Cam Heyward could be Steelers first double-digit sack artist since 2010

[teegre]

oh no doubt. it makes me wonder when the last time an ILB had double digit sacks is

Right now, Vincenzo is tied for 18th place on the “league leaders” sack list. He’s the only ILB in the top 50.

Now, I’m going to Google the sack leaders from years past... (to answer your question).

2016: Benardrick McKinley led ILBs w/ 5 sacks.
2015: Clay Matthews led ILBs w/ 6.5 sacks.
2014: David Harris led ILBs w/ 5.5 sacks.
2013: Karlos Dansby led ILBs w/ 6.5 sacks.

I’m going to stop there (for now).

[Born2Steel]

VW has played better than I expected, I will admit that much. So much better that we haven't had a Matakevich discussion on here since around week 3/4. I credit a lot of that to our DL being a group of blocker eating monsters as well. This entire defense has impressed me this season. Still some room for improvement, but this unit has been fun to watch.

Cam has been on a different level since returning. I don't know if he spent much of his time in the film room while rehabbing, but it sure looks like it. He's in the backfield more consistently, and has been a bringer of chaos on nearly every snap. And I'm loving it.

[pczach]

oh no doubt. it makes me wonder when the last time an ILB had double digit sacks is

Off the top of my head I would say Chad Brown. He was a weapon that got to the quarterback a lot while he was a Steeler. I haven't looked it up.

[pczach]

Off the top of my head I would say Chad Brown. He was a weapon that got to the quarterback a lot while he was a Steeler. I haven't looked it up.

I looked up Chad Brown's career stats. He had 13 in 1996. I don't know if any others did it, I just looked up Brown's numbers.

http://www.nfl.com/player/chadbrown/2499824/careerstats

[teegre]

I looked up Chad Brown's career stats. He had 13 in 1996. I don't know if any others did it, I just looked up Brown's numbers.

http://www.nfl.com/player/chadbrown/2499824/careerstats

He played OLB that season.

Greg Lloyd went down (knee), and Brown moved over... and had an All Pro year.

[tube517]

He played OLB that season.

Greg Lloyd went down (knee), and Brown moved over... and had an All Pro year.

8.5 from the ILB position in 1994. Those 4 LBs from 93-95 were scary

[teegre]

8.5 from the ILB position in 1994. Those 4 LBs from 93-95 were scary

It was one of my favorite eras of Steelers football.

[pczach]

He played OLB that season.

Greg Lloyd went down (knee), and Brown moved over... and had an All Pro year.

You're right. I forgot about that.

He was a terrific pass rusher from the inside his entire career, even in Seattle.

- - - Updated - - -

Here's an interesting article on Vince Williams and his path with the Steelers. It's a couple weeks old.

https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.co...wrence-timmons

[Psycho Ward 86]

VW has played better than I expected, I will admit that much. So much better that we haven't had a Matakevich discussion on here since around week 3/4. I credit a lot of that to our DL being a group of blocker eating monsters as well. This entire defense has impressed me this season. Still some room for improvement, but this unit has been fun to watch.

Cam has been on a different level since returning. I don't know if he spent much of his time in the film room while rehabbing, but it sure looks like it. He's in the backfield more consistently, and has been a bringer of chaos on nearly every snap. And I'm loving it.

Oh man, those were some good times . Nothing screams better than VW like making 10 tackles after 8 yard gains in that blowout loss to the Dolphins a season ago

[Mojouw]

Oh man, those were some good times . Nothing screams better than VW like making 10 tackles after 8 yard gains in that blowout loss to the Dolphins a season ago

I'm just going to pull this down. It was unnecessarily divisive and contributed nothing to the overall discussion.

It was an attempt at humor that was in poor taste and went down a road that is never constructive.

Apologize to everyone.

[tube517]

There is nothing that almost all NFL fans, and Steelers fans in particular, love more than undersized, scrappy, and "heady" white middle linebackers. People lose their minds.

[Steeldude]

There is nothing that almost all NFL fans, and Steelers fans in particular, love more than undersized, scrappy, and "heady" white middle linebackers. People lose their minds.

I agree minus the White part.

[Mojouw]

I agree minus the White part.

Yeah. That was shitty comment on my part and was totally inappropriate. I'm going to pull it down.

[teegre]

Here's an interesting article on Vince Williams and his path with the Steelers. It's a couple weeks old.

https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.co...wrence-timmons

Good read.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

Yeah. That was shitty comment on my part and was totally inappropriate. I'm going to pull it down.

No worries here, I get that its a comment that I never thought twice about. I think we have those guys like Brian Hinkle, Jerry Olsavsky, Patrick Bailey, Matakevich in mind more when we think of those type players. We could put guys like Larry Foote, Sean Spence in those categories as undersized and heady, but they were higher round draft picks and not likely seen as underdogs. Some sensitive times we live in and I appreciate you acknowledging your mistake.

As for this seeming notion that VW is a sack artist, meh. I haven't seen him beat anybody with any pass rush moves to get them, but rather some opportunistic blitzes. The fact is he is getting guys on the ground when he gets the chance on the blitz. I'm happy he has picked up his production in the run game, as there seemed to be a couple games that he was missing in action in the run defense earlier in the season.

[AtlantaDan]

Peter King in his MMQB column this morning

Cam Heyward is the most underrated great player in football. Hard for any Steeler to be underrated, but he’s the best all-around defensive lineman they’ve had since Aaron Smith—and Smith was underrated too.

https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/11/20/lo...eter-king-mmqb

I sent an email to MMQB asking if it is hard for a Steeler to be underrated because they have a nationwide following or some other reason as well as whether there are other teams where it is hard for the players to be overrated or underrated because of the team on which they play. Will post any response that may be posted on MMQB.

[SteelMember]

If Cam Heyward has a wallet, I bet it's the one from from Pulp Fiction that says "Bad MotherF#*@er"