It is well publicized at this point that the Pittsburgh Steelers are 6-3 despite being outgained in every game. The unfortunate stat has shared blame between the offense not gaining enough and the defense not limiting opponents’ gains. But as HC Mike Tomlin, QB Kenny Pickett, and a number of other players have continued to say, winning is all that matters.
During the post-practice media availability on Friday, defensive captain Cameron Heyward was asked if the Steelers’ success was all smoke and mirrors.
“Who are they judging? They’re not in this,” Heyward said in a video posted by ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. “Smoke and mirrors? Screw you. We have worked too hard for this. These guys dedicate their lives, and we try to be a good defense. Smoke and mirrors? I think that’s a cloud of smoke.”
Heyward has been on the team a long time. Long enough to know that a 6-3 record cannot be taken for granted and that it isn’t just dumb luck. Wins do not come easy in the NFL, so of course he is going to take offense to being asked if the success is all a mirage.
The defense has given up way too many yards and I am sure Heyward would be the first to tell you that. At 379.7 yards per game allowed, the Steelers are a bottom-five defense in the league by that metric, but if you look at points allowed, they are just outside the top 10 with 20.2 points given up on average.
Part of the reason for the large amount of yardage allowed by the Steelers’ defense is the number of explosive plays of 20-plus yards the team has given up. Pittsburgh has allowed 47 such plays through nine games. That is over five per game and really helps inflate those totals. Heyward talked about this during the same media session in a clip posted by TribLIVE’s Chris Adamski.
“Last time we played them (Browns), they had one big run coming out of the half that kind of exacerbated what was done in the run game,” Heyward said. “For the most part I thought we did a pretty good job. We got some turnovers that really flipped the field.”
And the other reason for the discrepancy between yards and points allowed is the number of turnovers that the Steelers have forced. They have 18 takeaways on the season, which is tied for the top mark in the league. So while it might not be the most conventional way of doing things, don’t try to tell Heyward that it’s all just smoke and mirrors.
