Steelers' Cam Heyward Disillusioned With The NFL, The Fake Slide And How They Are Killing Defenses

The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a frustrating loss to the Buffalo Bills during the AFC Wild Card matchup. It didn't matter that the Steelers were underdogs from the start, that is how the team likes it. They don't need the media to believe in them, they believe in themselves. Veteran defensive tackle and captain, Cameron Heyward is proud of how the team overcame all that was stacked against them and made it a much closer game than the score makes it appear. 

While he knows that the Steelers have no one to blame but themselves for the loss, he does feel that there are some bigger issues that the league urgently needs to address. This includes things like illegal blows to the head of defenders, such as the one Joey Porter Jr. experienced during that game. The rookie had to exit the contest with a concussion after being blindsided by Bills lineman, Connor McGovern. 

Heyward expressed frustration over another NFL officiating loophole, the fake slide. During the second quarter of the game, Bills quarterback Josh Allen made a thrilling 52-yard touchdown run. While every defense knows that you cannot allow Allen to get any open space, it was the way he got that open space that frustrated Heyward.  

Steelers' Cameron Heyward Was Asked If Josh Allen Got Away With A Fake Slide

It wasn't just Steelers players that were angry about the slide. Football lovers all over complained. If it can happen to Pittsburgh and with Allen, it can happen to other defenses and with other mobile quarterbacks. Allen stuttered in his step on a scramble, alluding to some that he was going to give himself up by sliding down. This is a signal to defenders by a quarterback that they recognize they are going to get tackled and are going down instead. But instead of going down, Allen allegedly faked the slide and kept running.

Heyward also co-hosts a podcast with his friend Hayden Walsh called Not Just Football With Cam Heyward. In their most recent episode, they talked about the loss. Walsh went on a bit of a rant about how terrible the officiating was during that game, saying he knows that Heyward can't say anything or he will get fined by the league. 

"You definitely see him slow down to alert the guy that he was going to slide. I don't know what you're supposed to do as a defender, whether you know it or not. Then it happens and look at the ramifications of it because then Myles Jack takes it in his hands and he's like, 'I have to go for him because he's not giving himself up all the time,'" stated Heyward.

What Heyward is referring to was a similar play later in the game, with linebacker Myles Jack attempting to tackle Allen. He saw Allen scrambling to run with the ball. He knew what happened the last time and Jack began the process of tackling Jack. Allen started the process of his slide just a second after Jack committed to the tackle. This resulted in Jack drawing a flag that took the life out of the Steelers defense. 

That disparity between protecting the quarterback and not protecting the defenders is what has many people, including players, frustrated. The officials use their "judgment" all the time, such as on the no-call on Porter's hit, but fail to apply judgment to situations like Jack's. 

"I think we look to protect quarterbacks and we look to do this, but you're taking away from the game when you do that," said Heyward, shaking his head in disbelief. "It's mind-blowing the amount of penalties and penalties not thrown in that game."

Walsh asked how you are supposed to defend a player like Allen or any of the new breed of very mobile quarterbacks. It appeared to Walsh as well, just from watching the game, that Allen pretended he was going to slide. The NFL needs to address these kinds of situations so that they can rightfully protect quarterbacks, but also be fair to the defenders who are doing their best to work within the confines of the rules. 

Heyward said the fake slide isn't the only time this happens. Since the NFL has begun the process of primarily protecting quarterbacks, it has given teams the green light to come up with all kinds of fake situations. They know if they fake out the defense, they make a big gain. If the fake fails and the quarterback gets hit by the defense, they will almost always draw a flag and get the first down anyhow. It is a win-win situation for offenses.   

"Then you get these quarterbacks that act like they're going out of bounds, but then they skirt up the sideline and they add more yards. But as a quarterback, you should be trying to get down as soon as possible if you're a defenseless player. We look at these quarterbacks like they're different from a running back. You don't see any running backs sliding. If a quarterback turns on the gears and is running full tilt, he shouldn't be given the clearance to just make a decision right then and there to either trick the ref or trick the team. I think it's a load of crap," said a frustrated Heyward.

Ironically, the NCAA changed their rules to no longer allow the fake slide as a play after Steelers second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett used it when he played at the University of Pittsburgh. He used a fake slide to pick up a 58-yard touchdown against Wake Forest to help win Pitt their ACC title that year. 

The NCAA said their goal has been and will remain, player safety. Therefore they said that the second a player initiates a slide, the play will be blown dead. If the NFL would institute the same rule it would not only make it fair between offenses and defenses in those situations, it would also protect players like Allen and hopefully prevent unnecessary tackles. 

What do you think about the fake slide? Do you think it should be allowed? Heyward has said as much before. How does any defense stop players like Allen and still follow the rules? Click to comment below.

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