LATROBE, Pa. — For all the statistics that stand out from Thursday's preseason-opening victory for the Steelers, there's one number missing that might mean the most.
That's a big old zero in the turnover column, as in no giveaways, no interceptions, no lost fumbles. Not bad for an offense with two quarterbacks playing their first game at the NFL level, in addition to several other rookie skill-position players..
"I thought the way they handled the huddle, got out of the huddle, handled the checks, it was pretty impressive," offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio said Sunday. "And, most important, we took care of the football. So that was a good way to start."
But that hasn't always been the case in practice, and even in the game, a couple of flags were thrown on left tackle Troy Fautanu. One was a holding call that proved costly, as it took a touchdown off the board and the Steelers were held out of the end zone on that drive.
Head coach Mike McCarthy hasn't hid his desire to see missed assignments and mental errors cleaned up at Saint Vincent College. Angelichio echoed that sense of urgency with the training camp portion of the preseason coming to a close.
"Each day that goes on, it's something we've got to fix, and we will fix," Angelichio said. "It's something we're addressing daily, and it's certainly got to get better. That starts with me and the coaches."
Special teams coordinator Danny Crossman feels the same way about his unit, which was even more highly penalized against the Packers. The Steelers were penalized twice on kick return, twice on punt return, once on punt coverage and once defending a field goal.
If it continues next time out against the Jets, Crossman will not be a happy man. It's not acceptable for a coach who has been emphasizing explosives, but not in the big-play way.
"We always talk about TNT — things that Take No Talent. Those things have got to be eliminated from our game," Crossman said. "We can't give away field position with penalties."
Crossman acknowledged there were mistakes that tend to pop up in the first preseason game, but that's cold comfort for any coach. He's been stressing certain non-negotiables since OTAs and veteran minicamp.
"I [and] we have to do a better job of being on top of our responsibilities," Crossman said.
This isn't Crossman's first rodeo. Far from it.
His career as a special teams coordinator in the NFL dates to 2005, across stints with the Panthers, Lions, Bills and Dolphins. McCarthy hired him for his experience and expertise, and now both will harp on the discipline aspect for their team, as well.
"Some of those penalties are technique, which I can live with, and get that corrected. That's football," Crossman said. "Some of them are things that take no talent, or are bad choices that put the team in harm's way."
On the bright side, while McCarthy and Angelichio had first-time signal-callers looking comfortable under center, Crossman was pleased with the primary rookie in his operation.
That would be fourth-round pick Kaden Wetjen, a prolific returner at Iowa. While Wetjen didn't break off a long run-back in his preseason debut, he showed an aptitude for the nuances of his role.
"I thought he made great decisions," Crossman said. "Obviously, we're not game-planning in the preseason to take care of certain things, but I thought all his decision-making — in the kick return game, communication, punt returning — he stole a couple field positions for us. To get two touchbacks, it saved about 30 yards in field position. We're on the right track."
