It's been a good week to be a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. Coming off the bye week, Mike Tomlin's team found a way to pull off an upset road win in Los Angeles against Matthew Stafford and the Rams. Late in the contest, Pittsburgh's offense finally caught fire as they went off for 14 points in the fourth quarter with Kenny Pickett delivering some big-time throws to Diontae Johnson and George Pickens.
Now Steelers fans get news that is even more encouraging as the team prepares for their Week 8 home matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. This team is getting healthy at the right time. Here's the latest Steelers news.
Steelers news
According to the latest report from Pittsburgh beat reporter, Nick Farabaugh, Cameron Heyward is back at practice for the Pittsburgh Steelers. This means that Tomlin has officially started his 21-day practice window. Heyward will be eligible to play any time now -- as soon as the team deems that he is ready to take the field.
Cam Heyward is back at practice. The Steelers have opened his 21-day window.
— Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) October 26, 2023
This is excellent news, as the initial report on Heyward's groin tear from Week 1 suggested that he was going to be out for at least eight weeks. It appears that Heyward could return a bit sooner than expected. If, however, Heyward suffers a setback and isn't able to return to the football field in the 21-day window, the Steelers will be required to shut him down for the rest of the season.
Because they were willing to bring him back early, this likely means that Heyward's recovery is going very well. A healthy Cam Heyward could greatly aid this team in their struggling run defense. His presence will also help out pass rushers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith as there will be a beast in the middle of the defensive line that teams must now account for.
More Steelers news
Though the Steelers were able to pull off a win in LA in Week 7, they might not have been able to do so without the collapse of Rams' kicker Brett Maher (or should I say, former Rams kicker). After missing three kicks against Pittsburgh on Sunday (two field goals and an extra point), Maher was released from the team.
Rams released veteran kicker Brett Maher.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 24, 2023
The Steelers can certainly be grateful that Maher laid an egg during their performance last week, but nobody likes to see these players lose their jobs over a poor performance. Hopefully, the NFL veteran can land back on his feet.
NFL news
Recently, Sunday Night Football on NBC released their AFC power rankings entering Week 8 of the 2023 season. To no surprise, the Kansas City Chiefs were number one on their list. The Pittsburgh Steelers came in fifth -- just ahead of the Browns and one spot behind the Ravens.
New AFC Power Rankings are in... thoughts? 🤔 #NFL pic.twitter.com/jwC3NX45Y0
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) October 25, 2023
Interestingly, the Steelers defeated the Ravens in their head-to-head matchup in Week 5 prior to entering their bye. Still, Baltimore has been the better team on paper. They sit a half-game up on Pittsburgh in the standings and they are currently in first place in the AFC North.