As the longest tenured Steelers player, Cam Heyward’s impact can be felt both on and off the field. He’s a leader in the locker room, often the most vocal voice to the media and still a productive player in games. But he is also 37.
And since Heyward is at an advanced age for NFL players and in his 11th season, Mike McCarthy and the Steelers decided to employ the seven-time Pro Bowler in a new way on Sunday. Heyward only saw the field for 32 snaps during Pittsburgh’s 20-13 season opening win over the Atlanta Falcons in data collected by John Ledyard.
Cam Heyward’s Snap Count Was Noticeably Low on Sunday
To put Heyward’s reduced usage in perspective, the last time he experienced a game with 32 or fewer snaps without exiting early with an injury was way back in 2013, his third year in the league. Heyward recorded three tackles in the Steelers’ Week 1 victory.
The defense overall also only allowed 238 yards, with 118 through the air and 120 on the ground, and just one single touchdown collectively all day. As a unit, the Steelers registered four sacks and generated two turnovers off interceptions, mostly notably a game-sealing pick-6 by Watt, who completed the afternoon with an historic performance of his own.
Heyward’s Snap Count Will Now Be Something to Monitor All Season
It will now be interesting to monitor Heyward limited snap count to determine if it keeps being managed in such a way to maximize his ability and impact at this point in his career. Similarly, the Steelers tried to reduce the amount of snaps Watt, 31, had to be part of as well.
However, despite the solid effort statistically, Heyward still put his defensive teammates on notice after the game.
Heyward Voiced Some Frustration With the Full Defensive Effort
“Not good enough. Not good enough,” Heyward said during a postgame episode of his “Not Just Football” podcast on Sunday night. “Known factors. We’ve gotta stop really good backs in this league,” he added while evaluating the performance.
“They run the ball with success, run downhill. But, we can’t be giving up 100 yards. That’s unacceptable.”
Heyward argued the run defense regressed later in the game, noting it as something he wants corrected moving forward.
“I thought first half, we didn’t give up a lot, but second half, they were able to control the clock a little bit,” he explained.
The Steelers will now turn the page to Week 2, as they travel to New England to take on the 0-1 Patriots.
One game into his 11th season, Heyward has logged time in 228 games and 193 starts. He has 796 tackles, 142 tackles for a loss and 92 sacks throughout a career that’s seen him honored as a four-time first-team All-Pro.
What Aspect of Cam Heyward’s Game Warrants Monitoring After Week 1?