PITTSBURGH – Seventh-year Steelers defensive end and defensive captain Cameron Heyward was particularly emotional Monday in taking reporters’ questions for more than 10 minutes at his corner of the locker room.
“It just hurts to think this was the last time this group will be here,” he said, as he fought back emotions while both constructively criticizing himself and, especially, his young defensive teammates. “We have to grow … The things that happened this year can’t happen next year.
“To only lose four games throughout the entire year, (but) in those games there was a trending habit of (not) stopping the run. And it’s just unacceptable.”
Jacksonville rookie Leonard Fournette rushed for 109 yards on Sunday, after racking up 181 yards in Jacksonville’s 30-9 win at the same Heinz Field in October.
In Pittsburgh’s season-ending playoff losses the past two seasons it surrendered 44 points (last year to New England) and 45 on Sunday to Jacksonville.
Heyward explained what went wrong on defence in this year’s losses, and what has to happen in 2018.
“Our defence relies on a lot of trust. It relies on everybody being in their gaps,” he said. “When guys aren’t sound, we put our team at a disadvantage.
“It’s not heart. It’s not because guys don’t care. It’s because this group cares a lot. I appreciate everything these guys do. We put our hearts and souls into this. (pause) It’s tough. I speak for myself right now but everybody hurt a lot because of this.”
Losing “gap control” was the big issue on Jacksonville run plays, Heyward said, and everybody not playing his role was the culprit on some gashing Jacksonville pass plays.
“You can’t have that against good teams. We’ve been talking about that all year.
“It’s something we’re going to have to grow from. All I can do is try to get better, which I’m going to try to do this off-season. I challenge everybody to do the same. I just challenge everybody to just come back better from this situation. I know it hurts. I know it stings. Nobody wants to be in this situation but all we can do now is grow from it.
“It’s not the scheme. I think we had a great game plan. But execution has to be part of the situation. If you don’t execute, if you don’t follow through on your assignments, it doesn’t matter what you (call). You’re sacrificing the team success over your own. That’s the critical thing we have to learn from as a group, and individually. Because if one guy doesn’t do his job, or two guys, you’re hurting the other nine or 10 guys … It’s unacceptable.”
Why were some players deviating from the play call still in the 19th week of the season?
“I wouldn’t call it selfish,” Heyward said, “but … sometimes guys try to make too many plays … We have to be a complete unit that understands it’s one agenda. One sound. Everybody has to be accountable for their gaps, everybody has to be accountable for both run and pass (responsibilities). We all look forward to righting that wrong. I know we can’t do it this instant. But we have a whole off-season to think about it.”
BRYANT: I WANT TO STAY A STEELER
Martavis Bryant asked to be traded in October.
Now he says he wants to stay a Steeler.
“Yes. Of course,” the wide receiver oft-suspended for drug abuse said Monday afternoon, when asked in the team locker room at their South Shore headquarters if he wants to return next season.
“They stuck with me through my whole process. We had a great year this year. I got better each game … Love the guys, love the coaches.”
Bryant remains under his rookie contract for another year, so even if in fact still wants out, he can’t go anywhere without being traded or waived.
After Sunday’s 45-42 AFC divisional playoff loss to Jacksonville, Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell said he too would like to stay. He’s set to become a free agent in March, but there’s lots of buzz that the Steelers intend to franchise-tag him for a second straight year.