Steelers' Cameron Heyward Turns Browns Star's Complaint Into A Powerful Compliment

The Pittsburgh Steelers heard plenty from Cleveland after Thursday night's loss, and some of it was designed to linger until the rematch. Trash talk is hardly breaking news in the AFC North. What becomes more interesting is when the complaint underneath it accidentally reveals exactly how much respect an opponent was receiving in the first place.

Cameron Heyward had a simple response to Jared Verse taking issue with the extra protection Pittsburgh sent toward him during the Cleveland Browns' 27-24 win. If an offense is double-teaming a pass rusher and sliding protection toward his side, Heyward sees that less as something to complain about and more as confirmation that the offense views him as somebody capable of wrecking the afternoon.

Verse had made Pittsburgh's protection strategy part of his postgame trash talk, mocking the Steelers for double-teaming him and sliding help his way before also accusing Pittsburgh of playing dirty. His postgame accusations immediately added another layer to a rivalry that already needed approximately zero assistance becoming hostile.

During an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Heyward offered a very different interpretation of the attention Verse received.

“Respected players get doubled. Respected players get slid to. I don’t know if it was a dirty play or not. I don’t know what he’s referring to, but, yeah, you know, Jared’s a good talent. You should expect that… That’s what Myles Garrett’s been doing the last time he’s been in Cleveland… Kudos to them for getting the job done, but can’t wait for that game back here,” Heyward said.

That might be the cleanest answer available. An offense does not devote additional bodies to a pass rusher because it thinks he is harmless. Protection slides are expensive. Sending help toward one edge can change what happens everywhere else, potentially leaving another blocker in a true one-on-one or limiting how many eligible receivers immediately release into routes.

Verse essentially complained about Pittsburgh paying him the type of attention elite rushers spend years trying to earn.

The Steelers' strategy also worked on him individually. Verse finished Thursday with two tackles and no sacks, even as Cleveland's defense brought Aaron Rodgers down five times overall. Verse has yet to record a sack through his first four games with Cleveland, although his impact cannot fairly be measured by that number alone. Extra protection itself can be evidence that a defender is influencing an offense before he ever touches the quarterback.

Heyward understands that reality better than most. Great defensive linemen eventually reach a point where winning the first matchup creates a harder second one. Offenses chip them, slide protection, send a second blocker or change where the quarterback sets up. Nobody hands a respected pass rusher 35 clean one-on-ones because it would be sporting.

Myles Garrett is the obvious example Heyward referenced. Pittsburgh has spent years designing protections with Garrett's location in mind because pretending one tackle should simply survive against him all afternoon is a good way to get a quarterback flattened. That additional attention is not disrespect. It may be the strongest compliment an offense can give without actually saying anything.

There is a separate issue with Verse's accusation that Pittsburgh played dirty, and Heyward wisely did not pretend to know what specific play Verse meant. He said exactly that. Without a clear example attached to the accusation, there is little value in inventing one for him or treating every physical rep between an offensive lineman and pass rusher as proof. The double-team complaint is much easier to evaluate.

If Verse wants to be regarded as one of the NFL's premier edge defenders, extra attention cannot simultaneously be treated as evidence that an opponent is scared and something beneath him. The whole point of becoming that dangerous is forcing offenses to change the protection because of you.

That is where Heyward's response lands with a little more force than normal divisional trash talk. He did not dismiss Verse's talent. He actually validated it. Heyward called him a good player and put the treatment he received in the same general category as what Garrett has dealt with for years. Verse can probably live with that comparison.

Steelers Will Have Another Chance To Test Verse's Complaint

None of this changes the part Cleveland cares about most. The Browns won the game. Their defense sacked Rodgers five times, intercepted him twice and survived Pittsburgh's fourth-quarter comeback. Verse even told the Steelers afterward that he was already looking forward to seeing them again. Cleveland earned the right to enjoy the scoreboard.

Heyward sounded equally interested in the sequel.

That should make the next meeting considerably more entertaining because the football question underneath all the talking remains unresolved. Pittsburgh proved it was willing to dedicate resources toward Verse. The next step for him is finding a way to punish the Steelers anyway.

That is what the best rushers eventually learn to do. Garrett has built a career around seeing protection tilted toward him and finding production anyway. Watt has lived through the same treatment in Pittsburgh. Once an offense decides one blocker is not enough, nobody is giving the star defender bonus points for fairness.

Verse wanted the Steelers to know he noticed all the doubles and slides. Heyward's answer was basically congratulations. They noticed him, too.

#SteelerNation