Watch: Heyward sacks Daniels, twice, to lead Steelers defense
Steel City Underground will pick an exceptional play of the game as a highlight each week of the Pittsburgh Steelers 2024 NFL regular season. Stay tuned as we hand-select the very best from the Black and Gold!
When the Pittsburgh Steelers took the field in Week 10 of the 2024 NFL regular season, they knew solid defense was going to be required against an explosive Washington Commanders team. There was a bit of gamesmanship between head coaches, and longtime friends, Mike Tomlin and Dan Quinn, but the players on the field would be the ones to execute the game plan.
Leaning on veterans on the roster, the Steelers were able to fortify any weak areas and overcome any anxiety caused by diversity. Cameron Heyward, a team captain and “old dog” on the Steelers defensive line, stepped forward and wrangled Washington rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels to lead the squad with 2.0 sacks in the game. We look at those two plays.
The first Heyward sack occured in the opening quarter. On 3rd & 3 at the Washington 37 (7:29 – 1st Q), Daniels took the snap from shotgun and Heyward bulldozed forward, bringing the quarterback down to the turf for a loss of 8 yards.
I want to talk about Cam Heyward for a minute. This 1st Quarter play showed the #Steelers DE can still handle the blocker with one arm while grabbing Jayden Daniels for the sack. There are guys in the #NFL that can't do that, let alone consistently. pic.twitter.com/vj1ZuJ0QH0
— Christina Rivers (@3Rivers_Writer) November 12, 2024
Heyward got home once again, on 2nd & 4 at the Pittsburgh 40, when Daniels and the Commanders went no-huddle on the final play of the third quarter. Heyward got off the snap quickly, was nearly unblocked, and reached out to wrap Daniels up for a loss of 11 yards. The Commanders punted the ball back to the Steelers two plays later with the score 21-27 in Washington’s favor.
Of the 2 sacks #Steelers DE Cam Heyward earned against the Commanders, this play showed how well he can diagnose an opening in the gap and exploit it. He said gap integrity was a key area of focus ahead of the game; he kept his eyes on the prize. pic.twitter.com/oFUhPkyg6b
— Christina Rivers (@3Rivers_Writer) November 12, 2024
Heyward, who was given a new contract before the season, has shown he still has plenty of gas left in the tank to help Pittsburgh’s defense be dominant in games.
