Cam Heyward made it clear that he isn’t buying Jared Verse's previous comments about the Pittsburgh Steelers. According to him, it had little to do with their 27-6 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

The veteran defender said the team had a bigger goal than responding to the Los Angeles Rams' pass rusher.

Verse had called the Steelers a “dirty” team after their first meeting. He also criticized their blocking schemes and physical play, saying he looked forward to facing them again.

Asked whether he spoke to Verse before Sunday's game, Heyward offered a simple response.

“I can't say I was looking for him. There were a lot of people – Buckeyes, I wanted to see,” Heyward said.

The Steelers captain also dismissed the idea that Verse's comments motivated the team.

“We weren't motivated by that. We were motivated because we wanted to get this damn win before the bye. There's bigger fish to fry,” he said.

Pittsburgh backed up that approach with a strong defensive performance. The Steelers held Cleveland to just 34 rushing yards and recorded eight sacks. They also finished with fewer penalty yards than the Browns, committing five penalties for 47 yards.

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Heyward played a major role, finishing with six tackles, 1.5 sacks, two tackles for loss, and one pass deflection.

The victory moved Pittsburgh to 7-2 and gave the team control of first place in the AFC North. It also sent the Steelers into their bye week with a win after a demanding stretch of games.

Heyward and his teammates will return to action against the Cincinnati Bengals on November 15. For now, the veteran defender appears more interested in the division race than in continuing a back-and-forth with Verse.