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Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen and Pittsburgh Steelers DT Cam Heyward were involved in multiple confrontations in Week 13
There was no love lost between the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers in their Week 13 matchup last weekend.
Though Buffalo came away with a dominant 26-7 win (the team held Pittsburgh to just 10 first downs and 166 yards of total offense), there was much more to the game than just what happened on the score sheet.
There were several chippy moments throughout, highlighted by the multiple altercations between Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward.
The two players were jawing back and forth all game, and they were even involved in some pushing and shoving a few times as well. Things got especially heated when Heyward got in his face and started yelling at him after one play in particular, which led to him being disciplined by the NFL.
Heyward Punished After Allen Confrontation
Midway through the third quarter, Heyward took exception to something Allen said or did after he connected with Keon Coleman on a 1-yard touchdown strike.
Video replay showed Heyward confronting Allen, who seemingly pointed at Coleman after the score in a celebratory acknowledgement. Heyward turned around and chest-bumped Allen as the two also butted heads.
The 36-year-old Pro Bowler can be seen mouthing something to Allen, who seemingly yelled something back at him before Bills guard David Edwards ran over and got in between the two players. Heyward also shoved Edwards before being flagged for taunting — a penalty that cost the Steelers 15 yards on the ensuing kickoff.
The NFL fined Steelers DL Cam Heyward $11,593 for taunting Josh Allen after a Bills touchdown last week. Heyward was also penalized.
Heyward’s actions resulted in supplemental discipline from the NFL. When the league released its list of weekly fines on Saturday, he was on it. The league slapped Heyward with an $11,593 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct (taunting).
It marked Heyward’s first fine since the 2015 season when he was penalized for a uniform violation.
Two other Steelers were also penalized for their actions in the game. Wide receiver DK Metcalf was hit with a $14,491 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct (violent gesture), and linebacker Payton Wilson was hit with matching $7,066 fines for unsportsmanlike conduct and a blindside block.
Allen Fortunate NFL Didn’t Punish Him
While Heyward’s fine certainly seemed justifiable under the NFL’s new initiative to crack down on unsportsmanlike conduct, some believed Allen would also be fined for an earlier play.
After a QB scramble, Allen tried getting back to his feet. The problem is Heyward was laying on top of him after making a tackle. Heyward then claimed Allen kneed him in the gut, which is why he was so feisty the rest of the game.
“Being kneed in my stomach,” Heyward explained to reporters about why he got in Allen’s face. “Then I was jawing back and forth. Ticked off the entire game because, as a quarterback, they’re protected and I’m not. It just pisses me off.”
Heyward then claimed that Allen even owned up to his behavior.
“Yes, he even said after, ‘I had to do something to get you off of me,’” Heyward stated.
There was no clear video replay that showed Allen using his knee to push Heyward off, and the NFL even agreed as Allen’s name was not on the list of weekly fines.
Michael Gallagher Michael Gallagher is a sports journalist covering the NFL for Heavy.com. He has more than a decade of experience working for both local and national news outlets covering the NFL, NHL, NBA, WNBA, college football, and MMA. His work has been featured in Newsweek, Yahoo Sports, Fox Sports, Athlon Sports, The Hockey News, the Nashville Scene, SB Nation, and Yardbarker. More about Michael Gallagher
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