Steelers Safety Mike Mitchell Ready To Take On Old Team
PITTSBURGH (93-7 The FAN) - Steelers safety Mike Mitchell had started nine games in four years with the Oakland Raiders.
A move to Carolina yielded a career year of 14 games started, 66 tackles and four interceptions. Now, Mitchell will face the team that helped him land a five-year, $25 million contract with the Steelers.
"We already played them once (in the preseason), so I got most of my hugs out of the way in the first one," Mitchell said. "This one I'm going back for business."
Caroliona has the same head coach and defensive coordinator this year as last and Mitchell is just fine telling his new coaches on the South Side what he knows.
"There's a lot of information that I have, more so defensively, about them because that's what I played there and they're running the same things."
Mitchell adds he probably won't have to spend much time divulging information.
"Our coaches are a lot smarter than me, they're breaking down the film. If they ask me anything, I'd be more than happy to give them information. (Offensive Coordinator ) Coach (Todd) Haley is going to do a great job," he said.
One player Mitchell got to see day-in and day-out is quarterback Cam Newton. At 6-feet-5-inches and 245 pounds, the former Carolina No. 1 pick is as big or bigger than eight of the Steelers' starting defenders. Newton has thrown 65 touchdowns and rushed for 28 and he's just early into his fourth year in the league.
"I'm not saying that he's Peyton Manning or Tom Brady or one of those guys, but where they can strictly be from the pocket," Mitchell said. "Cam has the ability to make those plays with his legs."
And it's not as if the Steelers are stopping anyone with legs right now, allowing the underwhelming backfields of Cleveland and Baltimore to run for 348 yards. The once proud Steelers defense is 30th against the run through the first two games of the season.
"The number one thing for us is going to have to be to stop the run," Mitchell said. "We can't continue to play teams where they can do both on us. We gotta improve on the run defense. I don't know if it's schematics, I don't think it is. I think our coaches do a great job of putting us in position. We just have to play better as a unit, as a team. Guys have to trust each other to be in the right spots. If you can make a team one dimensional, it's so much easier to win the game. Then, our line can really focus on rushing the quarterback. But, if you are in a lot of 3rd and 1 or 3rd and 2, they can do whatever they want on this down. That's the only way to fix it."
"Last year, the team I was on, we were 1-3. You get to a point where you get tired of losing, you get tired of having the same result. And it takes guys who get tired of it, to change it and that's what we have to do."
You May Also Be Interested In These Latest Stories From The Fan
Like The Fan On Facebook
Follow The Fan On Twitter
