Cam Heyward has been part of strong teams before. Teams that have won divisions and playoff games, though it’s been a while since that happened.
Now in his 14th season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the veteran defensive tackle says he can’t quite recall being on a team like the one he’s playing on now.
“We have a complete team,” Heyward said. A team that started the season with many questions now looks like it’s heading toward Christmas with everything still possible.
Russell Wilson threw for 158 yards and two touchdowns, Heyward recorded two sacks, and the Steelers beat the Cleveland Browns 27-14 on Sunday. The Steelers did this without their leading receiver, George Pickens, who missed the first game of his career due to a groin injury.
It took some time for Wilson and the offense to get going without the productive but unpredictable Pickens, but Wilson found his rhythm in the second half. He threw touchdown passes to Pat Freiermuth and Van Jefferson. With this win, the Steelers (10-3) moved two games ahead of Baltimore in the AFC North with four games left.
After a rough loss in the snow two weeks ago, Pittsburgh avoided being swept by Cleveland for the first time since 1988 by taking advantage of many mistakes made by Cleveland (3-10).
Jameis Winston threw two interceptions, Dustin Hopkins missed two easy field goals while the game was still close, and several penalties helped Cleveland reach double-digit losses for the 18th time since the franchise returned in 1999.
“I don’t believe the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cleveland Browns,” Winston said. “I believe the Cleveland Browns beat the Cleveland Browns.”
Winston did not throw a pick-6, something that has hurt him in the past — including last week in Denver — but he didn’t do much after connecting with Jerry Jeudy for a 35-yard touchdown in the first quarter, which gave the Browns an early lead. Winston finished 24 of 41 for 211 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Nick Chubb ran for 48 yards in his return to Pittsburgh after a serious knee injury kept him out for more than a year. The Steelers kept Myles Garrett quiet after he had three sacks in Cleveland’s snowy upset on Nov. 21. Pittsburgh’s defense sparked the offense into action.
The turning point came when Winston’s screen pass, intended for Chubb, was intercepted by Steelers defensive tackle Keeanu Benton, who took it 11 yards. Five plays later, Najee Harris ran the ball in from 1 yard out to give the Steelers a lead they wouldn’t give up.
“That’s what good teams do this time of year,” said Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin. “Somebody makes a play, the other side of the ball backs it up. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
Cleveland had chances to stay in the game, but Hopkins missed a 38-yard field goal late in the first half and a 43-yarder early in the third quarter.
“I need to find a good swing,” Hopkins said. “The swing has been tough to find this year.”
On the following possession, the Steelers scored when Wilson ran a perfect option play, faking the ball to Jaylen Warren, rolling right, and finding Jefferson wide open in the end zone from 10 yards out to make it 20-7.
Pittsburgh’s Elandon Roberts then stopped Jerome Ford for a 5-yard loss on fourth down to end Cleveland’s next drive. Wilson connected with Freiermuth down the middle, and Freiermuth stumbled into the end zone to seal the win for the Steelers, sending Cleveland home with another loss, just like every other regular season game in Pittsburgh since 2004.
This win sets up a tough finish for the Steelers, who will face Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Kansas City in the next three weeks, with two of those games on short rest.
While Pittsburgh has quieted some of the doubts about the team after making major offensive changes in the offseason, including adding Wilson, the Steelers know the real challenge is still ahead.
“Why not test us before the playoffs, get a feel?” Freiermuth said. “They’re all playoff teams we’re playing, so it’ll be great.”
