Former Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields might have accidentally highlighted a flaw in Matt Eberflus’ practice system. Fields was surprised with how physical Pittsburgh Steelers practices can be. Ironically, Mike Tomlin’s practices are much more physical than those of Eberflus, who believes in the “H.I.T.S.” system.
Justin Fields was surprised at how the Pittsburgh Steelers hit
According to Mike DeFabio of The Athletic, Fields was “taken aback” by the live tackling at Steelers practices. The Steelers practice live tackling drills and feature full tackling during 11-on-11 sessions. Most other teams don’t complete tackles to the ground, including Eberflus’ Bears:
“I don’t know how many NFL teams are full-on tackling,” Steelers quarterback Justin Fields said via The Athletic. “It’s got to be under three, if they are.”
The Athletic conducted a poll to see how many NFL teams tackle during training camp. Most teams don’t have live tackling, but some of the best teams in the league do:
Fields’ observation got us thinking. How many teams engage in live tackling during camp? In an informal poll conducted by The Athletic, 24 of 32 beat writers (75 percent of the league) said the team they cover very rarely or never tackles players to the ground.
Four teams tackle in practice sometimes, but typically for short periods with second- or third-team players on the roster’s fringe. Three teams tackle often, including Andy Reid’s Chiefs, Mike McDaniel’s Dolphins and Dan Campbell’s Lions.
The best teams in the NFL tackle at training camp
The Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, and Detroit Lions were all playoff teams last season. The Chiefs have won back-to-back Super Bowls.
The Chiefs also plan to play their starters for the whole first half of their second preseason game, so head coach Andy Reid appears to value gaining reps over the fear of losing players like Marquise Brown due to injury in a physical preseason.
The physical reps haven’t seemed to harm those three teams. The Steelers take it one step further than the Chiefs, Dolphins, and Lions, as they tackle “very often.” The Steelers made the Wild Card round last year.
Per The Athletic report, Tomlin said it’s only fair to his players that he prepares them for the hits that players will face in the regular season:
“You can’t box without sparring,” Tomlin said. “We play an intense game, competitive game, and I’m not doing these guys justice if I don’t create an environment that is reflective of what’s waiting on us.”
The Chicago Bears should consider tackling at training camp
Eberflus and the Bears should consider utilizing more live tackling in training camp. While it might cause an uptick in preseason injuries, it might save the team from injuries in the regular season by practicing how to hit and take a hit correctly.
At least, that’s how the best coaches in the NFL see it.
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