Pittsburgh Steelers star Cam Heyward fired back at Jared Verse following his claims after their matchup.
The veteran defensive lineman pushed back after Verse accused the Steelers of playing dirty following the Cleveland Browns‘ 27-24 victory on October 1. Verse also mocked Pittsburgh for double-teaming him and sliding protection his way during the matchup.
Speaking Tuesday on “The Rich Eisen Show,” Heyward questioned the complaint while crediting Verse’s ability.
“Dirty plays? Respected players get doubled. Respected players get slid to. I don’t know if it was a dirty play or not. I don’t know what he’s referring to,” Heyward said. “Jared Verse is a good talent. You should expect that. That’s what Myles Garrett’s been doing the last time he’s been in Cleveland. Kudos to them for getting the job done, but can’t wait for that game back here.”
Jared Verse Accused Steelers of Playing Dirty
Verse’s postgame criticism went beyond the Steelers’ blocking assignments. He described a night of trash talk and accused Pittsburgh players of taking the physical exchanges too far.
“I don’t got no respect for anybody that plays too dirty and does too much extra [expletive] after the game,” Verse said.
Verse did not identify a specific play behind the accusation in those comments. He also — like Heyward — made clear that he was looking forward to facing Pittsburgh again. The Steelers held Verse to two tackles, including one for a loss, and no sacks. But Cleveland’s defense still sacked Aaron Rodgers five times and intercepted him twice as the Browns secured their third consecutive victory.
It was a penalty-filled game for Cleveland, which finished with 14 flags for 88 yards. Pittsburgh was penalized eight times for 50 yards.
Browns and Steelers Have November Rematch Ahead
Cleveland won the first meeting after Deshaun Watson directed a late drive that set up Andre Szmyt’s winning 56-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining. The kick rescued the Browns after Pittsburgh erased an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit.
Watson completed 24 of 33 passes for 268 yards, one touchdown and one interception, helping Cleveland improve to 3-1. Pittsburgh dropped to 2-2.
The Browns also came away with an injury concern on their defensive front. Mason Graham suffered an MCL sprain and an ankle sprain against Pittsburgh. The team said his return would be evaluated on a week-to-week basis. Graham leads Cleveland with four sacks through four games.
The next meeting between the sides will come on November 1 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. Cleveland has won its last five home games against Pittsburgh, but the Browns haven’t won a regular-season game on the Steelers’ field since 2003.
Steelers Star Fires Back at Browns’ Jared Verse