For fans and the media, much of the emphasis in the preseason when it came to NFL officiating was on the new rules that allow for the use of replay on pass interference calls and non-calls.
But there's a greater emphasis by the league in another direction when it comes to penalties that could have a greater hold on the interest of fans by the time Week 1 of the season is in the books -- quite literally.
The league is cracking down on holding in games this season and if the early results show anything, it's that it could be a major factor for teams as they adjust to the greater emphasis on penalizing clutching and grabbing in the trenches.
For example, in Thursday night's opener in Chicago, the Bears were called for holding four times at Soldier Field.
That marked one more holding penalty than they drew in their eight home games all of last season, when they were penalized an NFL-low 11 times for holding.
"Yeah. There's an emphasis on that," Steelers guard Ramon Foster told me as the team finished its preparations to open the regular season Sunday against the Patriots at Gillette Stadium.
"With as much good things offensive linemen are doing in this league, they want to make sure everything is even across the board. That's (Chicago's) problem. I'm sure they're going to clean it up. But we've got to be clean."
The Steelers have one of the league's top offensive lines. But they were called for 25 holding penalties in 2018. The Patriots also are considered a top offensive line unit. But they drew 24 holding penalties.
However, the Steelers have worked hard in practice to make sure they avoid the stricter enforcement.
"They've warned us all about that," Foster said. "They're looking for the clamping. They're looking for the tugging of guys. It's across the board. If you're practicing a certain way, which we have, hopefully you're clean."
And there's the hope that, like many other points of emphasis the league has had over the years, the holding penalties will start to go down as the season wears on.
"When you want to emphasize something, you've been doing this a long time, they call something in the first quarter of the season and you've got to make sure you're right," center Maurkice Pouncey told me. "This isn't the first time they've done this."
And it works both ways. While the Steelers' offensive linemen will have to be concerned with not grabbing New England defenders, the same will hold true of the Patriots' offensive linemen.
Considering the Steelers have the stronger pass rush, that could be a factor in Sunday's game.
It certainly was last season when these two teams met in December, a game won by the Steelers 17-10. The Patriots were called for offensive holding three times in the game. Right tackle Marcus Cannon also was called for a false start, as outside linebacker T.J. Watt recorded a sack and three quarterback hits in the game working against Cannon.
Watt was clearly in Cannon’s head.
Is that something that can carry over into the next meeting?
"We’re about to find out," Watt told me with a wry smile.
The Patriots also will have a new starting left tackle in second-year pro Isaiah Wynn, and a new center in Ted Karras. Wynn, who missed all of last season with an Achilles' tendon injury, will be making his first career start. Karras will be making his fifth.
The Patriots also will have a rookie starter at tight end as Ryan Izzo is expected to get the nod over veteran Matt LaCosse, who missed most of the preseason with an ankle injury and has been limited in practice this week. Veterans Ben Watson and Lance Kendricks are both suspended for violation of the league's substance abuse policy.
The new emphasis on holding in the trenches also could affect things on the defensive side of the ball, as well. Officials are expected to call defensive players for holding their offensive counterparts.
Defensive linemen were called for holding -- or pulling a lineman, more correctly -- 33 times last season. That also was called once in Thursday night's game, as the Packers were penalized for that infraction.
"Trust me, I'm going to be chirping to the refs before the game, 'Watch this guy, he likes to pull a little bit.'" Foster said. "So yeah, it does work both ways."
