Steelers prepare for Giants team with new coaches, no preseason tape
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Here’s a fun question for Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and his players heading into the 2020 season opener.
How do you study film when there is no film to study?
I know. Very meta n’at.
But it’s a worthy concern going into the season opener for Tomlin’s team on the road against the New York Giants.
That franchise has a new coaching staff, so there’s no archive of footage from previous seasons. And there are no preseason games to get a sense of how personnel will be deployed and how schemes will be utilized.
Meanwhile, the Steelers are returning the same coaching staff and much of the same roster from last year, especially on defense.
So, from that standpoint, advantage: Giants.
“We’re speculating some as it pertains to some of their schematics,” Tomlin said during a Zoom press conference Tuesday. “We’re speculating some particularly as it pertains to their division of labor and the utilization of people.”
However, where the Steelers have an edge is that at least they are familiar with their own plays at live speed against NFL competition. Something the Giants are not.
In theory, that should be a bigger deal.
“We’re really spending a lot of our time focused less about what they do and what they’re capable of doing with their collection of people and schematics,” Tomlin said. “But (it’s) more about the pinpoint utilization of our people to put us in the very best position to win. Also, the thoughtful selection of our schematics that we can perform in a variety of circumstances.”
It’s not as if the Steelers will be entirely ignoring opposing film study. And it’s not as if some of the game-planning concepts will be utterly unfamiliar.
New head coach Joe Judge had been on the New England Patriots coaching staff since 2012, most recently as the special teams coach and wide receivers coach. So maybe Tomlin and company can glean some things from old New England tape.
Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham overlapped with Judge in Foxborough until 2016 when he left to join the Giants as defensive line coach. Now he’s back after a stop in Green Bay and a one-year run as defensive coordinator in Miami. So maybe Minkah Fitzpatrick can shed some light on tendencies. Not to mention the Steelers beat the Dolphins at Heinz Field last year.
On the offensive side of the ball, Jason Garrett is the coordinator after a dozen seasons as either coordinator or head coach with the Dallas Cowboys.
Tomlin said that should be a significant base from which to work, especially for inside linebacker Devin Bush and any calls he needs to make. That job will be especially important given that the Steelers have to focus on stopping star running back Saquon Barkley, while also honoring the passing game.
“Schematically, you watch Dallas tape,” Tomlin said. “Also, their offensive line coach (Marc Colombo) comes from Dallas. Their shared experience probably provides some speculative insights for us to be prepared for.
“If you’re watching people, you want to watch Saquon [Barkley] work, which I would think is appropriate for a guy like Devin Bush, then you watch Giant tape as well.”
TribLive Steelers beat writer Joe Rutter joins me for our first “Tomlin Tuesday” press conference wrap up. In our weekly podcast, Joe and I talk about the yin and yang of the Steelers’ experience versus the uncertainty of playing the new-look Giants.
We also delve into the Steelers’ rearranged offensive line and the lingering questions surrounding David DeCastro’s health.
Plus, how should the team handle four quarterbacks in the covid-19 era? A discussion about changing punters. Concerns about stopping Barkley. And thoughts on Sean Davis’ return in the secondary.