DB’s Steelers Film Room: Cam Heyward, Defense Dominated the Chargers Up Front

In a battle of the unbeaten smashmouth teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers came out victorious against the Los Angeles Chargers in their home opener. Cam Heyward and company accomplished their goal of suffocating the visiting teams rushing attack, led by the leagues leading rusher JK Dobbins, holding them to 3.1 yards per carry and a eye-popping 24% rushing success rate. We knew that this game would come down to which of these teams were the more physical unit up front and Tomlin’s group certainly rose up to the challenge.

How did they do it?

SN analyst Derrick Bell breaks down how the Steelers were able to make the Chargers one-dimensional, eventually allowing their pass rush to tee off on the quarterback in the second half of this game. There are several examples worth highlighting that show notable contributions from many of their supporting cast members but one player consistently stole the show: Captain Cam Heyward. The 35-year old put on a run defending clinic in this one, with three stops and often times leaving the opposition looking helpless in their efforts to block him. The Steelers defense is off to a hot start as they currently lead the NFL in points allowed and the defense deserves a good bit of credit for their 3-0 start out of the gate.

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Pittsburgh Steelers DT Cam Heyward coming out of the tunnel against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 22, 2024. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now

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