Heyward Rips Refs After Heated Allen Exchange in Steelers' 26-7 Loss
Cam Heyward's frustration boiled over after an alleged kneeing incident with Josh Allen during the Steelers' 26-7 defeat to the Bills, sparking heated exchanges throughout the game.
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Cam Heyward left the field fumingβand didn't spare the details afterward.
Following Sunday's lopsided 26-7 defeat to the Buffalo Bills, Heyward was still seething over a second-quarter confrontation with Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
"Being kneed in my stomach?" Heyward told reporters. "And then just jawing back and forth. I'm ticked off the entire game because the quarterback's being protected and I'm not. It pisses me off."
Heyward alleged Allen kneed him at the end of a run play in the second quarter. When both players got up, Heyward aggressively lunged toward the quarterback. No penalty was called.
"He even said after, 'I had to do something to get you off of me,'" Heyward recounted.
The two continued exchanging words throughout the game. In the third quarter, following an Allen touchdown pass, Heyward was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after going face-to-face with the quarterback.
Allen acknowledged the heated exchanges sparked him "maybe a little bit," though he declined to detail what was said.
"I love the competitiveness out of this game," Allen said. "He's such a great player. Sometimes you need fire like that to get you going."
Allen completed the day with 123 passing yards, one touchdown, and one interception, while adding 38 rushing yards and another score. The performance improved Buffalo to 8-4.
Heyward tallied eight tackles, including two for loss, but his solid defensive performance was overshadowed by the confrontation and Pittsburgh's offensive collapse. The Steelers fell to 6-6 on the season.
