Cameron Heyward Blasts 1 Aspect of Steelers Defense After Bengals Defeat
Getty
Pittsburgh Steelers' Cameron Heyward was highly critical of the team's defensive line after Thursday's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Pittsburgh Steelers secondary had a terrible night against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday. But that’s not what the Steelers defensive captain pointed to when placing blame for the 33-31 loss.
Instead, Heyward somewhat defended the Pittsburgh secondary. The 36-year-old was highly critical of the team’s defensive front, particularly the defensive line, for allowing the Bengals to rush for a season-high 142 yards.
“It’s not the secondary. That’s a cop-out,” Heyward said, via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. “I think the front line, we got to control the line of scrimmage a lot better. I’m pissed off. We didn’t take care of our job.”
“They were last in rushing, and the way we gave it up today, that takes the cake.
The Steelers have now allowed at least 115 rushing yards in four of six games this season.
“We got to stop the [expletive] run,” Heyward added. “That’s as simple as that.”
The Bengals didn’t have more than 85 rushing yards in any game this season before Thursday. They eclipsed that mark in the first half versus the Steelers front.
Other Steelers Share Cameron Heyward’s Feelings on Run Defense
All the rushing statistics indicated the Bengals had a poor running game in the first six weeks. But Cincinnati came alive on the ground in Week 7.
While quarterback Joe Flacco is getting all the headlines, and rightfully so, the Steelers are pointing to their issues in run defense as the main defensive problem from Thursday.
“We just weren’t doing what we’ve been doing,” Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen said, via Pryor. “We weren’t being physical, we weren’t maintaining our gap. Everybody just got a job, and they just got to stick to that job.
“Starting with me, I got to be better. I had two chances to make a play, didn’t make the plays, and it turned into a big run, so I just got to get better. It’s that simple.”
Bengals running back Chase Brown only had 11 carries. But he rushed for 108 yards, posting 9.8 yards per attempt.
A large portion of those yards came in the first quarters.
“The first half, we allowed them to run the ball too much,” Tomlin told reporters in his postgame press conference. “I think they had about 100 yards rushing at the half, and then, we turned the ball over a couple times.
“So, that just set a negative trajectory, and we’re fighting uphill the rest of the way.”
Steelers Run Defense Takes Significant Step Back
The Pittsburgh defensive line struggled against the run in early September. In their defense, the Steelers faced a couple very athletic running quarterbacks, including Justin Fields, who tore up the Pittsburgh front.
Over the past two weeks, the Steelers did a much better job stopping the run. They yielded an average of 67.5 rushing yards per game in the prior two contests.
But one has to wonder if the Steelers run defense is actually getting better after the poor showing Thursday. Pittsburgh has now allowed about 116 rushing yards per game this season.
If they can’t stop the run, Heyward and company won’t be able to rush the passer, which is what the Steelers defensive line does best.
The Steelers will face a much more difficult run offense in Week 8. The Green Bay Packers enter this weekend ranked 12th in rushing yards and fifth in rushing touchdowns.
Analysts are starting to see what Raiders fans already knew about Geno Smith
The Las Vegas Raiders have not had a great start to the 2025 NFL season, as they sit at 2-4 after beating the Tennessee Titans in Week 6. It marked their first victory since the season opener, snapping a losing skid that lasted for over a month.
Many of their issues have had to do with an underwhelming offense and the struggles of Geno Smith. He has cost the Raiders two games alone with three-interception performances. Turnovers have been a major problem for the veteran quarterback, as he leads the league with ten interceptions.
While Las Vegas' coaching staff's faith in Smith has not wavered, it is clear that the franchise should be in the market for its quarterback of the future this offseason. An NFL analyst recently made a claim about his future that will not surprise Raiders fans in the slightest.
NFL analyst makes a prediction on Geno Smith's future that is not surprising to Raiders fans
The Raiders' offseason trade to land Smith was largely met with positive reviews. The move has not paid off, however, as he has been among the worst quarterbacks in the league through six games. Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon labeled him as one of the players with the most to prove over the remainder of the season.
"The 35-year-old has his work cut out for him trying to prove he isn't just a bridge quarterback for a team that may target a signal-caller in the first round of next year's draft, but he's done an abysmal job for one of the league's lowest-scoring teams," Gagnon wrote.
Gagnon does not believe Smith will be able to turn things around and predicted that he is in his final year as an NFL starter.
"Injuries have been a factor, but that alone doesn't get Smith off the hook," Gagnon wrote. "He's only been an average starter the last two-and-a-half years and is living off an aberrational standout 2022 campaign in Seattle. I doubt we will see him in a regular starting role again after 2025."
RELATED: Michael Mayer said what every Raiders fan needed to hear about Geno Smith
Raiders fans are certainly not shocked by the prediction, as some have already called for the team to make a quarterback change. While it appears unlikely that Smith will be benched, it is apparent that he should not be in the team's long-term plans.
In addition to leading the league in interceptions, he ranks 16th in passing yards per game, tied for 21st in touchdowns, 20th in completion percentage, 31st in passer rating and 27th in quarterback rating. Cam Ward is the only player who has played all six games and thrown fewer touchdowns than Smith.
Although he has a relationship with head coach Pete Carroll that dates back to their time with the Seattle Seahawks, the quarterback has not looked the same in 2025. The more he struggles, the higher Las Vegas' chances of drafting his replacement become.
While it is unclear who will be under center for the Raiders in 2026, most fans would agree with Gagnon's assessment that it should not be Smith.
