The Sports Xchange

PITTSBURGH — Among the things the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense has emphasized this spring is intercepting the football.

The Steelers have not done a very good job of that lately, with just 11 interceptions last season, 10 each in 2012 and 2013 and 11 in 2011.

Nearly half of the players who recorded interceptions last season aren’t currently on the team. It may have been a catchy ailment, too, because safety Mike Mitchell, who intercepted four for the Carolina Panthers in 2013, had none in his first season after signing with the Steelers.

Combined with a 25-year low of 33 sacks, the Steelers’ defense lost its teeth last season.

“Obviously, it’s something that’s extremely important to us,” Mitchell said of why they put an emphasis on picking off passes this spring.

Coach Mike Tomlin, who entered the NFL as a secondary coach, is riding the secondary about it this spring.

“I think we’re doing a decent job of getting our hands on the ball,” Mitchell said. “Coach doesn’t want to give us any credit, though. I think I had three on Thursday; he said they weren’t interceptions; they were catches. So we’re working on getting interceptions and not just catching the ball when it comes to us.”

It’s not a new thing for them, however. While they had 21 interceptions in their most recent Super Bowl season of 2010, they have averaged just 10.5 in the four seasons since.

“That’s obviously a huge emphasis for us,” Mitchell said. “We didn’t get enough turnovers last year. It’s an emphasis in an area we need to improve; because, if you’re getting turnovers and giving it back to an offense like ours, you’re only helping your chances of winning games with the weapons we have.”

Cornerback William Gay is the team’s top returning pass snatcher; he had three interceptions last season. Cornerback Brice McCain, who also had three, signed with the Miami Dolphins.