Cam Heyward raised eyebrows with alarming comments made in the moments after the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 25-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers last Sunday night. The Steelers’ worst loss of the season not just on the scoreboard but performance too. After days to reflect, Heyward is admitting emotions got the better of him.
“I’m the wrong person to ask that question after a game,” Heyward told reporters Thursday via the team’s website. “I take losses very hard. But I think there’s just hesitation there a couple times. It’s not necessarily trust. It’s just trusting that everyone is going to be in their gap.”
In the locker room immediately following the Chargers loss, Heyward said trust was an issue.
“We talk about it, but do we really know what we’re doing, play in and play out?” Heyward said at the time. “Do we trust the guy next to us? Defense, offense, do we trust each other to be in the right spots to make plays?”
Those pointed comments drew a heavy reaction from reporters covering the game and in the 24 hours that followed. Former NFL GM Doug Whaley pointed to Heyward’s words as a signal of conflict in the locker room if a veteran group was having a hard time believe in each other midway through the season.
But Heyward now says those words weren’t factual and came from his feelings right after the game. There’s been an on/off-again debate about interviewing players right after games with some suggesting a longer “cool-down” period. The NFL’s current policy is 10-15 minutes after players enter the locker room, but there’s a worthwhile debate if it should be extended.
Heyward has always been one to wear emotions on his sleeves and take losses personally. It’s one reason for his long-standing success and why he’s a team captain. But Heyward’s words always carry weight even if they’re spoken out of frustration or him venting after a loss. Anything he says can and will be scrutinized by the media – us included.
Of course, the best way to avoid this is to simply win games. Starting this Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. Heyward and Pittsburgh’s defense will look for a far better performance than the first meeting in which QB Joe Flacco, a Bengal for barely more than one week, lit up the Steelers’ secondary for over 300 yards and three touchdowns in a 33-31 win. Pittsburgh’s run defense must also be better against an improving Cincinnati ground game that got back on track in Week 7.
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