LATROBE, Pa. — Mojo is out and Franco is in.
Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy has long made "mojo moments" a staple of his practice script. But now that he's back in his hometown, he has made a tweak to give the idea some Pittsburgh flavor.
It's now a "Franco moment" for the Steelers when the coaching staff interrupts what the team is doing to spring into action for a live 11-on-11 rack of plays. Players basically see it as a "pop quiz" in which you need to bring not just knowledge of what you're doing, but energy to match the jolt of a ramped-up practice pace.
"New and improved" McCarthy called it Thursday morning. "Mojo's an old term, after Austin Powers. When you lose your mojo, you've got to jump back in there in a sudden change, situational awareness, know exactly where you are. You throw it on the players so they don't know what's coming.
"But really, in honor of Franco Harris, recognizing the greatest play in NFL history in the Immaculate Reception."
McCarthy said he didn't have to do too much educating his players on the late, great all-time leading rusher in franchise history. But, naturally, he showed them the famous play Harris is best known for, and explained the significance of the touchdown in Steelers lore.
When it comes to what it means at practice, it's simulating the sort of scenario that can play out if there's a turnover — for either side of the ball — and the need to get up, get out on the field and get going. McCarthy acknowledged that it tends to be one of the more intense periods of practice, and they've already had to consult the video afterward to see if it was an offensive or defensive win.
"I just was waiting until we got to a point with the padded practices," McCarthy said, "because you want it to be as competitive as you possibly can … and we'll keep track."
It's a good way for McCarthy to shake things up in what he refers to as "hump week" for any given training camp, but particularly his first in charge of the Steelers. Wednesday's format was a mock game that was closed to the public. And Thursday was the first full-length practice permitted by league rules, 150 minutes of participation.
Friday will be another busy day, while Saturday night will be a chance to review it all in front of the largest crowd of camp at Latrobe Memorial Stadium under the lights. It's safe to say McCarthy will relish that opportunity, as well.
"We just keep pounding away, conceptually, and hitting all the situations," McCarthy said. "This next three-day segment is huge for us."
Speaking of pounding, McCarthy also wants the Steelers to keep pounding at the run game, on both sides of the ball. Now that they're practicing in pads, it's an even better time to emphasize what happens between the tackles and trying to dominate the line of scrimmage.
The Steelers work it every day, but now that the physicality can ratchet up, it's more football-esque. McCarthy categorizes it as the "phone booth" for offensive and defensive linemen, and he wants them to close the door on opponents when regular season arrives.
"The ability to line up every single day and run the ball when everybody in the stadium knows you're going to run it, stop the run when everybody in the stadium knows, you've got to do that," McCarthy said. "Being able to highlight that is definitely important for us."
