Mike Tomlin changed things up a bit on his team after a few weeks of working in the afternoon sun, having their first Saturday practice in pads at Heinz Field come in a nighttime setting.
It wasn't the Friday Night Lights practice they would have held at Latrobe Memorial Stadium had they held training camp at Saint Vincent College, but it did provide a different kind of environment.
The lights at Heinz Field were on. And Tomlin and his coaching staff created as many game-type situations for the Steelers as they could -- at least prior to practice.
Players were announced. They were in full uniform. Crowd noise was used.
"I thought it was important for us to simulate a preseason environment, and by that I mean some procedural things leading up to the game," Tomlin said. "We proceeded with that in terms of our pre-practice work, the timeline that we followed leading up to the work, the routine, the stretch routines and all the things that we would do in a preseason game. It's just another step that we take to ready the group for the regular season. We don't want to be getting to New York and that's the first time they're finding their rhythms prior to kickoff. We're doing some things we would do before a preseason game, we're just attaching it to practice."
But it's still not a preseason game.
For players such as Mason Rudolph, missing those preseason games are huge.
Unless something happens to Ben Roethlisberger, Rudolph isn't getting a chance to play again this season in a regular season game. The preseason would have been an opportunity for Rudolph to show what he learned from his eight starts and 10 appearances in 2019.
And the Steelers would obviously be OK if that happens, since it means Roethlisberger is OK.
Look who was back in a Steelers uniform tonight. #Steelers #dkps pic.twitter.com/CLWXyDBMKp
— Dale Lolley (@dlolley_pgh) August 23, 2020
"I think that is something you can build on going into this year. I thought there were things there that you can build a foundation upon," Rudolph said. "(It's) just good to get back into the action and get back playing football and scoring points. Obviously, it was unfortunate the way with the injury there and kind of being removed when you felt like we were heading in the right direction with a chance to make the playoffs there. It was hard, but that is football and there are injuries. Every game you can pull something from it. I am very confident right now going into this year. Putting a finishing touch [on it], even with the injury and losing the game, there are things to build on."
• Maurkice Pouncey remained out Saturday after attending a family funeral in Florida.
