PITTSBURGH -- Among the points of emphasis by NFL officials this year include illegal contact, defensive holding and continued player safety as it relates to unsportsmanlike conduct and taunting.
There have been more penalties called in these areas during the preseason, and the Pittsburgh Steelers certainly have been aware of the changes.
"It's something that's always been a part of the game, but as far as coming on a break with contact they're pretty much enforcing that more often now,'' Steelers backup safety Robert Golden said. "But it can go both ways.
"So, it could be a good thing, but they're probably going to call more flags in August football. And we have to be aware of that. So, we have to continue to get better at that and work on that in practice. They'll probably eventually be easier on the flags that they're calling.''
So, does a 12-year veteran cornerback like Ike Taylor basically have to re-learn his coverage techniques?
"I'm sure he'll be able to adapt,'' Golden said. "One thing Ike does is work on his craft every day, so I'm sure he'll be fine. But we just have to keep working on it every day and continue to get better at it. We had some referees in training camp, so we were able to get a feel for it. And now, through two preseason games, we've definitely noticed a difference.
"(And) it definitely takes away some aggression from the defensive backs, but it also could take away the push-off from a receiver. So, like I've said, it could go both ways. That's why we want to continue to work on being clean in practice and transfer that over into the game.''
NFL official Bob Waggoner discussed the new points of emphasis.
"I think (what has) happened over the years is that it's kind of stretched a little bit,'' Waggoner said. "It's a five-yard belt which went to six yards, which went to six-and-a-half yards. It just kind of stretched itself a little bit to a point where they wanted (to be back at five yards). It's like a little rubber band. It kind of got stretched a little bit (and) now we want to bring it back a little bit.
"(Another) big point of emphasis this year is offensive pass interference. When we talk offensive pass interference, think of the bubble screens or the short dump passes. Those kinds of things where you have guys going two, three, four yards downfield and blocking, that's really a big point. If it's one yard, they get one yard. That's where the point of contact is.''
Ninth-year wideout Lance Moore, in his first season with the Steelers, believed officials were attempting to eliminate all downfield contact on either side of the ball. And it has been more noticeable so far.
"And that's a great thing for a receiver,'' Moore said. "I guess it could go either way, because what they're trying to eliminate is the contact downfield. Whether that's guys grabbing on and holding receivers or receivers pushing off. Those are the things that they're trying to eliminate. I guess you can take advantage of it, but that's not really a part of my game.''
Moore is listed at 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds, so despite being a tough receiver it would be more advantageous for him to avoid contact.
"For the most part, the way that I play my game, I don't want to have too much contact if at all possible,'' Moore added. "But, you can use that to your advantage and get a call one way or another. You can't count on that, but I'll take all the help I can get out there.''
Steelers top wideout Antonio Brown agreed.
"I don't mind physical play, but anything that frees us up to do more things is fine with me,'' Brown said.