The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Baltimore Ravens by a score of 17-10 on Saturday to keep their playoff hopes alive, and afterward, defensive lineman Cam Heyward sent a warning to the rest of the NFL.
“Finding ways to win. Let us be dangerous,” Heyward said, via the Steelers’ official team website. “We have a formula that’s working right now. Hopefully we can get some guys back in the fold.”
While the Steelers did their part in beating the Ravens, they still need some help to get into the postseason. Their most direct path to a playoff berth is a loss by either the Buffalo Bills or Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, but Heyward is remaining hopeful.
“We’re not gonna discount ourselves,” added Heyward. “We know we’ve got work to do. And looking forward to it.”
Heyward logged a couple of tackles in his team’s Week 18 win. The veteran ends his season with 31 tackles and a couple of sacks. He played in just 10 games due to injuries.
The 34-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Ohio State, was selected by the Steelers with the 31st overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft.
Heyward had a rather limited role over his first couple of seasons, but by his third year, he became a full-time starter along Pittsburgh’s defensive front, registering 59 tackles and five sacks.
He was a bit of a late bloomer overall, as he did not make his first trip to the Pro Bowl until 2017, when he racked up 45 tackles and a career-high 12 sacks.
That was the first of six straight Pro Bowl appearances for Heyward, who also earned three First-Team All-Pro selections during that span. His run of Pro Bowls ended this season.
Pittsburgh wraps up its regular season with a record of 9-8, marking its 21st straight campaign without a losing record.
We’ll see if Cam Heyward and Co. are playing in the postseason next week.
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