Pittsburgh Steelers DL Cam Heyward has had a storied NFL career. The 31st-overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft has certainly proven himself worthy of being a first-round selection. And Heyward is still proving to be quite the disruptor in his 14th season with two sacks, three tackles for a loss, and eight quarterback hits, per Pro Football Reference. His performance through the early part of the season earned him a spot on Pro Football Focus’ first-quarter All-Pro team.
And when Heyward steps on the field Sunday when the Las Vegas Raiders are on offense, Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce knows just what Heyward is capable of.
“You’re talking about one of the best probably of all-time inside and just a consistent pro,” Pierce said during his Friday press conference with video courtesy of the Raiders’ YouTube channel. “I mean, he’s just a badass. I just remember two years ago him just pretty much tearing our game apart. You know, we played up there in Pittsburgh…Christmas Eve. But a really good player, physical. It starts with them, when he’s in the game, it’s difficult to run the ball, especially at him. You gotta find ways to get big boy moving there.”
On Christmas Eve 2022, the Raiders did indeed travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers. The Steelers narrowly won 13-10. And Heyward did indeed tear the Raiders’ game apart.
The Steelers held Raiders RB Josh Jacobs to 44 yards on 15 carries and the entire Raiders rushing offense to 58 yards on 19 carries. QB Derek Carr did not fare much better, completing 16 of his 30 pass attempts for 174 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions. He was sacked three times as well.
And Heyward? He had two of those sacks. He also had two quarterback hits, three tackles for a loss, one pass knocked down, and seven total tackles. Heyward certainly did help wreck the Raiders’ offensive game plan
Cam Heyward bull rushes the 311 lb Parham into Carr. @CamHeyward gets the sack. Keep it simple, keep it violent! #passrush #steelers pic.twitter.com/COdrVUDZ84
— DLineVids (@dlinevids1) December 25, 2022
How often do you see a defensive lineman toss an offensive lineman into the quarterback en route to a sack? I’m not sure there’s a better definition of wrecking a game than that play right there.
Pierce was on the sideline for the Raiders as their linebackers’ coach. And what he saw out of Heyward left a big impression on him to this day. He’s hoping there won’t be a repeat performance, but even two year later, Heyward is still being quite the disruptor.
And with the Raiders dealing with some injuries on the offensive line, Heyward could be primed to wreck shop versus the Raiders again.
