The Pittsburgh Steelers finished the 2022 NFL with a big win over the Cleveland Browns. There is a ton to unpack from this one given the circumstances but here are our big takeaways fresh off the win.
Najee Harris impressed yet again
I cannot get over how much Najee Harris has improved since the bye week. Every time he runs the football now, you fully expect him to break off a 6-8 yard carry. Whereas before, you expected him to be fighting for two yards from the second he got the football. Harris secured his second 1,000-yard rushing season and is the first Steelers running back to go back-to-back in their first two seasons.
Steelers shuffle sack stars
The Steelers now have the No. 2 and No. 3 all-time franchise sack leaders in Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt. Heyward came into the game 0.5 sacks behind Watt but ended up second with 78.5 and Watt just behind him in third with 77.5. Oh, and Alex Highsmith finished with 2.5 sacks of his own to finish with a career-high 14.5 on the season.
Boring football is winning football
When the Steelers were at their best on Sunday, they were boring. Handing the ball off to Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, keeping the chains moving and the clock running. You love to see Kenny Pickett picking his shots downfield off of that but there’s no denying this was a run-first team for the second half of the season.
I don't know how Cam Heyward does it
Every time I get to watch Cam Heyward play, I am more and more amazed. 33 years old and finishing up his 12th NFL season and he made a strong case on Sunday that he is still the best defender on the team. 2 sacks, eight tackles, four tackles for loss and a pass defended is just another day at the office for the ageless wonder.
Connor Heyward has a bright future
We hated to see Pat Freiermuth go down with a knee injury late in the game. But it did give us an opportunity to see what rookie tight end Connor Heyward can do. His ball skills are amazing and he is an exceptional route runner.
This offense will be even better with Calvin Austin III
Every time I saw wide receiver Steven Sims take the football on a jet sweep, I just imagined Calvin Austin III taking that handoff and breaking a huge run. Austin’s speed fits perfectly with that role and is going to be even more explosive next season if he’s healthy.
