The Pittsburgh Steelers' final tune-up before their second preseason game got washed out on Monday, as severe thunderstorms and lightning rolled through Latrobe, Pennsylvania. The team was forced to cancel what was slated to be the last open practice of the summer at Saint Vincent College, sending fans home disappointed.
The session was scheduled to be the 14th public practice of camp, which kicked off on July 29. But Mother Nature had other plans, with the Steelers announcing the campus closure to fans early in the day due to the threat of lightning in the area.
McCarthy: 'Disappointed to leave here'
Head coach Mike McCarthy didn't hide his frustration, apologizing to the faithful who had hoped to catch one final glimpse of the team before the regular season. "We're breaking camp early," McCarthy said. "Disappointed to leave here because this is such a great environment for us to train in. Disappointing, frankly, for the fans, because those are our best practices when everybody is out there, but just based off the weather."
The Steelers will take Tuesday off before regrouping at their facility in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, where they'll continue preparations for Week 1 without any more weather-related hiccups, ideally.
Allar's emergence a camp highlight
Despite the abrupt end, one of the biggest bright spots of camp has been the development of third-round rookie quarterback Drew Allar. McCarthy couldn't stop singing his praises after Pittsburgh's preseason opener, highlighting the young signal-caller's rapid growth.
"Drew, my first encounter with him was at the combine," McCarthy recalled. "His face was beet red and we were rocking and rolling and had a good football conversation, but I was impressed with him in Indianapolis. I look at his first impression that he made in the rookie orientation. … Then the next hurdle was jumping into the OTAs… they've improved a lot."
McCarthy also emphasized Allar's mental acuity, noting, "His ability to auto-correct and have a clear understanding, that's important. … He's a very astute quarterback."
Allar's promising start has even sparked debate about his college coach, but in Pittsburgh, the focus is squarely on the future.
With camp officially in the rearview, the Steelers now turn their attention to the remainder of the preseason and the looming regular season, hoping the only storms ahead are the ones they create on the field.
