There’s no question 2023 was a tough year for Cam Heyward. Injured his groin early in camp, tried to manage it, tore it completely less than one half into the season. Surgery, grueling rehab to get back by midseason, gut out the rest of the year at less than 100 percent. When Heyward came back, he couldn’t run, he couldn’t explode out of his stance and bully guards with his signature long-arm/bull rush.
Despite that obvious hang-up, Heyward still did one thing well. Stop the run. Something he’s always excelled at and even on one leg, he could stuff the ground game.
As we noted in our defensive charting article, Heyward had a d-line low 3.6 YPC allowed when he was on the field. But that is a broad number that misses plenty of context. Heyward and Heyward alone isn’t responsible for stopping the run. It’s an 11-man job. Using our charting, I decided to dig deeper. What about runs in Heyward’s direction?
Our charting can sort by direction. And while that doesn’t draw an absolute line between Heyward, it’s far closer than the team stat. Below is a chart of opposing YPC and run-success rate to Heyward’s side when he’s on the field. The runs designated to the offense’s left chart when Heyward aligned as the RDT or RDE, his usual side. But there were a couple flipped, too (often in the team’s “over” front with the line shifted to the strength). Results shown below:
| Alignment | YPC | Run Success % |
|---|---|---|
| Runs At Heyward (Offense’s Left) | 2.7 YPC (75 att) | 40.6 |
| Runs At Heyward (Offense’s Right) | 3.0 YPC (3 att) | 33.3 |
| Runs At Heyward (Total) | 2.7 YPC (78 att) | 40.3 |
Impressive numbers overall, allowing just 2.7 YPC on runs to his main side, his RDE/RDT spot. And just a 40.6 percent run-success rate. In total, only a 40.3 percent run-success rate when opposing offenses ran to his side.
To put that into context, 65 players had at least 75 rushing attempts in 2023. Only six of them had a lower success rate than Cam Heyward’s mark: Saquon Barkley, Jerome Ford, Jamaal Williams, Breece Hall, Kenneth Gainwell, and Dameon Pierce. Point being, Heyward’s run success rate against is very good for him.
Let’s flip it. Literally. What did the success look like when teams ran away from Heyward? Here’s those numbers.
| Alignment | YPC | Run Success % |
|---|---|---|
| Runs Away From Heyward (Offense’s Left) | 5.3 YPC (54 att) | 55.6 |
| Runs Away From Heyward (Offense’s Right) | 0.0 YPC (1 att) | 0.0 |
| Runs Away From Heyward (Total) | 5.2 YPC (55 att) | 54.5 |
What a difference. Overall, 5.2 YPC, a 2.5 YPC increase compared to runs at him. And a run-success rate of 54.5 percent, a 14.2-percent jump. To put that into perspective, of those same 65 players with at least 75 rushing attempts, only 10 had greater than a 54.5 run-success rate. And four of them were quarterbacks (scrambles were not included for this study).
At and away from Heyward, the difference couldn’t be clearer. Despite playing clearly hampered, he still was excellent overall against the run. The stats tell that story, and they match the tape. He still showed his strength, technique, and commitment to playing the run hard. I’m sure he wishes for more and would’ve played the run better had he not gotten hurt, but he was still strong despite that.
Healthy for 2024, Cam Heyward should be a boost to the Steelers’ pass and run defense. Age is a concern and that’s a topic for another time but the fact he played the run so well despite his obvious injury and struggles throughout the year is a positive sign for him making his usual pre-2023 contributions.
