Steelers simulate road conditions during rainy Heinz Field scrimmage
The Steelers turned on the lights and simulated game conditions Friday night at Heinz Field amid a steady rain coach Mike Tomlin embraced.
In little more than two weeks, the Steelers will open the regular season at the New York Giants, so Tomlin used the occasion to simulate road conditions for his players.
The players exited the visiting tunnel and stood on the visiting sideline during what Tomlin termed a “mock game,” which, essentially, was a controlled scrimmage that lasted 45 minutes.
Tomlin had no thoughts about liming the gameplan because of the inclement weather. Quite the opposite.
“We didn’t run away from the weather,” Tomlin said. “In fact, we embraced the weather. We need to be a team that takes care of the ball and hunts the ball regardless of circumstances, and inclement weather is a great opportunity to focus on those two skill sets.”
The Steelers suffered one injury during the scrimmage. Guard David DeCastro left early with an undisclosed injury.
Long snapper Kameron Candaday, wide receiver Ryan Switzer, tight end Vance McDonald and defensive end Chris Wormley did not dress. Safety Terrell Edmunds and wide receiver Diontae Johnson dressed but did not practice.
Joe Rutter is a TribLive reporter who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since the 2016 season. A graduate of Greensburg Salem High School and Point Park, he is in his fifth decade covering sports for the Trib. He can be reached at jrutter@triblive.com.
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