Cameron Heyward Calls out What’s Plaguing Steelers Defense in Key Area
Posted September 22, 2025
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The Pittsburgh Steelers showed improvement in a lot of areas on defense during Week 3 versus the New England Patriots. Behind a strong game from All-Pro defensive lineman Cameron Heyward, the Steelers forced five takeaways and posted five sacks.
But the Steelers defense still struggled in some key areas, including on third down. The Patriots converted 6 of 13 third-down attempts and were also 4-for-5 on fourth down.
After the game, Heyward addressed the team’s issues with getting off the field in Week 3.
“I think sometimes we were not paying attention to our assignments. Sometimes you can get a little thirsty in there,” Heyward told reporters after the game. “You think that it’s just going to be a sneak or two.
“But then on the flip side, it can make you susceptible to big passes. We’ve got to have our eyes in the right places. This is something that we can learn from.”
The Steelers learned just enough on the fly to hold onto a 21-14 victory against the Patriots on Sunday.
The Patriots failed to convert their only third-down try on their final drive of the contest. At the time, the Steelers defense was protecting a 7-point lead.
New England didn’t convert, but gained 12 yards on third-and-13 on the team’s final possession. Then on fourth-and-1, the Steelers didn’t allow a pass to beat them.
Depth cornerback Brandin Echols made a key tackle in the flat on receiver DeMario Douglas. The tackle led to a 1-yard loss and turnover on downs to end the game.
Steelers Defensive Struggles on Third & Fourth Down
The Pittsburgh defense did a terrific job of taking the ball away in Week 3. Twice, the Steelers forced turnovers when the Patriots were inside the 5-yard line.
On one of those occasions, Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson fumbled with the ball just shy of the goal line.
But when the Steelers weren’t forcing fumbles or interceptions, their defense couldn’t get off the field.
Before the final drive, the Patriots were 6-for-12 on third down. On four of those non-conversions, New England gained enough yards on third down to create a fourth-and-short situation.
In all four of those fourth-and-shorts, the Patriots elected to go for it and converted the opportunity.
New England didn’t just convert those fourth downs but gashed the Steelers defense. The Patriots averaged 8.75 yards per play on their first four fourth-down tries.
One of New England’s fourth-down conversions was a 16-yard touchdown pass.
Steelers’ Cameron Heyward Tipped Another Pass for INT
Pundits expect Heyward to be one of Pittsburgh’s best defenders every week. After a little bit of a subpart Week 1, Heyward has delivered back-to-back stellar performances.
In Week 3, the veteran defensive lineman posted six total tackles. He also had a sack, pass defense and quarterback hit.
Heyward’s pass defense came late in the first half with the Patriots at the Steelers 2-yard line. The defensive lineman tipped a pass, which Echols intercepted in the end zone.
That was one of the five takeaways for the Steelers and first of two inside the 5-yard line.
Without the tipped pass interception, the Patriots likely at least kick a field goal before halftime. If everything else was the same, New England could have had the lead in the fourth quarter.
Instead, despite third and fourth down defensive issues, the Steelers never trailed Sunday. They improved to 2-1 with their first victory at New England since 2008.
Malik Nabers’ Latest Move After Giants Loss to Chiefs Turns Heads
The New York Giants gave fans reason to be excited in Week 2, even though they suffered a 40-37 overtime defeat at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys when all was said and done. In Week 3, that excitement disappeared pretty quickly, as the Giants were handed an ugly 22-9 defeat by the Kansas City Chiefs, and along the way, it became pretty clear that star wide receiver Malik Nabers was frustrated with his team’s performance.
One week after he caught nine passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns, Nabers was held to just two receptions for 13 yards against the Chiefs. This isn’t the first time Nabers has been seen visibly upset during a loss with New York, and after the game, it led him to have a conversation with a pair of former Giants players, Odell Beckham Jr. and Antonio Pierce.
Malik Nabers Chats with Odell Beckham Jr., Antonio Pierce After Giants’ Loss
Both former #Giants were offering Malik Nabers understanding and big brother love having navigated their own paths in the #NFL after the game.
Separately, and aside from the conversation below, they each expressed their passions for knowing they still have something more to give… https://t.co/4yMZ8tfZgw
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) September 22, 2025
Selected with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Nabers immediately put together a Pro Bowl campaign last year, catching 109 passes for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns, despite New York having an array of quarterback problems. The Giants attempted to remedy that issue by signing Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston in free agency, while also selecting Jaxson Dart in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Wilson torched the Cowboys in Week 2, but the passing game has struggled to get anything going in its other two losses. Unsurprisingly, that has frustrated Nabers, who endured the worst game of his young career in New York’s loss to Kansas City on Sunday night. Considering how the new season is only three games old, it’s quite concerning to see frustrations from Nabers already boiling over.
Two guys who know what Nabers is going through are Beckham and Pierce, as both guys made a name for themselves as players in the NFL with the Giants. After the game, this duo was spotted having a conversation with Nabers, offering him advice as he navigates the early struggles that New York is facing in the 2025 campaign.
“Former Giants greats Odell Beckham Jr. and Antonio Pierce speaking with Malik Nabers postgame outside the Giants locker room. Looked like a very interesting conversation,” NFL insider Josina Anderson shared in a post on X. “Both former Giants were offering Malik Nabers understanding and big brother love having navigated their own paths in the NFL after the game.”
Malik Nabers, Giants Looking to Earn First Win in Week 4
GettyNew York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers.
On a team with very few offensive playmakers, it’s clear that Nabers is the best of the bunch for New York. If an opposing team locks in on him and diverts the majority of their attention to him in the passing game, though, he can be wiped out of the game like he was on Sunday night. It doesn’t help that Wilson remains an increasingly inconsistent option under center, but the Giants don’t seem interested in throwing Dart into the fire just yet.
All Nabers and the rest of his teammates in New York can do is work on getting better, and it starts with devising a stronger game plan for Week 4 that will help him get more involved early on. Things won’t get much easier for the Giants, though, as they will draw a tough matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers next week. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, and it will be vital for New York to get Nabers involved in this game if it wants a shot at winning.
