In a monumental AFC North clash with quite a bit on the line for both the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals, it was rather fitting that the two oldest players on the roster had two of their best games of the season for the Black and Gold.
That would be quarterback Russell Wilson, who turned 36 on Friday, and defensive lineman Cameron Heyward, who is in Year 14 on the roster.
Wilson threw for 408 yards and three touchdowns, setting a career-high for passing yards in the first half along the way with 257 in the 44-38 shootout win. The veteran quarterback, who joined the Steelers on a one-year deal in free agency, lit up the Bengals’ defense, making play after play through the air, piloting the Steelers’ offense to a remarkable day when they needed it most.
Defensively, Heyward led the way, too. The team captain had five tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits and tipped the pass that Tee Higgins couldn’t handle, leading to Donte Jackson’s interception in the fourth quarter.
Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin hopes the young players on his team pay attention to the way that Wilson and Heyward conduct themselves as professionals, not only on game days, but how they work during the week to prepare themselves to play at high levels.
“You know, forget their play, although obviously it’s appreciated. It is. It’s the things that tee up their performance. It’s their day to day, it’s how they go about their business,” Tomlin said of Wilson and Heyward, according to video via the Steelers’ YouTube page. “It’s their level of professionalism. It’s the amount of buy-in that they have regarding team.
“I’m hoping that the young guys see and pay as just as much attention to that as they do the playmaking.”
Quite the answer there from Tomlin, and a good one, too.
Having those two pillars from a leadership standpoint is huge for the Steelers. While the defense is veteran-laden and has a bunch of stars, the offense is relatively young and needed that type of leadership, like running back Najee Harris said after the win regarding Wilson.
Throughout his 13 years in the NFL, Wilson has been a great leader in all three stops in Seattle, Denver and now Pittsburgh. He’s been a team captain 12 straight years, too, which is rather telling.
Coming off a tough loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 12, Wilson wasn’t worried and stated that he believed in the team. That showed on Sunday as he carved up the Bengals and played with a high level of confidence, allowing him to out-duel Joe Burrow on the other side in the shootout.
As for Heyward, all the guy does is get better and better. He’s on pace for another All-Pro season and continues to strengthen his resume for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Young players would be wise to pay attention to Heyward and Wilson throughout the week, learning how to best prepare and translate that preparation to performance on the field where it matters most.
