The Pittsburgh Steelers got quite a boost ahead of the start of Week Nine against the Tennessee Titans on Thursday Night Football with the return of star defensive lineman Cameron Heyward.
Heyward previously missed the last six games, but his return in primetime came at the perfect time for the Steelers as they welcomed Tennessee star running back Derrick Henry to Acrisure Stadium.
Though Henry had 75 yards and a touchdown, the Steelers held him to under 80 yards rushing for the third straight time, forcing the Titans to largely become one-dimensional in the second half of the game. That’s a testament to Heyward’s presence against the run, at least according to Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin.
“You know, I thought we did a good job, man. I just thought the penalties man were catastrophic to our defensive effort. It really was. But Cam Heyward was back, and Cam’s presence is significant, guys, particularly in terms of defending the run,” Tomlin said to reporters following the 20-16 win over the Titans, according to video via the Steelers’ YouTube page. “You better put four hands on that guy, or you’re not gonna have a day.
“I’m appreciative of his presence. I’m appreciative of the effort of all the guys.”
In his return to the lineup, Heyward had six tackles and a key tackle for loss in the second half, blowing up a screen pass to running back Tyjae Spears, helping the Steelers’ defense get off the field.
The Titans did rush for 105 yards and saw Henry punch one in from 3 yards out to take a lead in the first half against the Steelers. But in the second half the run defense cleaned things up and forced rookie quarterback Will Levis to try and win the game, leading to a game-sealing interception from veteran linebacker Kwon Alexander.
Heyward’s presence certainly earned a lot of praise from Tomlin, and it’s hard to truly state what he means to the Steelers on and off the field.
“I don’t know how many tackles he had, but I know that he played his butt off tonight and he definitely is a difference maker for us,” OLB T.J. Watt stated to reporters, according to video via the Steelers’ YouTube page.
Heyward did play his butt off, but that’s to be expected with him. Effort and energy are never in question with the star defensive lineman. His return provided that in abundance for the Steelers Thursday night. Hopefully that’s a significant boost moving forward.
