Behind the Steel Curtain
After a heart-race-inducing season finale, our Pittsburgh Steelers have punched their ticket to the playoffs for the third year in a row, and the fifth time in six years. Making it extra sweet was the victory coming against the Ravens, and in the process, giving us a clip of Baltimore misery and a play-by-play soundbite that will be included in Steelers-Ravens montages for generations to come. That Baltimore fired longtime head coach John Harbaugh just two days after this defeat will surely only add to the legend when we talk about this bitter rivalry, which continues to be the NFL’s best of the 21st century.
With the Steelers’ position in the playoffs secured, we wanted to give one last shoutout to one of the heroes of the team in Week 18. But then it’s all eyes ahead towards the playoffs.
RB: I was so impressed with Cam Heyward’s performance against the Ravens on Sunday that I dedicated an entire section of my postgame column to talking about it. But now that the all-22 is out, I figured it would be worthwhile to revisit it.
But first, some context. The well-traveled, but true, talking point is that Heyward is 36 years old and somehow still looking like an elite interior defensive lineman. But it’s even more impressive than that. Even as one of the oldest defenders in the league, Heyward somehow ranks first in snaps played at his position per PFF. He’s made the most of those snaps, as well: Among his position, he’s first in solo tackles, second in stops, second in hurries, and ninth in total pressures.
Heyward’s 2025 season didn’t have the hottest of starts, but as it’s gone on, he’s once again looked like a premier player at his position. And he had what I’d call his best performance of the season against the Ravens on Sunday, playing like a veteran who knew it might be his last chance at winning that ever-elusive Super Bowl ring. His emotions after the game made that beyond clear.
The Ravens were also privy to the season Heyward is having, choosing to run away from him on their first play from scrimmage. That choice paid off with a chunk gain for Derrick Henry, but Heyward still gave quite the effort attempting to chase the run from behind.
Heyward was temporarily removed from the game after James Pierre was blocked into his knees during the play, but came back in a play later. And on that same drive, he made his first impact play of the game.
Heyward has long been known as a power guy, with one of the most feared bull rushes in the NFL. But on Sunday, his athleticism was also on display. While Heyward’s strength made it near-impossible for the Ravens’ offensive line to handle him one-on-one, he was also moving horizontally well to keep up with Baltimore’s outside zone attack.
Again, watch the play above. It’s a bad...
