flatow, who I thought had a really good day, and Mason McCormick had a really good day in the team periods.
Again, little bit imbalance.
I think the one-on-ones, like, are really hard to dif- differentiate for me which gr- which group, which unit got the better of that.
But in team period, especially when they were running to the left side, I thought the offense was showing signs of life, which is really good to see because every single day that we've been doing one of these, we've been saying, "Uh, defense is still pretty far ahead of the offense."
Yeah, and we saw that even at the start of practice where Aaron Rodgers throws an out route.
I think he was trying to hit Roman Wilson, maybe a little bit of not where he wanted to put that pass.
Jamall Deas pi- like, hops in front, picks it, pick six, crowd goes crazy.
Defense has really had the offense's number over at least the past few days from what we've seen.
It was cool for fans to see Jamall Deas make a play because- Yeah like, he was the, the And I wrote about this today with Asante Samuel and, Patrick Graham talking about Asante Samuel.
Like, Jamall Deas seemed to be the signing that everyone was, like, super excited about, and Asante kind of flew under the radar.
And it seems that they've kind of been going back and forth in terms of, like, success in this training camp, where maybe Asante has had some better days than Jamall has, and I'm sure Jamall was pretty happy with- Yeah that, that result there.
First time in Latrobe, first time Or first time at that stadium in Latrobe, making the fans happy in that way.
So, again, deep secondary.
As- Yeah as Jalen Ramsey and Joey Porter Jr. Pr- hopefully probably get back on the field, that's gonna be an interesting unit to watch.
This could be a longer one for you guys.
I can already tell 'cause we're eight and a half minutes.
But I do have to ask if there was anything immediately that jumped out to you, not on the practice field, but talking to guys afterwards.
Cam Heyward.
So, Cam Heyward comes up, and he's this team spokesperson.
You mentioned yesterday someone asked if he's gonna coach after- Yeah like, his career is done.
Last year, I think it was every Thursday we'd come in, we'd talk to him, and he, he basically speaks for the entire team.
But today, he comes off and talks about this.
He's obviously done this practice a ton.
He's very familiar with it.
I asked what's it like having another training camp here with Aaron Rodgers.
Obviously, that wasn't a sure thing after last season ended.
Mm-hmm.
And turns out Aaron Rodgers is a prankster, which Mike McCarthy did tell us when he was hired, that he kinda learned that from Brett Favre in Green Bay where Brett liked to pull pa- pull pranks, too.
I tried to get some specifics on those pranks.
Cam said, "I can't really tell you right now."
Brooke Pryor from ESPN asked, "Are you gonna get him back?"
He said, "TBD."
So, I'll try to kind of pry those pranks out from some of the players as this rest of camp goes on.
I think it'd be interesting to find out.
You gotta have a prankster, right?
I would've pegged, Ben Skowronek as being that guy.
Yeah.
But, I guess Aaron Rodgers kinda hand in hand.
The, the celebration they've been doing- go hand in hand- with Aaron Rodgers.
So, that's really good stuff.
Jennings Dunker, man, like, I didn't think he had a great day, of practice.
I don't think he's been caught up to speed yet.
I think the pass pro still has quite a ways to go.
But we already knew he was a cult hero.
Man, him coming into this stadium for the first time- Yeah he couldn't stop gushing about it.
There were signs that said, "Jennings Dunker for president."
he was one of, like, the first guys to sign autographs.
It was like, you see Aaron Rodgers, Michael Pittman Jr., Jennings Dunker.
Like, what a three to have those three guys.
I, I didn't realize how much people love Aaron Rodgers, either.
Like, yes, it's cool to cover him.
Like, I grew up watching him.
I, I think I told you, like, I had his rookie card when I was eight years old, which probably dates, like, some of the people that are listening.
Like, makes me feel, like, a little younger, but, there were, like, grown men swooning over him- Yeah signing their stuff.
Like, I heard at one point, "Oh, my God, Aaron."
It's like, pretty funny.
I got some close-up videos of that, so maybe if you guys listen back when Sights & Sound goes up or o- on my Twitter, maybe you'll kinda hear those, those grown men kind of, fawning over Aaron Rodgers in that way.
Yeah.
No, it was a lot of fun.
you know, like you said, this was your first nights one, so hopefully you enjoyed it.
I think it's just, it's a blast to cover.
If you can only be at one training camp practice, I would say this is the one to make it every single year.
So, any closing thoughts?
I don't remember the last time I rode in a bus.
I think it might've been high school.
So that part's- Yeah.
You know, well, no, there's some nostalgia there, so, like, there is a part of it that's cool, but, man, is it hot on those buses.
I made the mistake of sitting on the- People are gonna love that, 'cause they loved when we were just complaining about how small we were.
Yeah.
Hey, I'm soft.
So I made the mistake of sitting on the tire seat, too, so my legs are up and I'm, like, cramped.
And then one of our other writers, or one of the other reporters, Matt Prichard from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, he sits by me, and I'm like, "We gotta sit like this for 10 minutes.
It's hot.
I'm sweating."
Like, but yeah, maybe comment down below the last time you rode on a school bus.
Be interesting to hear there.
So- Got players in dorms.
You got the players and media riding, riding on school buses to pra- This is very much, like, a nostalgia throwback.
Like, this is, when you talk about the traditions that the Steelers continue to instill and wanna carry over, man, nothing, nothing says it like what this day is for Latrobe.
Just don't ask Mike Tomlin about the dorms.
When I- Well, all.
Yeah.
I'm, not, not that I'm surprised by it- but he never had a thing to say about them when he was the head coach.
Immediately, first, real time that we see him in that light afterwards, and yeah, couldn't, speak negatively about the dorms fast enough.
When he said there that he spent a calendar year of his life here- Mm-hmm I had to do the mental math.
I was like, wow.
Yeah.
Like, he really did.
So he, yeah, that's, that's a little bit of, life kind of chipped away at there.
But yeah, for Steelers now, I don't think Smitty has anything left here.
I'm good.
I am Brendan Howe, this is Zachary Smith, and we will talk to you here, I think, in a few days, on Monday
