PITTSBURGH — The Steelers have a defense with stars on every level, but nobody had a dominant stat line during their 18-16 win over the Ravens in Week 11. That doesn’t mean several players didn’t make an impact on the game, though.
Linebackers Patrick Queen and Nick Herbig each forced fumbles, rookie linebacker Payton Wilson made an impressive interception and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. made arguably the biggest play of the game when he tackled quarterback Lamar Jackson short of the end zone on the Ravens two-point conversion attempt late in the fourth quarter.
“It’s really just bend, don’t break. We all got trust in each other that we’re gonna do our jobs,” Porter said. “Two-point play we knew we had to stand up and make a play for our team, and we did that.”
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In fact, some of the Steelers most notable defenders were quiet for a lot of the game. Defensive tackle Cameron Heyward had just four tackles and two passes defensed while linebacker T.J. Watt recorded three tackles and a sack.
Opposing offenses are focused on minimizing the impact of players like Heyward and Watt, but Heyward knows that gives others the opportunity to make plays.
“We got great players over here,” Heyward said. “There’s a bunch of guys on that side of the ball that are just ready for the moment. When one guy gets called, we’re all excited for him because we understand that we can’t make every play, but our defense can make every play.”
That’s exactly what happened against the Ravens and what the Steelers defense will need to replicate on a short week with a matchup against the Cleveland Browns on Thursday night.
Linebacker Elandon Roberts is confident they can do just that.
“We’re just out here playing team defense,” Roberts said. “We’re able to cause havoc any given Sunday, Thursday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, whatever day the game falls on.”
The Steelers are now 2-0 in games when failing to score a touchdown. The first such win came in a 18-10 win against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1.
It hasn’t always been pretty, but the Steelers have found a way to win eight of their first 10 games of the season. Heyward believes that’s what makes them special.
“I think we have a complementary team,” Heyward said. “Special teams, defense, offense. No matter the situation, we have playmakers all around that can step up in those moments.”