Steelers' Connor Heyward Completely Throws His Brother Under The Bus After Big Failure In Win Over Ravens

The Pittsburgh Steelers came away with an ugly win on Sunday night after taking down the Baltimore Ravens to clinch the AFC North and a spot in the postseason. The Steelers faced a ton of adversity in the game as the group faced a deficit of 10-0 early on, but the Steelers were able to improve defensively while the offense caught fire in the second half of the contest. The win over Baltimore sets Pittsburgh up to host the Houston Texans next Monday night at the end of Wild Card Weekend, and the franchise will look to secure its first playoff win in nearly a decade.

A big play in the game was Pittsburgh's version of the Tush Push. The play puts Connor Heyward under center as the quarterback, and he typically receives the snap and attempts a quarterback sneak while players push him from behind. Usually tight end Darnell Washington is the player pushing Heyward forward, but Washington suffered a broken arm in Week 17 against the Cleveland Browns. Connor's brother, Cam Heyward, filled in for Washington, and the first attempt of the play was botched on fourth down and it set Baltimore up with great field position. Connor was asked about what happened on that play while speaking to the media on Monday.

"Yeah, the first one, he tackled me," Connor said. "But you know, that was the practice for the second and third one. I was hot after the first one, but he came up to me and was like, 'We're good, that was my bad.' Shoutout to Art [Smith] you know, calling it a second and third time and believing in the guys up front."

Pittsburgh's first attempt with its version of the Tush Push came near the end of the first quarter on fourth and a long one-yard. It was clear the offense did not reach the line to gain, and Connor claims Cam tackled him, rather than pushing him forward. This gave Baltimore the ball at Pittsburgh's 45-yard line, and the Ravens were able to kick a field goal on that drive to take a 10-0 lead.

Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith went back to the same play later in the game during a high-pressure situation. The Steelers had a fourth and one from the Ravens' two-yard line, and Connor was called upon to pick it up on the Steelers' version of the Tush Push. The play was a success this time around with Cam pushing him over the line to gain, and Smith kept the momentum going by calling the same play on first and goal from the one-yard line. Connor was able to push the ball forward and score a touchdown, and that tied the game at 10 at the start of the third quarter.

Despite not having Washington available, the Steelers were able to adjust the play and thrust Cam into the formation. He was a two-way player for the first time in his career, and it wound up working out for Pittsburgh, despite some growing pains at the start of the contest.

Steelers Will Be Relying On Connor Heyward In The Postseason

The play where Connor takes the snap and performs a quarterback sneak is not going anywhere. Overall, it has been very successful for the Steelers, and Smith will likely break it out again if the opportunity presents itself in the postseason. Pittsburgh's matchup with Houston features two very good defensive fronts and the game has the potential to be fairly ugly. This might present some opportunity for Connor to take a snap near the end zone and potentially run in a touchdown in the playoffs. 

The Steelers have also thrown some wrinkles in with this play, and that could happen as well. 

What do you think about Connor throwing Cam under the bus? Let us know in the comments below!

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