Adam Thielen, Cam Heyward Media Availabilities (Dec. 4) | Pittsburgh Steelers

Adam Thielen, Cam Heyward Media Availabilities (Dec. 4) | Pittsburgh Steelers

Cam, you’ve been in this position before when you’ve needed a late season run to get in. Do you have to reinforce that for the younger guys who haven’t been around that, you know, even though things are going bad right now that things can turn around? Yeah, you know, you reinforce it. Um, you know, I think it starts with your your habits. Um, getting back to just good technique. Um, and you play with energy. Um, you know, I think with our group, um, we we have the makings of a good roster and, um, you know, we don’t have to look around. We take care of our business. We control our destiny. You guys don’t play, you know, season to season and things like that where you’re thinking about last season and everything like that. But considering the last time you played those guys, the rushing yards you gave up and then the rushing yards you just gave up last week, is there more urgency to be like, “Okay, listen, enough is enough.” Urgency, uh, pride in what you do. um and understanding that they’re going to try and duplicate it. So, uh all those things come to mind, but um you know, we can only answer on Sunday, but we got to prepare that way. Cameron, are there similar issues in those two games? I mean, obviously the yardage, but I mean, different different uh things. You know, in our last game, there was a lot of, you know, getting on the edge. Um you know, when you look at Derek Henry, when he gets started, he has a lot of success. So, um it’s about getting multiple guys the the ball. Uh staying in our gaps, being patient. Um, a couple times you look at the game last year, we kind of just, you know, weren’t patient enough and let the ball just come straight to you. Prior to, um, those two games, you guys were one of the few teams that done pretty well against them in that regard. So, what did you find that their counter was to you guys going into those two games? Um, you know, turnovers definitely help. Um, but I also think uh, you know, making those situational plays, uh, a couple times, third and long or, you know, third down especially, we weren’t making those plays when we lost and they were converting drives. It was around this time last year that things went sideways for you guys. Did you learn anything from that or is there anything you can do differently this time around to make sure that slide doesn’t happen? Uh, I think we all got to play better. Uh you look at that stretch, we didn’t have uh we had a couple we had a string of games where we just didn’t play our best ball. Um whether it’s winning the turnover battle, winning the rushing battle, um controlling the sudden change. Uh especially in that game we played last time. Uh I think the offense turned the ball over around the 10 or 15 yard and it was already 77 and then they were able to, you know, move the ball and control the line of scrimmage again. So uh one, we got to finish with touchdowns. too. You know, when our offense does turn over the ball, defense has got to respond in the right way. Cam, there was a theory last year, the condensed schedule part of it kind of wore everybody down and out. You’re playing a lot of snaps as a defense this year. What’s the what’s left in the tank right about now? A lot left in the tank. Uh, you know, you sign up to play football, you don’t sign up to count heartbeats. Uh, you know, uh, we got to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Um, you know, you’ve seen teams, you know, you you look at, uh, you know, that Super Bowl, uh, in ’05, you know, they had to have a string of games late to really qualify for the playoffs. So, um, you know, one, you got to get off the field when you can, but two, uh, whatever comes in front of you, you got to go out and attack. Kim, you played with Ben. You made the he said on a podcast earlier, the the clean house comment. There’s been James Harrison saying things. As a guy that’s been around in this organization for a long time, do you put stock or what do you make of former players of that stature saying things like that? I don’t worry about anybody who’s not in the locker room. Um, it’s not a diss at them. You know, I think we just got to worry about the guys in here and focus at the job at hand. Uh, there’s a lot of football to be played. Um, not running from that our job. You know, we got to answer for it. Keep it moving. coach just said the other day that I need to talk to the team about the frustration levels and especially when it involves one of the team captains from the game. Yeah. Is that was uh was that something that needed is was it needed to be talked about? What was it? What was the discussion? Just owning my mistakes. Uh you know, you know, cooler heads will prevail. Um I’m past that. Uh coach addressed it. Go from it. You were pretty heated after the game about it. Are you still frustrated by how it went? I’m not even worried about that. I got bigger things to worry about. Uh Baltimore Ravens, we’re going over there to play. Uh if you’re not focused on the Baltimore Ravens, uh shame on you. You know, we got a big game. Uh it’s for the the lead in our division. So that’s where my focus is at right now. Confidence is a confidence is a big thing and you got to be confident to get to this level of football. But when you don’t have anything on tape, much on tape in the last two months that you can draw from that like, hey, we’re doing well. Is it hard to find that confidence? And how do you sort of Well, I I think there’s a lot you can draw from our tape. Uh I think it’s just being consistent. Um you know, it’s been up and down play, but um you got to focus on those good plays and you got to learn from those bad plays. Uh and I think our group uh hopefully is doing that right now. Uh and we’ll see what happens on Sunday. What can you focus on in that regard to make sure, and I know this might not be Henry’s specialty to the same degree that it was Cooks, but making sure that Derek doesn’t do damage on the edge like Cook did. get multiple guys to the ball. Uh, you know, I think this game is, you know, he will make one or two guys miss, but if you can get four or five guys, uh, shoot, I love to see 11 at the ball, but, uh, you know, when you have multiple hitters, you can’t juke a ball. You had a hot end of last season. What did you attribute to just a person your age being able to contribute late in the season the way you did? Yeah, just uh, you know, a staff believing in me, a quarterback believing in me. Um, and then just preparing every single day. Um, even last year when I was out for a few games, just trying to stay locked in, stay dialed in, focus on what I can control. Um, and then be available and ready when it was my my chance to go make play. When you went on waiverss, did you even was this on your radar as a destination? Yeah, for sure. This was okay. And what made you what made you feel that this might be a possible place for you to come? Yeah, I mean I think um you know just uh you know where the the situation that that they’re in that we’re in um and just um the opportunity to come and make an impact. Um but again, you know, there’s so much out of your control at that at point. So, just trying to get an uh talk to my agent, get a grasp for what team needs, what teams had needs at that position and um and then see what see what happened. You mentioned um possibly making an impact. How do you feel that you could help this team? Yeah, I mean, at this point, just really focused on what I can control. Um and that’s and that’s learning this playbook as fast as possible. Um I want to make an impact today. you know, I’m not even worried about Sunday right now. I want to make an impact today um by being prepared, being mentally prepared and phys physically prepared. Um and at the end of the day, I’m I’m I’m a big believer that you got to go prove it every day. Uh you can’t show up somewhere and just be given an opportunity. You have to go prove what you can do, how you can make an impact. So then, uh they believe in you and trust in you and can give you those opportunities. So, for me, it’s just going out there every day like I’m a rookie mini camp tryyout guy and and trying to prove um what I can do and and and whatever they see that fit is um I’m ready for it. With the limited practice reps, are there other ways you can prove it? Like in a classroom or things like that? Well, I got to prove it to myself first. So, yeah, in the classroom, just being really confident in in knowing my stuff, uh knowing the different checks, knowing the different alerts. Um, and then just, yeah, I think just making sure that they’re comfortable with what I know and and how well I know it and then see what happens. Is Arthur’s offense similar to anything that you’ve had before? Uh, well, I mean, I think it’s similar stuff that I’ve done, um, but different verbiage. Um, not not the same terminology, um, that I’ve ever been a part of. Uh, but yeah, similar stuff. Were you aware last year deadline, trade deadline, they were somewhat in you. Yeah. Were you disappointed or are you just happy that they were interested in you that made you maybe come here now? Uh disappointed is what do you mean by that? You they didn’t make the trade. Oh, gotcha. Uh you know, for me to be honest with you, uh I’m I’m living in the moment. You know what? Whatever today brings me, I’m going to give it everything I have. And I feel like when I’m done with my career, I can look back and I can say that everywhere I’ve been um I’ve given everything I’ve had and and I can feel really good about that. Um so I say that to say that that uh yeah, I remember those times. Um and um and and definitely brought it full circle now being here. And obviously at that point they must have had a belief in what I could do, what I could what I could bring. Um, so it makes me feel really good about about being here. You played in some rivalry games in the NFC North. If you get dropped into Steelers, Ravens, and Baltimore, what that emotion be like for you? Pretty crazy. Yeah, pretty cool. Um, yeah, just the, like you said, the battles that we had in the North, uh, those rivalries. Um, there’s just there’s just nothing like that. And storied franchises with great fan bases, um, that are very passionate and are used to winning big games. Um, it’s why you play this game. It’s why you show up every single day. Um, it’s why when those lights come on, you’re like, “Oh, I’m not going to retire for a long time.” Cuz you’re like, “Man, that there’s nothing better.” Um, it’s it’s the training camp days and and all the other stuff that make you think about retirement, but when you show up to a game like that, um, the energy and the atmosphere from both sides. Um, and then just the physicality and the the difference. Um, you know, I think back about some of the rivalries I had in the past. Um, you you every game didn’t matter who was good, who wasn’t. It was a it was a huge game. And it was a a fought 60-minute fought battle no matter what. Um, so that’s that’s what you play for. Purple being the bad guys going to be a big adjustment, too. Say that again. Purple being That’s a good point. I didn’t even I didn’t even think about that. But, uh, at the end of the day, I always tell these people is like, yeah, rivalry games are are obviously important, but like the way that the league is has been created is every game’s so important. So, whoever is across that field from you is like that’s a rival, right? So, u, but yeah, it’ll be a little different going against the purple. I believe you played against the Ravens already this year. So, is there anything you could take from that game that you played earlier that will help you this week? Uh, probably not. Probably not. I mean, I’m sure there’s things, but um, you know, it’s just different teams personnel standpoint, maybe the way, you know, certain players in the secondary might, you know, use their technique from a coverage standpoint, anything such as that. Yeah. No, there definitely is. I mean, I think it’d be different if you’re like a quarterback or offense coordinator, things like that. As a receiver, like they tell us what to do and and and you go do it. Um there’s a little things that you can get from like okay how guys play in press coverage and how they play off but uh to be honest I didn’t play a whole lot in that game. So um so I don’t really have too much tells from that. Last year you caught seven of the 13 deep balls thrown your way. Four of those for touchdowns. Two of them were contested. What did you what were you able to channel to get the deep part of your passing game open? Typically a lot of people think of you know young speedsters when they think about that not guys who are more techn technician route runners like yourself. Yeah. Yeah, I think I take it back to what I said earlier, just like proving it every day and getting that trust from my quarterback, getting my that trust from the offensive coordinator that they’re putting me in those positions to go do that. Um, I’ve always had a lot of confidence in what I can do as a football player. Um, I still feel that I can run all the routes and that I can be a deep threat, um, intermediate and, um, short. So, I think sometimes, like you said, as a older player, you get tagged as, oh, he can only do this, can’t run anymore. Um I’ve always felt uh the need to go prove otherwise. So um I feel really good and excited about just being on the field. You were you were over here for about a half hour while we were in the locker room. What were you able to do? What are you what are you trying to get out of that time to accelerate this? Yeah, I mean the more that I can actually hear a call, line up, talk about what I have, um talk about the entire concept. So not just what the Z has or just what the F has, but what everybody has. the more that I can do that, the more I’m gonna be ready for uh for a game. Uh because at the end of the day, you can look at a play call, uh you can look at a picture of the play, but until you actually like hear it, have to line up and then execute it. Uh and then on top of that, all the different checks and things that you can get to in different situations, uh I need to be dialed in on all that. So, yeah, just thankful that um got a lot of great teammates that are staying after and and walking through those plays with me and and talking both uh the the backup quarterbacks just um going through a bunch of stuff with me uh is has been fantastic and really starting to feel more comfortable every time that I really get those walkth through um really live walkthrough reps makes me more feel more comfortable. It’s been three straight games this team has had been able to connect on a deep ball downfield. Have you gotten a sense of urgency from, you know, sitting in the receiving room of to try to get get those big plays to break open, you know, just hopping on the moving train and seeing where this where the where this group is at? Yeah, I think it gets interesting sometimes um just uh from past experience of like, oh man, we got to hit the deep ball. We got to hit the deep ball. I think at the end of the day, like you just you got to you just got to go win and and that stuff will start happening. Um, and that’s what I’ve seen in my very very short time here is just guys that practice going to win it and um, making plays in practice. That’s where it starts, right? That’s that’s how you fix problems is you go out and practice, you practice hard, you go prove what you can do. Um, and you make those plays in practice to give everybody confidence confidence, right? The the coordinator, uh, the head coach, the the play caller, um, or the the quarterback, right? Like those you got to go make those plays in practice to give them confidence. So then they kind of uh feel really good about taking those shots in a in a game and that’s what I’ve seen from the guys just going out there and and winning um and catching the football. Are you going to retire after the season? Is that Are you you saying that? Okay. Yeah, I did uh I did make a statement uh and and put it in there, which I I probably shouldn’t have put that in there, but no. Yeah. I mean, um, you know, I think after every season, I’ve really really just kind of come to together with my family, um, and and really just prayed about it. Um, you know, really thought about bigger picture of what that looks like. And, um, I I did say that. I mean, obviously things can change. Um, but um, but yeah, I feel again like I I think I said earlier, just I feel like I’ve given everything I’ve had for so long. um that I can feel really good about if if that’s what what it looks like, which which it it feels that way as of right now. To stay in the moment or do you know you only have you done this your whole life? Do you only have a month or well maybe two months or whatever left? Is do you able to stay in the moment or do you let yourself get sentimental about it or you just trying to get the playbook and then Well, the great part right now is I can barely uh uh you know, I mean, I can I’m just so in the moment, right? I’m just so focused on on what I need to do that I’m not really thinking about that. But but again, I I feel like every step of my career, I’ve just taken I’ve taken full advantage of every single opportunity as far as as far as really soaking it up, right? Like just giving everything I have. Um I I never wanted to leave this game with with regrets and and the way that I could avoid that was just giving everything I had. And I can I can live with the the outcomes, right? Whether they’re good or bad. Um I can live with the outcomes if I give everything I have. And that’s what I’m going to do um um these, you know, next couple days and and next few weeks and see what happens. All right, Mark, last one. Was it tough knowing that you said your career is going to be over after now? Was it tough to leave the Minnesota where you spent the majority of your career to say, “Okay, I’m just going to play it out here and end where I started.” Extremely tough. Yeah, extremely tough. Um it it really wore on me mentally. Um and um Yeah, tough. Yeah, absolutely. very very very tough. Um but again just uh excited to have an opportunity. Um very thankful for this organization. Uh the people in the locker room. I texted my wife actually today um and I said, “Man, I’ve had so many powerful conversations since I’ve got here.” And zero of those powerful conversations had to do with football. Uh so um very thankful for that.

Adam Thielen and Cam Heyward talked to the media on Thursday, Dec. 4 ahead of the Steelers Week 14 game against the Ravens

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