Lining up in the same formation later in the game, Heyward again took the snap but handed off to running back Kenneth Gainwell, who raced around right end for 54 yards to the Chicago 1, setting up a touchdown on the next play.
“We do have a plan in place,” Allen said. “And we feel like it’s a good, solid plan in terms of not only trying to stop that play, but all the plays that come off of it, and that’s what makes it even more difficult to stop.”
(5) Hightower was pleased with Cairo Santos’ “dirty” kickoffs and the Bears’ kickoff coverage unit versus Pittsburgh.
Santos’ first kickoff was a knuckleball that short-hopped Gainwell, who muffed the ball. He recovered it but was tackled at his own 5. Santos’ second kickoff bounced near the sideline at the 1 and caromed out of the side of the end zone for a touchback. Because the ball landed at the 1 and not in the end zone, the Steelers’ drive started at the 20 instead of the 35.
After Santos’ next three kickoffs, Pittsburgh took possession at its own 25, 27 and 27.
“It was a huge boost,” Hightower said. “The thing I get a kick out of is when I see ‘DA’ (Dennis Allen) smile big like that when that ball is tackled at the 5-yard line and all our guys—[Josh] Blackwell and [Daniel] Hardy and all the guys and Cairo go give him a big high five.
“We just want to help and aid the team in any way possible. Whether that’s from a defensive drive standpoint or that’s an offensive drive standpoint, we just want to help the team and contribute. That’s all we care about.”