Last night was the first time that the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the wide receivers, took the field inside of a stadium to suit up for a game since the passing of wide receivers coach Darryl Drake. Drake, 62, passed away suddenly on Sunday night after complaining of just pains the day before, but test results showed no abnormalities, and he declined an overnight stay at the hospital for observation.
His death will weigh heavily on the team throughout the season, but its initial impact was significant, resulting in the reshuffling and even cancellation of practice sessions, so that could have limited their preparedness for the game.