Tag: Connor Heyward

Cam Heyward tears into controversial Week 15 officiating vs Eagles

Cam Heyward calls out poor officiating in the Week 15 Steelers-Eagles game that saw several questionable penalty decisions made.

As viewers of the Week 15 contest between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles are well aware, the officiating was—to say the least—terrible.

Veteran Steelers DT Cam Heyward took exception with two poor calls in particular, one that saw his little brother TE/FB Connor Heyward being punched, and the other was TE Darnell Washington being slugged by Eagles CB Darius Slay.

On the most recent episode of Not Just Football with Cam Heyward, the Steelers defensive tackle discussed both of the atrocious officiating decisions: “The reasoning behind those two plays just felt idiotic.”

Heyward would continue to rip into the officials’ decisions and vision on these penalties, arguing that it “did not feel like they even looked at the plays.”

Heyward concluded his analysis and criticism of the officials from Week 15’s contest, describing that, at the very least, the penalties should have offset between Washington and Slay.

Heyward will need to recompose himself, as the team has little time to focus on the poor officiating from Week 15. The Pittsburgh Steelers have the potential to take the AFC North title by defeating the Baltimore Ravens in Week 16, and to do so, every bit of energy and effort will need to be spent on stopping the Lamar Jackson-led offense.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Steelers fans react to ‘Hard Knocks: In Season with AFC North’ premiere

Steelers fans were captivated by the debut of ‘Hard Knocks: In Season with the AFC North’, sharing their excitement on social media.

Without a shadow of a doubt, the most entertainment Steelers fans could have ever dreamed of was experienced last Tuesday night during HBO’s Hard Knocks: In Season with the AFC North debut episode.

The premiere of the AFC North’s rendition of Hard Knocks went off with a bang and showcased not only several important storylines fans have grown familiar with during the 2024 season but also shed light on some important behind-the-scenes revelations for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Aside from the backstage point of view and the inner workings of what went into the Pittsburgh Steelers’ game plan for Week 13’s contest against the Cincinnati Bengals, there were several fun and exciting moments throughout. From HC Mike Tomlin’s passion to the Heyward brothers’ hilarious dynamic, fans were in love with the new series’ debut. With that in mind, here are some of the best fan reactions to the premiere of Hard Knocks: In Season with the AFC North.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

4 (realistic?) trade targets for Broncos ahead of NFL’s deadline

Will the Broncos trade for a tight end ahead of the NFL’s trade deadline? Here are four players the team could consider.

With the NFL trade deadline (Nov. 5) now one week away, we are once again revisiting the topic of potential trade candidates for the Denver Broncos.

Last week, we listed five high-profile tight ends, five star wide receivers and a trio of New Orleans Saints players who the Broncos could target before the trade deadline. While exciting candidates, those 13 players might not necessarily be realistic targets.

Today, we’re taking a quick look at four players who could be more realistic candidates for Denver to bring in before the deadline.

Broncos realistic (?) trade targets

1. TE Jordan Akins: The Browns probably don’t want to trade David Njoku, but Adkins could be an expendable tight end. He has 16 receptions for 140 yards and one score this year, better totals than all of Denver’s tight ends.

2. TE Connor Heyward: The Steelers seem unlikely to part with Pat Freiermuth, but Heyward has seen his role decline a bit this year despite being productive in the past.

3. TE Austin Hooper: Sensing a trend? The Patriots are happy with Hunter Henry, but perhaps they would be willing to part with Hooper. His career averages out to 50 receptions for 501 yards and 3 touches per season.

4. WR Jonathan Mingo: Diontae Johnson would likely have a big price tag, but Mingo could be a more realistic target. The former second-round pick is underutilized in a woeful Panthers offense.

As the NFL’s trade deadline approaches, will track any potential moves for Denver on Broncos Wire.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Watch Connor Heyward score SNF touchdown

Connor Heyward found the endzone on SNF

On Sunday Night Football the Pittsburgh Steelers took on the Dallas Cowboys. In a closely contested game, the Cowboys knocked off the Steelers, 20-17.

One of the two touchdowns scored in the game by the Steelers was done by a former Spartan.

Connor Heyward, a former MSU running back and tight end, now plays as a hybrid tight end and fullback for the Steelers. Heyward found the endzone for the second time in his young career.

Watch the touchdown by Heyward via the NFL on X:

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1843132457211850906

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on Twitter @Cory_Linsner

Watch former Spartan Connor Heyward scores TD in NFL preseason game

A former Spartan found the endzone in a NFL preseason game on Friday night

A former Spartan found the endzone in a NFL preseason game on Friday night.

Former Michigan State Spartan Connor Heyward scored a six-yard touchdown in Friday night’s Steelers-Texans preseason game. Heyward is a tight end for the Steelers and looking to again make the Steelers’ roster out of training camp.

Check out the touchdown highlight from Heyward below:

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on Twitter @RobertBondy5.

Steelers TE Connor Heyward says team is built for two and three tight end sets

Connor Heyward promises the Steelers are going to use multiple tight ends.

Sometimes the smartest thing you can do is the simplest. The Pittsburgh Steelers head into the 2024 season with a new offensive coordinator, a new scheme and a diverse roster.

One position the Steelers seem to be very deep at is tight end. Pat Freiermuth is just the tip of the iceberg for the depth chart. The Steelers also have Darnell Washington, Connor Heyward, Rodney Williams and MyCole Pruitt who all can play.

Smith’s new offense has the capacity to focus heavily on the tight end as a by-product of multiple tight ends in the run game. Heyward talked to the media after training camp practice and said to expect to see two and three tight end sets this season.

Versatility is the key. Freiermuth is more than capable of splitting out and isn’t only an inline tight end like Washington. The same goes for Pruitt. As for Heyward, his experience at both tight end and running back gives him the ability to play a hybrid role and work as an H-back.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Connor Heyward to have larger role in Pittsburgh Steelers offense

Connor Heyward is poised for a larger role in 2024-25 with the Steelers

NFL training camps are underway and things are starting to shake out in terms of depth charts and how players are going to be used in the new season of football. One former Michigan State standout, Connor Heyward, is poised to see an increase in his role in 2024-25.

Heyward is a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers and has found a nice niche for himself as a tight end. The former sixth round pick has already caught 35 passes for 318 yards and a touchdown in his NFL career and those numbers look like they will be increasing this season.

According to a SteelerNation article, Heyward is excited for the larger role that looms in 2024-25:

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on Twitter @Cory_Linsner

Steelers tight ends poised for huge year in Arthur Smith’s offense

The Steelers have three tight ends with various skills and Arthur Smith needs to use them all.

We have poured over the numbers for new Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith from his time as an offensive coordinator as well as a head coach. This has led us to a few conclusions, the first being, this Steelers team is going to be highly effective running the football this season.

But what about when they have to throw the football? We are cautiously optimistic about the role of wide receiver George Pickens this season as the team’s No. 1 target. And we are also somewhat hopeful that rookie Roman Wilson will eventually work his way into a role by the midway point of the year.

However, we don’t feel like the Steelers need to overthink things when it comes to who is going to catch the football aside from Pickens. The Steelers have a trio of tight ends, all of which have their own strengths and should really fortify the passing game, if the coaches give them a shot.

The lead tight end on the list if Pat Freiermuth and we’ve seen in the past he can absolutely take over a game for periods of time but this season must be a regular part of the gameplan.

But the players I’m most excited to see are Darnell Washington and Connor Heyward. Washington is a mountain of a man and an athletic marvel who just needs to clean up his routes and play more consistency and he could be as dangerous as any player on the offense. This includes Heyward, who has shown he can work as a running back or tight end and gives the Steelers a guy they can move all over the formation.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Steelers TE Connor Heyward ready to contribute on offense

The Steelers need to find ways to get Connor Heyward more involved on offense.

The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted tight end Connor Heyward not just because he was the younger brother of Cam Heyward but because he was an excellent tight end and running back at Michigan State.

But so far, through two seasons, Heyward hasn’t found a spot in the regular offense and has mainly impacted the team on special teams. Something Heyward wants to change this year.

“It’s hard to get hype for the game when you’re not playing as much offense or defense because growing up, that’s part of the game,” Heyward said. “Special teams is fun, but you want to be out there for offense and defense.”

We are cautiously optimistic that Heyward will have a breakout season in 2024 with new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith in charge. Heyward can operate out of the backfield, inline and in the slot which gives them plenty of ways to get him more involved in the rushing and passing game.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Steelers TE Connor Heyward poised for a breakout season

We can’t wait to see Connor Heyward shine in the Steelers new offense.

There is a ton of excitement surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers offense this season thanks to the addition of two new quarterbacks and new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. We have already seen snippets of OTA practices that show plenty of new wrinkles in the passing game that feel like this offense is going to be much more explosive than in recent seasons.

Of all the players on the team who could benefit the most from all of the upgrades, we feel like tight end Connor Heyward might be the guy who shines in this scheme.

Looking at Smith’s offense, the tight end has always been big part of it but when we connect the dots between Smith and Heyward we look at 2020. Smith was the offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans and he built one of the best offenses in the NFL.

Tight end Jonnu Smith had 41 receptions and fullback Anthony Firsker had 39 of his own. Heyward’s career best is 23 receptions in 2023. With Heyward’s diverse skill set, we can see Smith getting him involved heavily in his play-action scheme and Heyward’s ability to work inline, split wide and out of the backfield.

We also lean heavily into Heyward being a big factor this season with fellow tight end Pat Freiermuth being in the final year of his contract. The Steelers have to prepare for the future in case Freiermuth moves on in free agency next offseason.

The Steelers selected Heyward, younger brother of defensive tackle Cam Heyward in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft. Heyward had a strong career at Michigan State as both a running back and tight end which just lends itself to an expanded role this season even more.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]