catches for 85 yards and has caught at least one pass in 35 straight games. ...

PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin understands the negativity associated with a four-game slide and stressed his underachieving team would do its best to absorb it and move forward.Its a path theyll have to travel without Cam Heyward. The defensive end and co-captain is out for the rest of the season with an upper-body injury suffered in Sundays loss to Dallas.Heyward posted a message on Instagram on Tuesday afternoon indicating his 2016 season is over.My role will change as I can not play but it will not change the goals the team has set out, Heyward wrote .Maybe, but the loss of their most consistent defensive player will make achieving those goals far tougher.While Heyward didnt specify the exact nature of the injury, Tomlin described it as a pectoral or chest problem. Heyward was examined on Monday and received a second opinion on Tuesday before making the announcement.My patience will be tested, but I look forward to 2017, Heyward wrote. My hand will remain in the pile no matter what!The loss of Heyward deals Pittsburghs already struggling defense with another significant blow. He missed the first two games of his six-year career in October when he tweaked his left hamstring in a win over the New York Jets on Oct. 9.The Steelers run defense collapsed without Heyward, giving up 204 yards to Miamis Jay Ajayi and 127 to New Englands LeGarrette Blount , games that started a midseason swoon.Heyward returned against Baltimore on Nov. 6 and the defense seemed to make significant strides against the Ravens and held Dallas rookie Ezekiel Elliott largely in check last Sunday before giving up a pair of touchdown runs in the final two minutes of a 35-30 setback that left Heyward fuming and led quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to call out some of his teammates for a lack of discipline.Not exactly the kind of chatter the Steelers expected to be generating in mid-November.Tomlin understands the frustration of his players. At the same time, he believes emotions are not as important as results.Were not doing enough of the good things well enough to win on a consistent basis, Tomlin said. Weve got to change that. We still feel very comfortable that were capable of being a good football team. But those (hurt) feelings are less important ... than wins.A feeling the Steelers havent experienced in more than a month. While a potential reprieve awaits at winless Cleveland (0-10) on Sunday, the way Pittsburgh has played of late -- particularly on the road, where it is 1/3 -- doesnt exactly have Tomlin brimming with optimism.This is the third losing streak of at least four games during Tomlins tenure. The Steelers dropped five straight in 2009 and four straight in 2013. Both years Pittsburgh failed to make the playoffs.Missing out on the postseason seemed farfetched during a 4-1 start, but the Steelers have been so lifeless, careless or both recently that sitting at home in mid-January has become a very real possibility.The tape says there are not enough people doing the right things on a consistent basis, Tomlin said.A couple of his stars included. Though wide receiver Antonio Brown caught 14 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown against the Cowboys, he also was meekly pushed out of bounds at the Dallas 20 on the games final play rather than flipping the ball back into the field hoping for an unlikely score.Tomlin understands the odds of the ball somehow winding up in the end zone following a series of laterals are slim. Slim, though, is better than none.At the end of the game Id like to see us stay inbounds and see us fight and claw and scratch, Tomlin said.Something Pittsburgh will try to do without Heyward, who has embraced the role as the vocal leader of a defense in transition. Its telling both of Heywards effort and Pittsburghs issues getting to the quarterback that his 3.0 sacks lead the team even though he missed two full games and the part of another.My support for this team will only grow, Heyward wrote, and I look forward in watching this team grow and fight on.Game notes LB Steve Johnson (ankle) was placed on injured reserve. Pittsburgh added linebacker L.J. Fort to the 53-man roster. ... WR Darrius Heyward-Bey (foot) is out against the Browns. ... The availability of WR Markus Wheaton (shoulder) will be determined later in the week.---For more NFL coverage: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Anders Lee Islanders Jersey . Ronaldo produced a spectacular individual performance on Tuesday, scoring all three goals and guiding Portugal into the next years World Cup in Brazil with a 3-2 victory in Sweden. The Real Madrid forward has scored 66 goals in 2013, but the last three may be the boost he needs to upstage Messi after FIFA unexpectedly extended the voting period for the Ballon dOr to Nov. Nick Leddy Islanders Jersey . Varlamov made 33 saves and Ryan OReilly had a goal and scored in the shootout as the Avalanche beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 on Thursday night. http://www.islanderssale.com/authentic-nick-leddy-islanders-jersey/ . -- James Young couldnt wait to apply those tweaks to his jump shot, and the first one he made against UT Arlington told him it could be a good night. Mathew Barzal Islanders Jersey . Cuban testified Thursday that he was upset when the companys CEO told him news that would reduce the value of his shares, for which hed paid $7.5 million. But he said he did nothing improper when he sold those shares over the next two days. Denis Potvin Islanders Jersey . Numbers Game looks into the Canadiens securing the services of Thomas Vanek in a trade with the New York Islanders. The Canadiens Get: LW Thomas Vanek and a conditional fifth-round pick. LINCOLN, Neb. -- Ryker Fyfes second career start sure went a lot better than his first.Fyfe passed for 220 yards and a touchdown while filling in for injured starter Tommy Armstrong Jr., leading No. 19 Nebraska to a 28-7 win over Maryland on Saturday.The Cornhuskers (9-2, 6-2 Big Ten) stayed alive in the West Division. They must win at Iowa on Friday and Wisconsin must lose to Minnesota on Saturday for Nebraska to go to the conference championship game.Fyfe, who walked on in 2012 and earned a scholarship two years ago, created a lifetime memory on senior day in what will be his only start at Memorial Stadium. He said he was motivated by the opportunity to redeem himself for his five-turnover performance in his previous start, a 55-45 loss at Purdue last year.I put a lot of pressure on myself, he said. You want to come out and play well and get a win and not lose to teams like Purdue. That was a tough one last year. For sure I came out playing hard.Terrell Newby ran for a career-high three touchdowns and Nebraska limited the Terrapins to 207 yards, including 11 rushing. Maryland (5-6, 2-6) lost for the sixth time in seven games and has been outscored 149-13 over three weeks.Fyfe prevailed over Max Bortenschlager in a battle of backup quarterbacks.Armstrong injured his hamstring against Minnesota and was not in uniform Saturday. Perry Hills was dressed but didnt play for the Terrapins because of shoulder problems.Fyfe was effective if not always pretty. He was 24 of 37, often dropping back deep and angling toward the sideline before throwing downfield, sometimes sidearm, sometimes off his back foot. He also hurt the Terps with a couple runs.Ive always had a special spot for Ryker, Nebraska coach Mike Riley said. Hes a guy who could have gone to a smaller school and thrown for 3,000 yards one year. He stuck it out here with teammates and friends and won a big game for us to get our ninth win.Bortenschlager, a freshman who entered the game having thrown four passes in one previous appearance, was 14 of 29 for 191 yards. He was sacked five times.Throughout the year, weve been able to run the ball in just about every game, Terps coach DJ Durkin said. We werent able to do that today. That affected Max as well. If you cannt run the ball, thats hard on any quarterback.ddddddddddddMaryland ended an 11-quarter stretch with no touchdowns when D.J. Moore caught a screen pass and took it 92 yards to the end zone early in the fourth quarter.I would say thats one of the best touchdowns Ive had, Moore said.THE TAKEAWAYMaryland: The Terrapins missed Hills but werent likely to win this game even if he played. The week off might help him get ready for a winnable home game against Rutgers.Nebraska: Fyfe was good in the first half and OK in the second against an overmatched opponent. The Huskers definitely want Armstrong ready for Iowa next week.POLL IMPLICATIONSNebraska could move up in the Top 25 depending on what teams ahead of it do, but a win over the scuffling Terps doesnt merit a promotion on its own.KEY NUMBERSMaryland was the first Nebraska opponent held scoreless in the first half. The Terps have been outscored 101-3 in the first halves over three games. ... Jordan Westerkamp had a season-high eight catches for 85 yards and has caught at least one pass in 35 straight games. ... Newby, playing his 50th consecutive game, ran 22 times for 98 yards and scored from 8, 5 and 1 yard. ... The Huskers have gone two straight games without a turnover for the first time since 2003.SPECIAL SENIOR DAYNebraska honored Sam Foltz during its senior day ceremony. Each senior greeted and hugged Foltzs parents before placing a red rose on the 27-yard line. No. 27 was Foltzs uniform number.Foltz, who would have been the Huskers senior punter , and former Michigan State punter Mike Sadler were killed in a single-car accident in Wisconsin in July. Both were in Wisconsin to work at a kicking camp.We miss Sam like crazy and we love him so much, and hes still out there with us, Westerkamp said.UP NEXTMaryland: The Terrapins will try to break their four-game losing streak and achieve bowl eligibility when they host the Scarlet Knights on Saturday.Nebraska: The Huskers visit Iowa on Friday hoping to avenge last years loss to the Hawkeyes in Lincoln.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 ' ' '