Brotherhood reveals itself in strange ways, especially when a defensive tackle has to play offense, and it doesn’t quite work out. When the Pittsburgh Steelers needed a crucial fourth-down conversion against the Baltimore Ravens with the AFC North title and a playoff berth on the line, defensive tackle Cam Heyward stepped into unfamiliar territory as the pusher on Pittsburgh’s tush push play. What should’ve been a routine quickly turned into a first-quarter disaster that had his brother, tight end Connor Heyward, fuming.

“Yeah, the first one, he tackled me,” Connor said during his Monday media session. “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] calling it a second and third time and believing in the guys up front.”

Baltimore was already leading 7-0 when the tush push play failed late in the first quarter on a fourth-and-one at Pittsburgh’s 45-yard line. Cam was filling in for tight end Darnell Washington (who’d broken his arm against the Cleveland Browns in Week 17). Cam tackled his brother instead of pushing him, and the play didn’t gain any yards for Aaron Rodgers’ offense. Baltimore took over, moved all the way up to Pittsburgh’s 22-yard line, and kicked a field goal to extend their lead to 10-0. Not ideal.

But Cam owned his mistake and apologized to his brother. And that accountability mattered because offensive coordinator Arthur Smith wasn’t done with the play. Cut to the third quarter, and Pittsburgh was still trailing 10-3 when they faced a 4th-and-1 from Baltimore’s two-yard line. Smith called it again; a gutsy move considering the first-quarter disaster.

This time Cam pushed, and Connor got the first down. Then Smith immediately dialed it up again on 1st-and-Goal from the 1-yard line. Connor punched it in for a touchdown, and the game was tied at 10. That play was pure redemption, which contributed to the team. Rodgers threw a touchdown pass in the game, going 31-of-47 for 294 yards despite facing communication issues. Running back Kenneth Gainwell rushed for another score, and field goals did the rest. 

Here’s the thing: that early blunder could’ve derailed Pittsburgh’s entire night. Instead, the brothers figured it out when it counted most. The Steelers prevailed 26-24, clinching the AFC North and a Wild Card spot to the playoffs. And while Connor’s comments grabbed headlines, they’re only half the story because Cam Heyward dominated on the side of the ball where he actually belongs.

Cam Heyward’s dominance in Week 18

Cam was everywhere against the Ravens’ offense with seven total tackles (5 solo stops). The 36-year-old looks nothing like someone playing borrowed snaps on offense. His third-quarter deflection of Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson’s pass landed in T.J. Watt’s hands for an interception. That turnover set up a Chris Boswell field goal and gave Pittsburgh a 13-10 lead they’d never relinquish until the final whistle.

Pro Football Focus graded Cam Heyward at 80.3, third-best among all Steelers defenders. His five run stops helped contain Baltimore’s rushing attack after the Ravens jumped out early. Even head coach Mike Tomlin was at a loss for words when describing the impact Cam had on the team.

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“Cam’s been here a long time,” Coach Tomlin said. “He got a lot invested. He cares hard. I don’t know what I can say about Cam that hasn’t been said. He’s a Steeler. He’s a quintessential Steeler.”

No surprise Steelers legends like Brett Keisel and Alan Faneca gave shoutouts to Heyward’s performance afterward. When your defensive captain plays elite defense and shores up the offense as well, that’s leadership beyond the stat sheet. 

“Cam Heyward put it on his back tonight,” Faneca posted on X. “He got down and did the work tonight, all over the place impacting the game.”

Pittsburgh now hosts the Houston Texans for their Wild Card matchup on Monday, January 12. The tush push isn’t going anywhere, not after it worked twice when the division title was on the line. Cam Heyward’s keeping that role of the pusher. We can expect more brotherly shoves against Houson’s defensive front, and of course, more defensive highlights from Cam Heyward in the postseason.