Cam Heyward on Steelers beating Patriots: ‘It took everybody on our team to get this W’

The Pittsburgh Steelers realized they were in no position to take anything for granted when they faced the New England Patriots Sunday at Heinz Field.

For one thing, they were on a three-game losing streak. For another, they hadn’t beaten the Patriots since 2011. So, as Steelers defensive end Cam Heyward pointed out, Pittsburgh needed to give everything it had to come away with its 17-10 victory.

‘We haven’t always got the success we’ve wanted, but it was it was a team win’

“They’re a great team and it’s always a battle to play them,” Heyward told Zig Fracassi on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “We haven’t always got the success we’ve wanted, but it was it was a team win for us. It took everybody on our team to get this W.”

Appropriately, the Steelers referred to it as “Redemption Sunday.”

‘The quickest way to exorcise your demons is on Sunday’

“After the past three losses, the only way to correct yourself is on Sunday,” Heyward said. “It doesn’t mean we’re overlooking our opponent, but the quickest way to exorcise your demons is on Sunday.”

“If you give (Brady) all the time in the world, he’s going to beat you.”

Stout defense had plenty to do with making that happen. The Steelers’ defensive front knocked around Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, hitting him seven times and sacking him once, and kept steady pressure on him.

‘You just want to be aggressive with Brady’

“It wasn’t the sacks, (although) T.J (Watt) got the sack, but the pressures and you just want to be aggressive with Brady,” Heyward said. “He’s a heck of a quarterback. If you give him all the time in the world, he’s going to beat you.”

The Steelers’ D also didn’t show any panic when the Patriots managed to drive keep into Pittsburgh territory in the final seconds before turning the ball over on downs.

‘The front had to get pressure and our defensive backs had to hold up’

“We practice those moments a lot and it was no different (then),” Heyward said. “We just had to make the plays necessary. The front had to get pressure and our defensive backs had to hold up, and we were able to do that.”