To cap off the Pittsburgh Steelers' Week 16 victory, offensive coordinator, Matt Canada opted to go to an option that he uses fairly often, but not with this particular player. Rookie tight end, Connor Heyward was able to officially seal the Steelers' emotional win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday Night Football. No, it wasn't in the form of reception from rookie quarterback, Kenny Pickett either.
Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
Instead, Heyward was sent in motion and received a jet sweep from Pickett. He picked up the first down and more, gaining a total of 21 yards in the process. He played just 13 offensive snaps in the Week 16 victory, but he delivered when needed. It was quite the play call from Canada, who has been the scapegoat all season (and rightfully so) for the offense's struggles. On Monday, Heyward admitted he's never been on the receiving end of that kind of play via Nick Farabaugh of Pittsburgh Sports Now:
"It was definitely cool in the moment. I don't think I've ever got a jet sweep in my life, so it was real cool," Heyward said on his game-ending play. "In college, I played running back a little bit, so I kinda just used my running back skills. Always just being ready for the unexpected, never know when your number will be called."
Coming out of college, Heyward was quite the unique prospect. He featured in several roles for Michigan State in his five years, including fullback, tight end, and even running back at times. In fact, that was widely seen as his best attribute: his overall versatility. The connection was already there, given that his brother Cam had already played 11 years in Pittsburgh. General manager Kevin Colbert took Connor in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
The pick is seemingly already paying dividends. While he's been the team's third tight end most of the year, sitting behind Pat Freiermuth and Zach Gentry, he's been quite valuable. Heyward has been able to provide value on special teams, while also filling in for the top two guys when needed. He seems like he could be a decent piece of the team's offensive future.
Heyward has played just 137 (13.47%) offensive snaps in 2022, but he's made an appearance on 256 special teams snaps (65.14%). He's become the perfect Swiss Army knife for head coach Mike Tomlin. If he continues to make big plays like that on offense, he may see more playing time in the final two games and next season.
What are your thoughts on Connor's performance in his rookie season? Do you see him as a valuable piece of this offense's future? Should he get more playing time on offense? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below, and be sure to interact with our social media sites!
#SteelerNation
