Cameron Heyward says Steelers defense quit in loss to Patriots

[SteelCrazy]

http://pit.247sports.com/Bolt/Cameron-Heyward-says-Steelers-defense-quit-in-loss-to-Patriots-48493597

Cameron Heyward doubled down on Ryan Shazier's comments on the Steelers' defense following Sunday's loss to the Patriots.

“We are looking like garbage right now. This is terrible,” Shazier said in a story written by Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Heyward, who missed Sunday's game with a hamstring injury, agreed with his teammate while describing the team's play after allowing 362 rushing yards in the past two weeks.

"That's never been allowed here in two weeks. That's just piss-poor [tackling] technique," Heyward said in a story written by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "You have to have some pride when you're out there."

Heyward, the Steelers co-caption and leader in sacks each of the past two seasons, was also not happy with the defense's performance late in the second half of Sunday's game, a 27-16 loss to the Patriots. Down 14-0 early, Landry Jones and the Steelers' offense gained some momentum, scoring 13 unanswered points to cut their deficit to one point with just under nine minutes remaining in the third quarter.

But just like that, Pittsburgh's defense, which had allowed three consecutive punts, bend badly, giving up a five play, 75-yard touchdown drive that ended with Tom Brady's 36-yard touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski. After the Steelers kicked a field goal to make the score 20-16, the Steelers' defense broke, with LeGarrette Blount's second rushing touchdown capping off a six play, 75-yard drive that gave the Patriots an insurmountable lead with nine minutes left. And while the Steelers' defense forced consecutive punts on their next two possessions, the damage was done.

"We had momentum going," Heyward said. "It was 20-16, and we let them get that. And it was like we just quit. I don't mean to say that lightly, but I just felt like we had so many opportunities out there."

Heyward is right. While Pittsburgh's defense had problems during the end of the third quarter/early in the fourth quarter, it's offense also blew several golden chances to take the lead, as an end zone interception, two missed field goals, and a holding call that nullified a touchdown pass also proved to be too much to overcome.

But while the offense will try to figure out its red zone woes (Pittsburgh went 1 of 4 in the red zone on Sunday), Heyward -- who plans on being back in the lineup for the Steelers' Week 9 matchup in Baltimore) and the rest of his defensive teammates will look to play with an edge when they return from their bye week.

"This bye week is very important for us," Steelers defensive end Stephon Tuitt said. "Regroup, restart, and do it again."

[NJ-STEELER]

If his not playing in the game. He needs to keep that to himself IMO

[Jooser]

'It was like we just quit': Cameron Heyward on moment the Steelers lost the Patriots game


PITTSBURGH -- As Robert Gronkowski, lined up in the left slot, blew past Robert Golden, caught a pass from Tom Brady and ran down to the Steelers' 5-yard line, the New England Patriots led 20-16 there were more than 12 minutes left in the game.

Though Pittsburgh trailed by just 4, the game had been finished before LeGarrette Blount punched in a touchdown on the next play.

"We let them get that and it was like we just quit," Cameron Heyward said. "I don't mean to say that lightly but I just felt like we had so many opportunities out there."

Heyward's overarching issue with the Steelers' defense following the team's 27-16 loss to the Patriots on Sunday was the team's inability to stop the. Pittsburgh has given up 362 yards in Heyward's two-game absence with a hamstring injury.

The right defensive end echoed that the defense playing without him needed to get off the line and the field more quickly, despite Mike Tomlin saying after the game that the team was willing to trade rushing yards for a lack of downfield plays. New England pulled off both.

"That just meant more guys got to get off blocks. And he has that trust in us and guys got to step up," Heyward said. "It's a give and take process and you've got to be willing to make the proper adjustments with that."

A 12-play, six-and-a-half-minute drive by the Steelers had cut the Patriots' lead to 20-16 11 seconds into the fourth quarter. Heyward figured his team had momentum, then gave it back.

En route to beating Antonio Brown and the Pittsburgh Steeler 27-16 Sunday night, a pair of New England Patriots celebrated like the star receiver. He laughed and gave his stamp of approval ahead of time, respectively.

Five plays later, Gronkowski was trotting down the left sideline, where Artie Burns paused before guiding the tight end out. Following Blount's touchdown, the Patriots only threw the ball one more time while taking 4:02 off the clock with two possessions.

"I know [Gronkowski's] a great player, but that can't be the end of it," Heyward said. "I felt like after that it was almost the wind got pushed out of us."

Heyward went on to explain that Pittsburgh's inability to stop the run – Blount ran for 127 yards – fed into its overall lack of pressure on Tom Brady.

The decreased blitzing from the Steelers this season has worked off the presumption that the team's secondary is better than last year's, and it is good, Heyward said. But poor run defense has only made it harder for to help out a four-man rush that's been contained.

Said Heyward: "That's just piss-poor technique and you got to have some pride when you're out there."

Heyward plans to play against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 10, after the Steelers' bye this week.

The 4th Qtr was pretty disappointing....

[feltdizz]

"It's LIKE we quit..." is different than "WE QUIT"

I know they need clicks but he didn't say they quit.

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

Saying this in public is throwing your DC under the bus. Saying this about a game you didn't play in is like throwing your teammates under the bus.

If he said all that, I lost a lot of respect for Heyward.

[K Train]

If his not playing in the game. He needs to keep that to himself IMO

Hes a leader on the team, hes allowed to be frustrated. Hes frustrated he cant play and help his team and hes frustrated that despite a pretty good game plan the steelers d came up short on some stops

[Eich]

Saying this in public is throwing your DC under the bus. Saying this about a game you didn't play in is like throwing your teammates under the bus.

If he said all that, I lost a lot of respect for Heyward.

I didn't read any quote that felt like he was throwing the DC under the bus. I thought he said what needed to be said after a poor performance. And he's since been quoted as saying that he said what he thought was necessary at the time and he won't remain negative going forward.

[NJ-STEELER]

Hes a leader on the team, hes allowed to be frustrated. Hes frustrated he cant play and help his team and hes frustrated that despite a pretty good game plan the steelers d came up short on some stops

if he dreased and and played in the game. I have no problem
with the quote.
They let up a big play on a bad match up with gronk.

Shut up until your on the field.

[feltdizz]

Wait, so a leader on our team can only talk about the game if they played in it?

That's a new one.

[NJ-STEELER]

Wait, so a leader on our team can only talk about the game if they played in it?

That's a new one.

he said it felt like they quit. He accusing teammates of quitting when he wasn't even on the field.
How is that sitting with the guys who were actually playing in the game and giving their all.

[K Train]

he said it felt like they quit. He accusing teammates of quitting when he wasn't even on the field.
How is that sitting with the guys who were actually playing in the game and giving their all.

hopefully it makes them feel bad about themselves for letting a respected member of the locker room down

[Slapstick]

Heyward was voted a team captain. Isn't the job of a team captain to say this stuff?

[NJ-STEELER]

Heyward was voted a team captain. Isn't the job of a team captain to say this stuff?

If he played, I would have no issues with what he said.

How would you feel if you were out there giving your all and a guy sitting out his 3 game due to a hammy said you quit playing

[K Train]

If he played, I would have no issues with what he said.

How would you feel if you were out there giving your all and a guy sitting out his 3 game due to a hammy said you quit playing

I think id feel bad about myself for letting my captain and well respected member of the locker room down

[Ghost]

Any guy who played should be a hell of a lot more concerned with letting a guy run for 200 yards, losing to a 2-4 team, and then allowing Blount to go for 127 and another loss. Any guy upset with the Captain saying the tackling sucked (and it did) and it looked like players quit has their priorities screwed up.

I'm glad he said it. Maybe it will fire up a D that's looked like sh!t two weeks in a row.