Steelers offensive leadership issues in focus after Big Ben comments - ESPN

PITTSBURGH — Cameron Heyward shook his head before the question was even fully formed.

No, the Pittsburgh Steelers way, as former longtime quarterback Ben Roethlisberger asserted earlier this week, isn't lost.

«Everybody's entitled to their opinion,» Heyward said Wednesday. «But at the end of the day, we don't really care. There's games to be won. We haven't played well the last two weeks, and that's all that really matters.»

Of course, that's easier to say from a defensive perspective.

Laden with All-Pros and ranked as the NFL's oldest unit on a per-snap basis, the defense has an established leadership structure. Officially, Heyward and T.J. Watt are the voices of the defense as the elected captains. Heyward is the more vocal of the two, while Watt's 2021 Defensive Player of the Year award coupled with his steely demeanor speaks volumes to the younger defensive players. And even without formal titles, Minkah Fitzpatrick and new-to-Pittsburgh veterans Patrick Peterson and Elandon Roberts have their own leadership niches.

«There's so many different ways that you can identify a leader,» Peterson said. «We have a bunch of different leaders, we have vocal leaders, we have guys that don't take any nonsense like the Cam Heywards, but you need those guys.»

It's a thorough support system, and it shows on the field. While defensive breakdowns have been more prevalent in the last two weeks, it's not for lack of effort, accountability or leadership. The other side of the field, though, is in a different position. While the defense is the league's oldest group, the offense is the second-youngest.

And that take-no-nonsense guy? The Steelers offense doesn't really have one.

After capturing their first 400-yard game in more than 1,000