Hello everyone, welcome back to another Steelers Film Room. During the Steelers’ 3-0 start to the season, there have been several fun storylines to follow: Justin Fields’ development. The emergence of Zach Frazier. The national media doing a 180 and finally starting to give T.J. Watt his flowers. Steelers Nation should be riding high right now.
But, perhaps, flying a little under the radar is my favorite development and the focus of today’s film session — Cam Heyward is fully healthy again and is having a bit of a renaissance tour.
When I decided I was going to focus on Cam Heyward for this article, I couldn’t help but reflect on what the past year must have been like for him. Nowadays in the NFL, once you turn 30 years old, you’re officially on Cooked Watch. Fans — and management — are looking for any notable signs of decline so they can replace you with somebody younger, cheaper, and entering their athletic prime.
For a player in their mid-30s like Heyward, an injury-plagued season like he had in 2023 could have spelled the end. When Heyward returned to action after missing six straight games due to injury, he was visibly uncomfortable. He didn’t have his usual power and he only registered two sacks, well below the standard we’ve become accustomed to seeing from him.
Still, the splits for the run defense with and without Heyward paint a pretty clear picture. In six games without Heyward, the Steelers' defense allowed an average of 128.66 rushing yards per game. In the 10 games after his return, Pittsburgh allowed just 99.6 per game. Had Pittsburgh put up that figure for the entire season, it would have been seventh-best in the league. That performance was obscured, however, with three tough losses where the Steelers were gashed on the ground: Arizona (150), Indianapolis (170), and in the wild card against Buffalo (179).
This offseason, there was plenty of chatter about if we’d seen the beginning of the end of Cam as a Steeler. He wanted a new contract and the longer the summer drug on with no extension, the more doubt about if he was still in the organization's plans for the future began to grow. Even when finally signed his extension, there was no reprieve from Cooked Watch for Heyward. There were even media members calling the contract a sign of organizational incompetence.
Publically, Heyward has taken this all in stride. From the outside looking in, he seemed hungry, and maybe even a little defiant, but always professional. Speaking to reporters, he declared that he was still a top-five player at his position and that he wanted to stay in Pittsburgh. When his extension was announced, I think it was telling that he chose to meme this scene from The Wolf of Wall Street.
This week I’ve also decided to theme this breakdown. I usually listen to music while I write, and as I contemplated Heyward’s start to the season, his circumstances reminded me of a hit song from my childhood — Eminem’s “Without Me.” The song and its music video are unabashedly defiant. The video specifically will always be imprinted on my mind with Eminem’s character parodying Robin from the Batman universe at various points throughout it. That seems fitting for Heyward. As a lineman in Pittsburgh’s system, he’s always been the Robin to whichever outside backer is Pittsburgh’s current Batman, doing the dirty work that doesn’t always get the headlines but is so crucial to the defense’s overall success. The box score never tells the full story for an interior lineman, so I’ve highlighted six plays to demonstrate the impact he’s been having on the Steelers’ defense.
Let’s jump in.
“Now, this looks like a job for me, so everybody, just follow me”
We’ll start with a clip from Week 1. The game has just come out of the two-minute warning and the Falcons are nearing midfield with four yards to go on a second down. Atlanta comes out in pistol with 11 personnel. In this game, that signaled Atlanta was more than likely going to run the ball, and they do here with a wide zone run call.
This one showing the ol' timer got the chase in him. Excellent job by Hismighth and the rookie Wilson setting the edge. With Cam holds off Dalman (67) with one arm in pursuit, and makes the tackle with his free arm. The Steelers don't give Bijan the outside or a cutback lane. pic.twitter.com/pu9AKmHUrL
— Ryan Parish (@RyanParishmedia) September 28, 2024
Heyward lines up in the B-gap — the area of space between the tackle and guard — but he actually ends up attacking the A-gap — the space between the guard and center. His job on this play is to make sure that gap is filled. As the Falcons extend to try to fit the ball to the outside, his job is to maintain that gap integrity by forcing the back to stretch outside without getting upfield, all while also preventing a cutback lane from forming for the running back through his gap. This play from Heyward demonstrates one reason that his playstyle should age well with him: his strength and power.
Cam quite literally fends off center Drew Dalman with one arm on this play, nearly pushing the Atlanta offensive lineman into running back Bijan Robinson. With Alex Highsmith, rookie linebacker Payton Wilson and corner Donte Jackson doing a great job of setting the edge, Robinson has no chance of bouncing the run to the outside. Heyward, still in pursuit and preventing a cutback lane, then uses his free arm to take the ball carrier down for no gain. That creates a third-and-four and eats nearly 40 seconds off the clock for Atlanta.
“So this must mean I’m disgusting, but it’s just me, I’m just obscene”
One of my favorite reps from Cam in this exercise and another great example of a play that doesn’t show up in the box score. This is some truly nasty (complimentary) work done here by Heyward, even if Atlanta ultimately picks up the first down on this play.
This snap is the second of the game. After picking up seven yards on first down, the Falcons try to run the ball again with Robinson to the outside. They come out in Pistol with 12 personnel and pull tight end Charlie Woerner to try to create a numbers advantage. They’re hoping that Woerner, the center and the left side of the line can give them a five-to-four advantage that will spring the explosive Robinson for a big play. Not on Cam’s watch.
Back in WK1. You can see Queen and Watt signal the run would be to the right. Cam does a great job filling his gap and creating an obstacle for the running back. Cam ends up occupying 2 Falcons. Cam + Highsmith once again blowing up a running lane pic.twitter.com/wQreSw0bCm
— Ryan Parish (@RyanParishmedia) September 28, 2024
On this rep, Cam lines up in what I would classify as 4-technique. He’s not quite head-up with the tackle, but he’s mostly covering them and has his body turned to indicate that’s where he’ll be going at the snap. Atlanta’s line has some tight splits, so he’s not that far off the guard’s outside shoulder either.
On this play, the guard tries to engage Heyward, but Heyward pursues tackle Jake Matthews. Matthews gets twisted when the man he was trying to block — Highsmith — starts to push tight end Kyle Pitts outside to set the edge leaving him no one to block before he turns back towards Cam. Heyward uses this momentary hesitation from the tackle to put himself right in the man’s chest, all while holding off the guard with one arm. Cam ends up engaging two Falcons and pushes them toward the pulling Woerner, disrupting his path. Simultaneously, Highsmith sheds Pitts and blows up Woerner which gums things up for Robinson, forcing him to cut it back into the teeth of the defense. Robinson gets the three yards necessary for the first down, but this is still an impressive rep by Cam.
But’s it’s not just all run stuffing for Cam. He’s back as a pass rusher too. Here he sets up and abuses Matthew Bergeron who really had a tough time handling 97 all game. The Falcons have driven to the redzone and after a negative play on first down are facing second-and-goal from the 13.
Bergeron (65) had a miserable day at the office WK1. On this rep, Cam shifts right before the snap to set up the guard like he's rushing to his outside. A little hard to see here, but once the guard punches and overcommits outside, Cam gets inside with a swipe move & 18 dirts it pic.twitter.com/U9VEmFM1hj
— Ryan Parish (@RyanParishmedia) September 28, 2024
Heyward initially lines up in the A-gap, but shifts to his right in the instant just before the ball is snapped. He does an expert job of setting Bergeron up to think he’ll be rushing his outside shoulder and you can see overcommit and lose his pad level. Cam then swipes to his left, getting underneath the guard and into Kirk Cousins lap to force the hurried incompletion. That sets up a third-and-goal from the 13 and puts Pittsburgh in a position to hold Atlanta to a field goal.
“Cuz nobody wants to see Marshall no more, they want Shady, I’m chopped liver. Well, if you want Shady, this is what I’ll give ya.”
The next two plays really show you that Cam’s still at the top of his game. Rashawn Slater is rightfully considered one of the best young tackles in the game. But in the two plays below, Cam tosses him aside like he’s an UDFA rookie.
First on a play not too dissimilar from the one I showed you from Atlanta, the Chargers motion their FB/TE Scott Matlock and try to execute a zone run. This is the first snap of the game and watch how easily Cam discards Slater to force Dobbins to bounce outside. Dobbins only manages to get 2 yards as the other Steelers defenders clean it up.
This one made me do one of those Ron Swanson chuckles. Cam tosses one of the top tackles in the game to the side & ruins the entire play for LAC. Stuffed. Highsmith also doing the Lord's work with a nasty swim move causing 44 to whiff BADLY and then getting into the rushing lane pic.twitter.com/EqKrIuFAP9
— Ryan Parish (@RyanParishmedia) September 28, 2024
Later in the game, the Steelers are trailing 10-7 in the second quarter. The Chargers have just gotten the ball and are looking to extend the lead. On this first-and-ten, Heyward once again throws Slater to the ground and makes the play.
This one made me do one of those Ron Swanson chuckles. Cam tosses one of the top tackles in the game to the side & ruins the entire play for LAC. Stuffed. Highsmith also doing the Lord's work with a nasty swim move causing 44 to whiff BADLY and then getting into the rushing lane pic.twitter.com/EqKrIuFAP9
— Ryan Parish (@RyanParishmedia) September 28, 2024
“Well, I’m back, da-na-na-na, na-na-na-na-na-na. Fix your bent antenna, tune it in, and then I’m gonna enter in and up under your skin like a splinter.”
We’ll leave today with my favorite pass rush rep of Cam’s so far this season. I’ve shared it before and we’re back in Week 1 against Atlanta. To me, this was Cam’s notice to the league that he was back to being the same gamewrecker he’s been for years.
Biggest play of the game and lots to love here for the Steelers. First, Trice saves this from being a touchdown with his eyes and smarts. Watch the moment he clocks Sutton running the crosser to the back of the endzone. Second… Cam's still got it baby! Speeds up Nix -> INT pic.twitter.com/8cbSSaZOCr
— Ryan Parish (@RyanParishmedia) September 16, 2024
This is similar to his rep against Cousins earlier in this article, but this time comes against rookie QB Bo Nix. Once again the Steelers’ defense is back up in the redzone. Heyward lines up over the tackle, but the tackle kicks outside on the snap. Not missing a beat, Heyward executes a double-swipe to get under the guard’s pads and move to get inside. Nix feels that pressure and speeds up his process which leads to him putting the ball in harm's way.
And that’s a wrap on this week’s Film Room. Liked what you read or have a comment or correction? Leave me a comment below! Also feel free to pitch things you'd like to see moving forward. Here we go Steelers, here we go!
