After a third straight defeat, NFL insiders interpreted December 25 postgame comments from Pittsburgh Steelers players to mean one defender was largely responsible for the significant step back the team’s defense has taken in recent weeks. One of those postgame comments came from Steelers captain and defensive lineman Cameron Heyward.
But on the latest episode of his “Not Just Football” podcast, Heyward clarified that on December 25 he was not trying to point to one player as the problem for the Steelers defense.
“Guys, I did not mean someone in particular,” Heyward told his co-host Hayden Walsh. “All I was simply saying is when you don’t have 11 guys doing their jobs and one guys doesn’t , or two guys or three guys or four, vice versa, you name it.
“But when you don’t have everybody doing their jobs, you are putting yourself at risk of the offense.”
Heyward continued, criticizing anyone who thought he would use the media to publicly blame one of his teammates.
“To think we would zero down on one person, say, ‘Hey, you’re not doing your job, and I’m gonna use the media to do that,’ like, I’m a grown man. If I have a problem with somebody, I’m gonna go talk to them. And I’m probably talking to them on the field,” said Heyward.
“We don’t have this thing where I’m trying to put somebody in a position where they gotta answer questions about that. That’s not fair.”
Cameron Heyward’s Misinterpreted Quote Went Viral
The Steelers defense struggled for a third straight game on Christmas, allowing the Kansas City Chiefs to post 389 yards and 29 points. As was the case in Week 16, Chiefs receivers were wide open on certain plays versus the Steelers secondary.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 29 of 38 passes for 320 yards and 3 touchdowns.
After the game, Heyward potentially hinted that one defender was the main culprit for the issues.
“When 10 guys do their job and one guy doesn’t, we are screwed,” Heyward said to the media, via Steelers insider Mark Kaboly.
On January 2, Heyward suggested that the media misinterpreted or took the quote out of context. But in the context of everything Steelers players said after the Chiefs loss, it made sense pundits and fans interpreted Heyward’s quote as perhaps referring to a specific player.
“We keep talking about it. Nobody is doing a thing about it,” linebacker Patrick Queen told reporters, via Mark Kaboly. “If nobody does anything about what they are supposed to be doing then we don’t have any room for it.”
“First off, guys can’t be [expletive] wide open. That’s the first thing. Just do your job,” safety DeShon Elliott told reporters, via The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Christopher Carter. “I thought we were communicating, [but] guys weren’t doing their frickin’ job.
Kaboly then fueled the flames that Heyward and other Steelers leaders were using the media to single out an individual player anonymously.
Trouble brewing in paradise in Steelers land?
The sense I am getting are the players are getting closer and closer of outing the person who they feel is a big part of the problem on defense.
Patrick Queen on the “slump” the defense is in:
“Can’t explain it, it’s happening. We…
Cameron Heyward Showcases Leadership in Response to Week 17 Postgame Reaction
Whether media fabricated or self created, the Steelers have dealt with drama because of the postgame comments from Heyward and others. But after clarifying his comments, Heyward did what every great captain does — he held everyone, including himself, accountable.
“It’s a group effort, it’s a team effort. I think we got to get past, like, being petty and putting it on one guy,” Heyward said. “Shoot, I wish I had got home more. I wish I had gotten off blocks faster.
“If any player is happy with the way they played, that’s the problem. Because we should all take accountability for that game, and we all have to grow from it.”
Heyward and the Steelers will be aiming to move past their postgame Week 17 drama on January 4. The best way to do that would be to beat the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Steelers can clinch the AFC North with a win and Baltimore Ravens loss. With a victory and Ravens win, the Steelers will secure the top AFC wild card spot.
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Steelers’ Cameron Heyward Claps Back at Postgame Reaction After Chiefs Loss