PITTSBURGH — The message was sent on the Cincinnati Bengals' first play Sunday when Cam Heyward bullied rookie guard Cordell Volson and sacked Joe Burrow.
"Get used to this. We're going to be here all day."
Who better to deliver it than Heyward?
The Steelers defense was there all day in the surprising 23-20 overtime win at Paycor Stadium. Burrow never got used to it. He was sacked seven times. He threw four interceptions. He lost a fumble when he was hit by Alex Highsmith, one of Highsmith's three sacks on the day.
"We had a chip on our shoulder coming in," Highsmith said. "The last two years here, we got embarrassed."
It was no surprise Heyward set the tone. There are reasons he is a defensive captain for the eighth consecutive season. He's not just a great leader and a great teammate. He's still a great player at 33. He believes he can be a great player for five more years.
"I relish this," Heyward said Sunday after the win. "I work my ass off for this. To play with my teammates ... I appreciate these moments."
It's fair to assume Heyward mentioned to the guys the Steelers' 41-10 loss in Cincinnati last season and their 27-17 loss in 2020 when they were beaten by Ryan Finley, who doesn't even begin to resemble Burrow as a quarterback. It's also safe to think he mentioned the Steelers were a touchdown-underdog Sunday.
No one since Hines Ward has played the disrespect card as well as Heyward.
"We're all motivated in different ways," Mike Tomlin has said. "Cam is one of those guys who is always looking for reasons to rise up in the face of something. That's the competitor that the man is."
Heyward has plenty to drive him this season.
He scowled when NFL.com ranked him as the 42nd-best player in the league earlier this summer. He nearly lost it when ESPN put him at No. 82, just the fifth-best defensive tackle.
"It [ticks] me off," Heyward said in June on the Mina Kimes podcast when asked about being seen on the second tier of NFL defensive linemen behind Aaron Donald. "Hands down, I think I'm one, if not the most complete player at my position. I know Aaron is really talented, but don't just shy away and say, 'Oh, it's Aaron Donald and everybody else.' [Bleep], it's Cam and Aaron and everybody else."
Heyward walked the walk Sunday.
There is something about opening games that bring out the best in the man. A year ago, in an equally surprising Steelers win in Buffalo, he had four tackles, one sack, one quarterback hit, 12 quarterback hurries, one tackle for loss, two passes defended, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. It was an amazing start to a season in which he finished with 10 sacks despite facing almost constant double-team blocking without injured Stephon Tuitt and Tyson Alualu lined up next to him. His technique is that good. So is his motivation to be the best. "And his strength," teammate Minkah Fitzpatrick said, "is unbelievable."
In the opener Sunday, in addition to his first-play sack, Heyward was credited with three quarterback hits, one tackle for loss and a fumble recovery when he grabbed the ball out of the air after Highsmith's first-quarter sack of Burrow. "I thought it was a pick," Heyward said, grinning.
Heyward took a big first step toward being first-team All-Pro for the fourth time in five seasons. A lot of people have noticed his work even though they might not work for NFL.com or ESPN.
"Cam Heyward, a no-question Hall of Famer, in my mind," NBC announcer Cris Collinsworth said last season.
"Hell, yes, I think about that," Heyward said Sunday. "But that's secondary to other goals that I have."
Speaking of which ...
"Personally, I think I can still play better," Heyward said on The Playbook podcast in July. "I look forward to that challenge. I've already challenged myself for the Triple Crown — a defensive player of the year, a Super Bowl MVP and an MVP. So, there you go."
Thinking big is a good thing, right?
Heyward might not win those awards but still have a big season. The key for him will be staying healthy. He gave everyone on the Steelers sideline a bit of a scare late in overtime Sunday when he stayed down briefly on the field before walking slowly for a visit to the blue tent. This was moments after Najee Harris and T.J. Watt had left with injuries.
"The ref said I had a freaking concussion," Heyward said. "I didn't. I got hit in the ribs so I lost a little air. I was a bit annoyed. It took forever to get cleared, but I was good."
Heyward made it back to the sideline in time to see Chris Boswell win the game with a 53-yard field goal.
"I was like, 'We've got to make this because we've been damn zombies the entire game,'" he said. "They tried to put us out. They've tried to kill us. But we just kept bouncing back."
Know this about the unlikeliest of wins against the defending AFC champions:
It eased most of the discomfort Heyward felt from leaving everything on the field and taking that shot to the ribs.
"I don't know how my body is going to feel tomorrow," he said, grinning again.
"But see you next Sunday."
The New England Patriots should consider themselves warned.
