Playing good ball: The hot topic in the Steelers locker room on Wednesday was a player who is one of the hottest in the NFL right now.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
Burrow, who won the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in the Bengals win over the Broncos this week, led the NFL in Week 17 with 412 yards passing, while throwing for three touchdowns and rushing for another.
Defensive tackle Cameron Heyward isn’t surprised, as Burrow was hot when the two teams met in Week 13, a 44-38 Steelers win.
“He was on a heater when he played us. It’s not like they didn’t score 30 points,” said Heyward. “I have a lot of respect for what they do on offense. They’re able to get up and down the field.
“He’s feeding those two beasts, (Tee) Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase. We have to force him into situations where they’ve got to take risks so we can get turnovers, get sacks. But it’s a full-time job covering those guys.”
The key for the Steelers defense is first stopping running back Chase Brown, who could be impacted by an ankle injury he suffered against the Broncos. Brown is closing in on 1,000 yards for the season, with 229 carries for 990 yards.
Heyward understands that if you stop the run, you can force them into third-and-long situations and that is going to be a must.
“First and second down are huge,” said Heyward. “Chase Brown really goes under the radar. I know he got nicked up, but he’s probably going to play, I think. Just look at their team and I think he was at around 900 some yards. He’s had success for them and making the defense respect the run and then, throwing overtop or throwing across the middle. You’ve got Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase, and they’re explosive. If we can’t stop the run, it just opens everything up.”
And for the Steelers, everything is opened up right now. The team has the opportunity to win the AFC North with a little bit of help. If the Cleveland Browns defeat the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday in a game that begins at 4:30 p.m., and the Steelers defeat the Bengals on Saturday night, the Steelers would clinch the division.
If the Ravens win, though, the stakes wouldn’t be as high in the standings, but they would be high just the same and Heyward will approach it the same way no matter what.
“For me, and I think for a lot of guys in here, hopefully the whole team, it’s about just playing good ball,” said Heyward. “We’ve got to get back on good footing, play with good technique. We control what we can control.
“I think going forward, ball just needs to be played the right way. It doesn’t matter what happens outside of our stadium. We understand we’re in the playoffs. So just focus on what we’ve got to focus on.”