Steelers defensive end Cam Heyward will miss the remainder of the regular season with a torn pectoral injury sustained against the Dallas Cowboys, delivering a big blow to a defense that has been struggling to stop the run and generate pressure on the quarterback.
Heyward, the team's best defensive player, made the announcement on his Twitter and Instagram accounts after getting a second evaluation Tuesday on his injury.
It is the third separate injury this season for Heyward, who missed the final two preseason games with a high-ankle sprain and two regular-season games with a severe hamstring injury.
Heyward is the second defensive player who sustained a season-ending injury against the Cowboys. Earlier Tuesday, the Steelers placed backup linebacker Steve Johnson (broken ankle) on injured reserve and re-signed inside linebacker L.J. Fort.
Coach Mike Tomlin said at his weekly televised news conference Tuesday that Heyward was getting a second evaluation on his injury. He did not reveal at the time that Heyward would be out for the season. Heyward's announcement on social media came after Tomlin's news conference.
Without Heyward, the Steelers will move veteran Ricardo Mathews into the starting lineup, but rotate him in some packages with Dan McCullers. They will also look to sign a free agent to their 53-man roster.
Meantime, Tomlin said he talked to wide receiver Antonio Brown about running out of bounds and failing to keep the ball alive on the final desperation play against the Dallas Cowboys. He did not reveal what he said to his All-Pro receiver.
"I'd like to see us stay on the field and fight and claw and scratch for every yard," Tomlin said.
However, Tomlin said he was not upset when Brown ran out of bounds after a 22-yard punt return rather than turn up field and take on Cowboys punter Chris Jones, indicating he did not want Brown taking unnecessary hits because of the injury situation at receiver.
"That's a different discussion," Tomlin said. "I gave A.B. specific instructions how he's supposed to approach the return game ... in terms of what he needs to provide us."
Tomlin called the 15-yard penalties on cornerback Ross Cockrell and safety Sean Davis "big, catastrophic," because they aided the Cowboys' final two touchdowns. But he somewhat exonerated the facemask call on Davis against tight end Jason Witten, calling it "a shame" because his rookie safety "was hustling, trying to take the football."
One play after the Davis penalty, running back Ezekiel Elliott ran 32 yards for the winning touchdown with 9 seconds remaining.
The Steelers have lost four in a row and play in Cleveland against the winless Browns (0-10) on Sunday. The Browns are one of only two teams that have a longer losing streak than the Steelers, who have won 10 of the past 12 and 22 of the past 25 meetings with Cleveland.
Tomlin said the Steelers are just not playing well enough. He used the word "undisciplined" after the game and several of the players echoed his comment. He said the lack of discipline is not rampant, but enough to change the outcome of game.
"The tape says we're not disciplined enough and we have to make an accounting of that," Tomlin said. "We're still very comfortable we can be a good football team. Us acknowledging those things that have tripped us up is where we start."
