The Buffalo Bills beat up the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 13. But according to Steelers All-Pro defensive lineman Cameron Heyward, not all of it should be legal.
Heyward and Bills quarterback Josh Allen engaged in quite a bit of trash-talking beginning late in the first half Sunday. Midway through the third quarter, Heyward received a 15-yard penalty for taunting the 2024 MVP winner.
After the 26-7 Bills victory, Heyward strongly suggested Allen should have received a foul much earlier in the contest for one action against him.
“Ticked off the entire game because, as a quarterback, they’re protected, but I’m not,” Heyward told reporters, via Steelers insider Mark Kaboly. “It just pisses me off.”
Heyward explained that he was upset at Allen because of “being kneed in my stomach.” The media asked Heyward to clarify if he was saying Allen intentionally kneed him in the stomach.
The Steelers defensive lineman left little doubt in his response.
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying,” Heyward answered. “He even said after, ‘I had to do something to get you off me.’”
Steelers’ Cameron Heyward Accused Josh Allen of Kneeing Him
It’s not clear when exactly Allen kneed Heyward in the stomach. If pundits and fans could review the incident, it would be easier to understand if the Bills quarterback was in the wrong.
The action Heyward is describing doesn’t sound legal. But the Steelers defensive lineman is also indirectly admitting that maybe he laid on the Bills quarterback for too long.
That wouldn’t excuse the knee to Heyward’s stomach, but it would help explain it.
While Heyward’s overall point is well warranted — the NFL protects its quarterbacks more than any other position — his argument came across as tone deaf Sunday evening. Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen hit Allen late after he started to slide on a play in the first half. Yet, Queen didn’t receive a penalty.
The CBS broadcast unanimously stated Queen’s actions should have been a foul.
Allen Implies Heyward Trash-Talk Motivated Him
CBS analyst Tony Romo argued during the Heyward-Allen spat that it wouldn’t be wise to make the Steelers defensive lineman angry. Romo appeared to have the take backwards.
The Bills quarterback didn’t address Heyward’s accusation after Week 13. But Allen explained to reporters that the trash talk he received from the Steelers helped Buffalo.
“Maybe [got me going] a little bit,” Allen said of Heyward, via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. “We love the competitiveness out of this game. He’s such a great player. Sometimes, you need fire like that to get you going.”
The incident may have helped Heyward as well. With two tackles for loss, the veteran was one of Pittsburgh’s better defenders Sunday.
But that’s not saying much. Allen and the Bills largely had their way with the Steelers defense.
Allen only needed to throw for 123 yards to beat the Steelers by 19 because the Buffalo running game dominated Pittsburgh. The Bills ran 51 times for 249 yards, which is the most against the Steelers defense during the regular season since, ironically, O.J. Simpson and Buffalo ran for 310 yards in Week 2 of the 1975 season.
Allen had 38 of those rushing yards and scored a touchdown on the ground. The quarterback also threw for a score.
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