Steelers’ new safety isn’t afraid to study

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

The proof is in the notes. Meticulously crafted. Carefully annotated. Relentlessly pored over. One glimpse at Mike Mitchell’s studiousness is all it took for longtime Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor to realize how seriously his team’s newest safety takes his football.

“You can pretty much get a game plan off them,” Taylor said.

That’s kind of the point. The Steelers signed Mitchell to a five-year, $25-million contract in the offseason — a rare free agent splurge by the typically inward-looking franchise — because of his mixture of raw athleticism and thoughtful approach to the game.

After four erratic years in Oakland, Mitchell flourished in Carolina last fall. Serving as the backbone for one of the NFL’s best defenses, Mitchell helped spearhead a renaissance that guided the Panthers to the playoffs. Just don’t expect Mitchell to get nostalgic on Sunday night when the Steelers (1-1) travel to unbeaten Carolina (2-0).

“I’m still in touch with some of those guys, and I’m sure I’ll see them before the game and give ‘em a hug,” Mitchell said. “But really, it’s all business.”

It’s the only way Mitchell knows how to do his job as a Steelers safety. Call it a sense of responsibility that comes with enduring an extended run in Oakland, where the former second-round pick failed to earn a starting spot.

He landed in Carolina, where he stepped in and immediately made an impact. He collected four sacks and four interceptions while developing a reputation as one of the hardest hitters on a defense filled with them.

“It was the first time where everyone was on the same page every single play,” he said. “The way we meet. The way we practice. The way we play in the games. When you know where everyone is going and what everyone is supposed to be doing, it’s easy to play well.”

Mitchell played so well that the salary cap-stressed Panthers couldn’t make a run at him when he hit the open market. The Steelers, looking for someone to replace aging Ryan Clark, wasted little time opening their wallet for a 27-year-old they believe could serve as the disciplined yin to star Troy Polamalu’s freewheeling yang.

Playing alongside Polamalu isn’t easy. The perennial Pro Bowler is given wide latitude to trust his instincts at the back end of coordinator Dick LeBeau’s intricate 3-4. Sometimes he’s right. Sometimes he’s not, putting pressure on the other safety to help erase mistakes.

“It’s difficult for everybody playing with [Polamalu],” cornerback William Gay said. “But Mike is a guy that knows that game.”