Steelers defensive lineman Cam Heyward was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after a Bills touchdown pass in the third quarter of Sunday’s game and he revealed why he lost his cool after the 26-7 loss.
Heyward was penalized after one of several verbal exchanges he engaged in with Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who had just thrown to Keon Coleman for the score. Heyward said he was upset about some extracurricular activity from Allen after a play earlier in the game.
Heyward said Allen kneed him in the stomach intentionally after Heyward tackled him earlier in the game.
“Ticked off the entire game because, as a quarterback, they’re protected, but I’m not,” Heyward said, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com. “It just pisses me off. . . . He even said after, ‘I had to do something to get you off me,’”
Allen’s media availability ended before Heyward spoke to reporters, but he did talk about the back-and-forth with Heyward over the course of the game.
“We love the competitiveness out of this game,” Allen said. “He’s such a great player. Sometimes, you need fire like that to get you going.”
The NFL will reveal if any fines were issued for Heyward, Allen or anyone else involved in the game later this week.
The Bills trailed 7-3 at halftime in Pittsburgh on Sunday, but it only took them a few seconds to turn things around in the second half.
Joey Bosa sacked Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and cornerback Christian Benford returned the ensuing fumble for a 17-yard touchdown. That gave the Bills their first lead of the day and it would only get bigger from there.
The Bills rolled up 249 rushing yards on their way to a 26-7 win. That’s the most rushing yards by an opposing team in Heniz Field/Acrisure Stadium history and it made for a very unhappy crowd in Pittsburgh. Videos from the stands captured chants of “Fire Tomlin” directed at head coach Mike Tomlin and others at the game pointed out that the playing of “Renegade” was greeted by boos from fans of a team that’s now lost five of their last seven games.
Rodgers suffered a cut on his nose and left the game to be checked out in the medical tent after the Bosa sack, but returned after a Mason Rudolph interception set up another Bills touchdown. Rodgers, who missed Week 12 with fractures to his left wrist, was 10-of-21 for 117 yards during a listless performance that might lead to questions about whether he’s really healthy enough to play.
The loss drops the Steelers to 6-6 ahead of next Sunday’s visit to Baltimore. The Ravens are also 6-6 after their Thanksgiving loss and the winner of that one will have a big leg up in the AFC North heading into the final weeks of the season. Edge rusher T.J. Watt limped off late in the game, so his status will be something to watch along with linebacker Patrick Queen and cornerback James Pierre after they left with other injuries.
James Cook led the way for the Bills rushing attack with 32 carries for 144 yards. Ray Davis had nine carries for 62 yards and Josh Allen ran for the 76th touchdown of his career. That’s a new career record for quarterbacks and Allen will try to add to it back at home against the Bengals next weekend.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen entered Sunday’s game in Pittsburgh tied with Cam Newton for the most career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, but he now has the record to himself.
Allen was shoved across the goal line by teammates on an eight-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter and that marked the 76th rushing touchdown of his career. Jalen Hurts is in third place with 61, but will have a hard time catching Allen as long as the Bills star remains a skilled rusher.
Allen also threw a touchdown pass to Keon Coleman in the third quarter, which makes this the 49th time he’s accounted for scores through the air and on the ground in the same game.
It’s now 23-7 Bills with 14 minutes left to play.
Wide receiver Keon Coleman is back in the Bills’ lineup on Sunday and he extended their lead over the Steelers in the third quarter.
Coleman caught a one-yard touchdown from quarterback Josh Allen to move the Steelers’ lead to 16-7 with 8:49 to play in the third. Kicker Matt Prater missed the extra point, so that remains the score in Pittsburgh.
Prater kicked the extra point from the usual spot, but, for the second time in this game, there was a personal foul on a touchdown. Steelers defensive end Cam Heyward was flagged this time, which should have given the Bills a chance to go for two from the 1-yard line, but the penalty was enforced on the kickoff despite the NFL rulebook saying that “on a touchdown, the penalty, whether a live ball or dead ball foul or a foul between downs, is enforced on the Try.”
The Steelers also had a personal foul on their touchdown in the first half and tried an extra point from the traditional spot. CBS rules analyst Gene Steratore said at the time that the penalty should have been enforced before the try, but came back in the second half with an explanation for why it wasn’t.
“We were right in the bridge from when a play ends and when the point after try occurs when DK Metcalf made the gesture that he made,” Steratore said. “They had already gotten the football ready to start for the point after try, that does allow Buffalo the option to take it on the kickoff or on the PAT.”
The flag on wide receiver DK Metcalf came while Jaylen Warren was celebrating his touchdown and the Heyward flag came immediately after Coleman scored.
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers returned after missing a series in the wake of a sack by Bills defensive end Joey Bosa. The Steelers punted quickly, however, and the Bills are firmly in control of this one.
Aaron Rodgers made the start for the Steelers on Sunday despite having multiple fractures to his left wrist, but he’s out of the game early in the second half.
Bills defensive end Joey Bosa sacked the quarterback on their first play of the third quarter and Rodgers lost the ball before coming down hard on the ground. Bills cornerback Christian Benford scooped the ball up and returned it for a 17-yard touchdown that gave Buffalo a 10-7 lead.
Rodgers had blood on his face as he made his way off the field and appeared to be looking at his right hand. Mason Rudolph replaced him to start the Steelers’ second offensive possession of the half.
The team has not updated Rodgers’ status yet, but it may be Rudolph’s show the rest of the way.
