Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Associated Press
pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin understands the negativity associated with a four-game slide and stressed his underachieving team would do its best to absorb it and move forward.
It’s a path they’ll have to travel without Cam Heyward. The defensive end and co-captain is out for the rest of the season with an upper-body injury suffered in Sunday’s loss to Dallas.
Heyward posted a message on Instagram on Tuesday afternoon indicating his 2016 season is over.
“My role will change as I can not play but it will not change the goals the team has set out,” Heyward wrote .
Maybe, but the loss of their most consistent defensive player will make achieving those goals far tougher.
While Heyward didn’t specify the exact nature of the injury, Tomlin described it as a pectoral or chest problem. Heyward was examined on Monday and received a second opinion on Tuesday before making the announcement.
“My patience will be tested, but I look forward to 2017,” Heyward wrote. “My hand will remain in the pile no matter what!”
The loss of Heyward deals Pittsburgh’s already struggling defense with another significant blow. He missed the first two games of his six-year career in October when he tweaked his left hamstring in a win over the New York Jets on Oct. 9.
The Steelers’ run defense collapsed without Heyward, giving up 204 yards to Miami’s Jay Ajayi and 127 to New England’s LeGarrette Blount, games that started a midseason swoon.
Heyward returned against Baltimore on Nov. 6 and the defense seemed to make significant strides against the Ravens and held Dallas rookie Ezekiel Elliott largely in check last Sunday before giving up a pair of touchdown runs in the final two minutes of a 35-30 setback that left Heyward fuming and led quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to call out some of his teammates for a lack of discipline.
Not exactly the kind of chatter the Steelers expected to be generating in mid-November.
Tomlin understands the frustration of his players. At the same time, he believes emotions are not as important as results.
“We’re not doing enough of the good things well enough to win on a consistent basis,” Tomlin said. “We’ve got to change that. We still feel very comfortable that we’re capable of being a good football team. But those (hurt) feelings are less important ... than wins.”
A feeling the Steelers haven’t experienced in more than a month. While a potential reprieve awaits at winless Cleveland (0-10) on Sunday, the way Pittsburgh has played of late — particularly on the road, where it is 1-3 — doesn’t exactly have Tomlin brimming with optimism.