**Turning the page:** After admittedly emerging "(ticked) off" in the wake of a 33-31 loss in Cincinnati, defensive tackle and defensive co-captain Cameron Heyward maintained a similar demeanor today as the Steelers turned their attention to Green Bay.
"I don't think the mood's really changed," Heyward assessed. "The game happened Thursday, got the weekend off, trying to right the ship on Sunday."
The loss to the Bengals included the defense allowing the NFL's worst rushing offense to amass 142 yards on the ground on 23 carries, a 6.2 average per attempt.
The Bengals took the field against the Steelers last Thursday night at Paycor Stadium averaging 56.7 yards per game on the ground.
The Steelers had allowed a combined 135 yards rushing in their previous two games, victories over Minnesota and Cleveland.
Those performances suggest their sudden vulnerability defending the run against the Bengals might have been an outlier.
"It's gotta be but nothing is guaranteed," Heyward said. "You gotta go out there and make the proper adjustments.
"We gotta play with better technique."
The success the Bengals had on the ground against the Steelers set the table for success in the air. The problems against the run are correctable, Heyward maintained. But Heyward also emphasized it will be up to the defense to make the necessary corrections.
"To be good in this league you have to get off blocks but also maintain your gap," he said. "A couple times we can get a little thirsty and, you know, you pay the price.
"Communication has to be stressed here on out in practice to out of it to prepare for every situation. It's a process, it just has to keep growing."
Thirsting to make a play at the expense of gap integrity is a familiar conundrum up front. It's more fixable than getting blown off the ball, but it still has to be fixed.
"It can definitely be righted but we got work to do and we gotta attack it," Heyward said.
The hosting of the Packers on Sunday night at Acrisure Stadium includes an emotional component given quarterback Aaron Rodgers' 18-year history in Green Bay.
But to Heyward it's still just another game, and significant because it's the next one much more than because of who it's against.
"No different," he insisted. "Obviously, you want to win for Aaron but we want to play better football and we gotta to get this taste out of our mouth."
\-- Blog entry by Mike Prisuta