Cris Collinsworth made a different kind of news locally Sunday night during NBC’s Steelers-Seattle Seahawks telecast.
A better kind of news.
“Cam Heyward, a no-question Hall of Famer, in my mind,” Collinsworth said.
That was a significant improvement over Collinsworth’s comments about Steelers female fans during a game last December.
“Everyone’s a fan,” he said. “In particular, the ladies that I met [in Pittsburgh]. They had really specific questions about the game. I was like, ‘Wow!’ Just blown away by how strong the fans are here in this town.”
Collinsworth was blasted for those sexist remarks and quickly apologized.
Now Collinsworth is being cheered in this town for his opinion about Heyward.
I’m not quite ready to put Heyward in the Hall of Fame, but it does make for an interesting conversation. Let’s just say he is building a strong resume. His play the past five seasons has been impressive. He was first-team All-Pro in 2017 and 2019 and second-team last season. He has made four consecutive Pro Bowls. He is off to another great start this season, so great that it’s fair to argue that only the Los Angeles Rams’ three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald is a better defensive lineman.
What Heyward has done in the first six games is remarkable considering the players he is lining up next to on the Steelers defensive line. Chris Wormley, Isaiah Buggs and Henry Mondeaux are doing a nice job, but they aren’t Stephon Tuitt or Tyson Alualu. Tuitt hasn’t played because of a knee injury and Alualu was lost for the season early in the second game after fracturing his right ankle.
Heyward often is getting double-teamed yet remains virtually unblockable. His technique is terrific. So is his strength. And his drive to be the best player, the best captain, the best representative of the city, the best at everything he does? That’s extraordinary.
Heyward couldn’t match T.J. Watt’s big plays in the 23-20 overtime win against the Seahawks, but he was a force. He sacked quarterback Geno Smith on a first-down play from the Seattle 45 midway through the second quarter. He helped to stop running back Alex Collins for a 1-yard loss midway through the fourth quarter with the game tied, 17-17, then during that same series, he chased down back DeeJay Dallas on a screen pass to keep him short of a first down. He also made a huge play in overtime, tackling Dallas for a 4-yard loss on a first-down play from the Seattle 49.
Heyward’s sack of Smith was the 60th of his career, tying him with Joey Porter for fifth-most in Steelers history. His nine tackles against the Seahawks gave him 173 since the 2019 season, most among NFL defensive linemen.
The Steelers probably wouldn’t have beaten Seattle without Heyward’s contributions. They certainly wouldn’t have shocked the Buffalo Bills in the opening game without his four tackles, one sack, one quarterback hit, 12 quarterback hurries, one tackle for loss, two passes defended, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
I’m exhausted just writing that sentence.
I only can imagine how Heyward felt at 32 that day in upstate New York.
The Steelers expected this sort of greatness from Heyward. That’s why they picked him out of Ohio State with the 31st overall pick in the 2011 draft. But the team and Heyward had to be patient. He struggled to get on the field early in his career and didn’t get his first start until the fourth game of the 2013 season, his third in the league. He heard whispers that he was going to be a draft bust.
“That was a joke,” former teammate Brett Keisel told me after a game in Atlanta in December 2014. “Every one of us knew his potential. He is one of those special talents. It takes time in this system. ...
“I’m so proud of him, the progress he’s made, the player he’s turned into. The crazy thing is he’s only going to get better. He’s only going to get stronger. He’s only going to get more powerful. It’s going to be exciting to watch him.”
Everything Keisel said about Heyward has come true.
It has been great fun watching Heyward.
The question is this:
How long can Heyward keep doing it?
“Please keep talking about [his age],” a grinning Mike Tomlin said after the Buffalo game. “We’re all motivated in different ways. Cam is one of those guys who is always looking for reasons to rise up in the face of something. You throw his age in his face and, even though he knows what you’re doing, he has to respond. That’s the competitor that the man is.
“We fully expect him to continue what he’s doing and has done for us, which is not only make quality plays, but be a quality leader.”
If Heyward can put together a couple more All-Pro seasons, he will strengthen his argument for the Hall of Fame.
Who knows?
Maybe Collinsworth will turn out to be a good prognosticator when it comes to Heyward.
Just like Keisel.
Ron Cook: rcook@post-gazette.com and Twitter @RonCookPG. Ron Cook can be heard on the “Cook and Joe” show weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 93.7 The Fan
First Published: October 19, 2021, 10:00 a.m.
Updated: October 19, 2021, 10:02 a.m.
