Veteran Cameron Heyward of the Pittsburgh Steelers made it clear on the latest episode of the “Not Just Football Podcast” that he had no intention of providing the Washington Commanders with any bulletin board material ahead of their matchup. Heyward even took the opportunity to criticize an earlier comment aimed at the Commanders by an upcoming opponent.
In Week 3, Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt had called Washington’s offense a “nice college offense.” Following the Commanders’ 38-33 victory over the Bengals, Taylor-Britt explained that his remark wasn’t meant to be malicious and that it was blown out of proportion.
On November 7, Heyward responded by calling Taylor-Britt’s comment “stupid.” He added, “I would never say something stupid like that. But man, you’ve got to respect that offense.”
Heyward’s response came after his co-host, Hayden Walsh, jokingly made a similar reference to Washington’s offense, which was clearly a nod to Taylor-Britt’s earlier remark. Walsh laughed off the comment, and Heyward responded with his critique.
Steelers’ Cameron Heyward Raves About Commanders Offense
It’s easy to understand why Taylor-Britt might have labeled Washington a “college offense.” The Commanders are starting rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, and their play-caller, Kliff Kingsbury, built his coaching reputation at Texas Tech. When the Bengals faced Washington earlier in the season, the team had only been successful for a couple of weeks.
However, now that it’s the first week of November, the Commanders are sitting atop the NFC East. Their position is largely due to their third-ranked offense in the NFL, both in total yards and points per game.
“You respect what they’re doing. Zach Ertz is playing big,” Heyward remarked on his podcast. “They’ve got pieces, man, you’ve got to respect who you’re playing.”
He continued, “Calling them a college offense? That’s not doing your homework. Someone said it, and you just ran with it, but college offense or not, they’re taking care of the ball and scoring touchdowns.”
As Heyward pointed out, the Commanders lead the league with just three turnovers. That’s particularly impressive considering they have a rookie quarterback. He also mentioned that Washington has punted only 13 times in nine games, a remarkable statistic.
Steelers Defense to be Tested in Week 10
Both the Washington Commanders and Pittsburgh Steelers will enter their November 10 matchup on three-game winning streaks, making it an exciting showdown. But there’s more to the game than just the streaks.
Despite rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels leading Washington’s offense, they could present the toughest test the Steelers defense has faced this season. The same could be true from the other side of the ball as well.
The Steelers defense has been exceptional, tied for third in the league in takeaways, second in points allowed, and ninth in yards allowed per game.
At 35 years old, Cameron Heyward is playing some of the best football of his career. Pro Football Focus has ranked him as the No. 1 defensive lineman this season based on their grading system. While Heyward has recorded just 3 sacks and 33 tackles (including 4 for loss), he has already notched 12 quarterback hits. His return to form has helped the Steelers rank fourth in the league in rushing yards allowed per game.
The Steelers-Commanders game should be one of the top matchups of Week 10, but it won’t be overshadowed by any pre-game trash talk, as Heyward is focused on keeping things respectful.
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