PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Why George Pickens didn’t play on Sunday? Keeanu Benton with the nose tackle sack on a day Casey Hampton is honored. Cam Heyward continues to move up. Notes and quotes from the Steelers 27-14 win against the Browns on Sunday.
No George
Mike Tomlin said he felt like George Pickens wouldn’t be able to play the number of snaps he thought would be worth dressing him. He said he didn’t want a small problem to become a big problem. Tomlin said he will discuss his availability for Sunday in Philadelphia during his weekly news conference. You can hear that live on 93.7 The Fan at noon on Tuesday.
NT INT
“It’s something I’ve had in my bag a long time, it just didn’t get used like it did today,” said Steelers nose tackle Keeanu Benton with a smile after he intercepted his first NFL pass and first since he was in high school.
The pick came with the Browns leading 7-3 early in the second quarter and the Steelers turned it into a touchdown.
“Heck of a play, great awareness,” said Steelers captain Cam Heyward. “Just to track it down the line, it wasn’t like it was popped in the air. Can’t say enough about the kid, he works his tail off. I know he wants big plays all the time. It was a big play for us in this game. Lucky to have that kid on our sideline.”
“He had a lot of PBs this year because he’s a great player,” said Steelers safety DeShon Elliott. “I didn’t know he had those ball skills too. Really proud of Keeanu, seeing grown he’s had this whole year.”
“Usually the guys across from you are supposed to block you and when it’s screen, they do,” Benton explained. “You find the ball or you find the running back and he threw it up.”
“I feel like personally I haven’t been able to do a big play like that. It’s not always going to happen with big plays, but it felt good today.”
Hall of Honor
Tomlin started his news conference on Sunday congratulating the Steelers Hall of Honor inductees Dick LeBeau, Willie Parker, Jason Gildon and Casey Hampton.
“I’m so glad we were able to do our part in terms of making this a really good weekend for them,” Tomlins aid. “They’re deserving of that.”
Heyward says he still keeps in contact with his first defensive coordinator, LeBeau. He texted Cam last season when things weren’t going well to offer support.
“I’m thankful for that relationship,” Heyward said. “I’m thankful that I got to have a DC who was at Ohio State as well. Watching those guys go into the Hall of Honor, you have to play good in front of that crowd. We relished that moment.”
Heyward joked that the winter jacket Hampton was wearing on Sunday afternoon was about four sizes smaller than the one he would have had when playing.
Look out Howie
With two more sacks Sunday, Heyward now has 88.5 in his career. He moved up to 96th place and now only three behind Hall of Fame defensive lineman Howie Long.
“There is more to improve on, more to keep going after,” Heyward said. “There is a hunger for me that I’m not satisfied with what I’ve done in the past and I expect a lot more of myself.”
Heyward now has eight sacks on the season, he’s had at least eight sacks in six of the last eight years.
Quotes
“I think we just have a complete team. We have a team that is complementary of everyone. We have the guys to do it.”
Captain Cam Heyward
“I don’t believe the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cleveland Browns. I believe the Cleveland Browns beat the Cleveland Browns.”
Browns QB Jameis Winston
“I already don’t like those guys and they don’t like us. I’m happy we got the team win. At the end of the day, they lose. We won. I’m happy.”
CB Joey Porter, Junior
“It’s fun. I feel like I’m a pretty good player. When they target me, I think I’ll make some plays.”
TE Pat Freiermuth
“Russ is not going to shrink in the face of adversity. He’s just seen too much. I thought he kept the group steady until we found our footing.”
Head coach Mike Tomlin
“Fricking Cam (Heyward) at 45-years-old is out there getting two sacks a game. That’s crazy.”
S DeShon Elliott
“It’s just the culture we have, everyone wants to get in on it. We have a bunch of playmakers on this defense. We have to continue to make plays.”
LB Alex Highsmith
“I cherish these moments, every breath, every day is a special day because I get to do it with the right guys of the highest character, highest work ethic. We do it together.”
QB Russell Wilson
“That’s a tough little stretch, but at the end of the day, it’s a five-star matchup, as Coach T says, because we are in it.”
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