LATROBE, Pa. — At the conclusion of Sunday's practice, Acclimation Days are over. After a players' day off on Monday, the pads go on and the hitting will begin on Tuesday at Saint Vincent College, and that's when things will get real.
"Just like the general approach to work with the group, it's been a really good acclimation period for us," said Coach Mike Tomlin, "an opportunity to talk about some cultural things that we value, to really set the stage for how we work. So when we get in pads next week, we can just get hyper-focused on ball and the technique required to be effective under those circumstances."
In the final 7-Shots of the acclimation period, it once again came down to the wire, and there was no manipulation necessary to get to the point of winner-take-all.
On the first snap of Sunday's 7-Shots – and this time the ball got back to Aaron Rodgers with the proper pace and accuracy – it was a quick and easy throw to TE Jonnu Smith for a touchdown.
On the next play, Rodgers' pass to WR DK Metcalf was not secured and fell incomplete. On Rodgers third play, his quick and accurate throw to TE Pat Freiermuth was another one of those plays that looked like stealing.
Mason Rudolph was next up in the quarterback rotation, and on his first play, RB Max Hurleman dropped pass in the end zone. On the next play, Rudolph threw a fade to TE Darnell Washington, but CB Darius Slay came over and made the interception in the left corner of the end zone.
When Will Howard came on for the next play and threw a touchdown pass to RB Evan Hull, the drill was tied, 3-3, and it set the stage for the third straight Game 7 of the drill. Back onto the field came the first units, and when the defense had good coverage all over the field, Rodgers pass fell incomplete for a 4-3 win for the defense.
OBSERVATIONS
• Over the course of the afternoon's practice rookie DT Yahya Black batted two passes at the line of scrimmage, both of which came with Rudolph at quarterback.
Tomlin said Black had shown aptitude for getting his hands on passes during his college career at Iowa, "but it's something that we really value here culturally. I think Cam (Heyward) probably led all interior defensive linemen in the league last year (in that category) and Keeanu Benton was also very high. We work at it. (Black) has an aptitude for it, and hopefully it continues."
• Throughout the first four practices, Rodgers has been the No. 1 quarterback in all drills, with Rudolph being No. 2. After that, sometimes it has been Howard to go third in a drill and other times it has been Skylar Thompson.
• One of the matchups that should prove to be interesting when the team goes through the version of back-on-backers that assigns a linebacker to cover a running back all over the field is RB Kenneth Gainwell vs. ILB Peyton Wilson. There was a little preview of that on Sunday, but it should get real once the pads go on.
"The reality in today's game is that so much of the matchup component is about guys' ability to cover people, and so athletic linebackers are an asset. I like Kenny G vs. Peyton Wilson in routes. Kenny G is showing a really good aptitude from a route-running standpoint out of the backfield. And Peyton Wilson, in the second year, is a guy who's working to be dominant in that area. It's just one of those matchups that has my attention."
• It's expected that Tomlin will make backs-on-backers a feature of Tuesday's practice in pads, and the drill has served as an opportunity for some young players to call attention to themselves in a good way, When RB Jaylen Warren was a rookie, he showed a willingness and an aptitude to step up and handle a charging pass-rusher, which did nothing but improve his chances to make the roster as an undrafted player. And when TE Darnell Washington was a rookie – who came into the NFL with a reputation as a good blocker – earned a couple of stalemates with T.J. Watt, he showed he deserved that reputation.
Maybe this summer it will be RB Kaleb Johnson's turn to open some eyes.
"He's a willing worker, but he needs to improve in all areas. All young people do," said Tomlin about Johnson. "We've yet to play in pads, and regarding his position, that's a major component of it. And so it's an incomplete body of work, but it's an incomplete body of work for all of us at this juncture. Next week is big in terms of some of those things. Blitz pickup is something that's really evaluated in pads, and he's been working to develop and hone his technique, but the physicality component of it is something that's very difficult to simulate."
TOMLIN'S INJURY UPDATE
"WR Montana Lemonious-Craig wasn't able to finish today with a soft tissue injury in the lower body. Broderick Jones, same thing. I imagine those can be characterized as day-to-day. TE DJ Thomas-Jones looked like he had a more significant injury that's being evaluated. The next time we come together, I should have some more information in that regard for you.
With Jones sidelined on Sunday, Dylan Cook stepped in at left tackle with the first-team offensive line. "Dylan is a veteran guy who has been around and has served in that capacity of (swing tackle) before, but I'm not assuming anything at this juncture, at this early stage of development, regarding specific roles and specialization."
