- Room to grow: No. 1 pick T.J. Watt got off to a good start in the preseason with two sacks against the New York Giants last week, but Coach Mike Tomlin knows it's just a start for the young linebacker.
"He has so much room for growth in so many areas being where he is in his career," said Tomlin. "More importantly I would like to see him take the natural maturation that goes with stepping into a stadium for the second time. I am sure there were nerves and so forth the first time. I would like to see him settle in, be a good communicator and play hard.
"I like what I have seen so far. There are so many areas where somebody in his position can grow. I am excited about watching him continue."
- Welcome home: Sunday against the Falcons will be the first time many players have played at Heinz Field, in particular rookies and younger players, and while it's not the same as the regular season, it will be a good first step for them to get comfortable.
"It's critical for a familiarity standpoint, but preseason football is not regular season football," said Tomlin. "The exposure will be good. But I imagine I will continue to make points relative to what they need to be prepared for as we push into the regular season, defensive communication being one of the chief issues.
"Heinz Field is an awesome place to play and it's difficult for our opponent's offense to communicate. It also provides challenges for us defensively to communicate. I don't know that the preseason represents that element of it. But no question getting exposure to the venue and the procedure, more important playing in front of our fans and entertaining them, should be an exciting challenge for those young pups."
- Adding strength: Antonio Brown is a player you wouldn't think needs extra work, but every day after practice during training camp he was one of the last ones off the field, catching balls from the JUGS machine and doing whatever it takes to get an edge. It's nothing new, but it doesn't go unnoticed.
"I have been impressed with his work ethic," said Tomlin. "It's been in line with the years past. He is always highly conditioned. He seems to have added a strength element to his game that is really useful. He is very combative at releases. I know he provides a great example with the demeanor and the work he brings every day, but that is nothing new."
