Steelers Pro Bowler Cam Heyward Makes Controversial Comments Perfectly Clear

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward clarified his prior comments about 10 players doing their job, easing fans' anxiety ahead of Week 18.

Steelers Q&A: Cam Heyward extension, superlatives, and AFC North predictions - Behind the Steel Curtain

Pittsburgh Steelers fans may want to lay off the panic button.

Fans have justifiably been frazzled by a three-game losing streak consisting of three Super Bowl contenders thriving while Pittsburgh plays itself out of first place. The streak will likely cost the Steelers an AFC North title and the right to host a playoff game.

After losing to the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas, Pittsburgh seemed to hit its lowest point of the season. Veterans grew frustrated, and comments began to sound more like a game of finger pointing than a Steelers team with a revered culture would expect. That included defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, who spoke about how fruitless a 10-man operation can be in an 11-player game.

While many grew concerned with Heyward and his comments – especially in conjunction with safety DeShon Elliott, who pleaded with teammates to “do their job” – he has since clarified that he wasn’t talking about one particular player.

“I did not mean someone in particular,” Heyward said, via the team’s YouTube channel. “When I refer to this, I’ve learned this from Coach LeBeau over the years, it’s about 11 guys doing their jobs. All I was simply saying is when you don’t have 11 guys doing their jobs and one guy 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 the risk of the offense.”

Crisis averted. The locker room (probably) is not imploding, nor is there a reason to lose trust in one of the sport’s most respected veterans.

If the Steelers have anything going for them, it’s the leadership necessary to get things back on track. Head coach Mike Tomlin needs no introduction, shielding his players and consistently operating with impressive foresight. But Heyward, T.J. Watt – the team MVP – and quarterback Russell Wilson give Pittsburgh a core of veterans that has seen just about everything this league can offer.

With their most likely playoff opponents being a relatively inexperienced Houston Texans team or a Ravens squad they’ll be playing for the third time, fans can take solace in having an intangible edge over much of the field.

“And 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,” Heyward said. “If I have a problem with somebody, I’m gonna go talk to ’em. And I’m probably talking to ’em on the field. We don’t have this thing where I’m trying to put somebody in a position where they gotta answer questions about that.”

Heyward’s clarification was a breath of fresh air. But that relief is only as strong as the Steelers’ performance on Saturday.

Pittsburgh will play host to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 18, hoping to eliminate its rival from playoff competition while addressing the issues of the past three weeks. A win to end the regular season would do wonders for morale. A loss and a four-game losing streak, though, spells trouble.

With their playoff lives on the line, the Bengals won’t make writing the ship any easier.

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Steelers Pro Bowler Cam Heyward Makes Controversial Comments Perfectly Clear

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