PITTSBURGH — The Steelers have one of the best defenses in the league through the first 11 weeks of the season, allowing the second-fewest points (16.2) and eighth-fewest total yards per game (305.3), but defensive tackle Cameron Heyward isn’t ready to crown the defense with anything yet.
On Tuesday, Heyward was asked what he’d grade the unit entering the week.
His response: “Incomplete.”
That doesn’t mean the Steelers defense isn’t special. In fact, it’s a big reason why the Steelers are now 2-0 in games when failing to score a touchdown.
Heyward simply chalks the defense’s early success to its depth at every level.
“I think the depth we have is uncanny because it’s Payton Wilson, it’s Elandon Roberts, it’s Patrick Queen. Then you move on to our DBs. You have Cam Sutton, you got Beanie Bishop, you got Damontae Kazee,” Heyward said. “It’s just a multitude of guys who know what they’re doing. Vets have helped out the younger guys to bring them up, but it allows us to be interchangeable. It allows us to have each other’s backs and not blink in those big moments.”
The Steelers witnessed just that in their 18-16 win over the Ravens in Week 11. Linebackers Patrick Queen and Nick Herbig each forced fumbles, rookie linebacker Payton Wilson made an impressive interception and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. made the game-winning tackle on quarterback Lamar Jackson on the Ravens two-point conversion attempt late in the fourth quarter.
RELATED: Steelers Star-Studded Defense ‘Can Make Every Play’
The team will hope to see a similar impact by the defense on a short week with a meeting with the Cleveland Browns on “Thursday Night Football.”
The Browns are entering the matchup tied with the second-worst record in the league (2-8), but Heyward still expects the game to be close.
“We’re going into a hostile environment. We respect the Dawg Pound. We understand what those fans and that team is capable of,” Heyward said. “It’s like those big rivalries in college football. It doesn’t matter what their record is. You’re gonna get their best shot and you have to respect that.”
Heyward is right to feel that way. The Browns have won four of the last six meetings, so the Steelers are looking to even the score on Thursday night.