Popular pick has become a glaring issue for Steelers' offense
There's not much running the football you can do when down by so many points but there still should be a conversation about Najee Harris following Sunday's loss. The Pittsburgh Steelers running back has continued to struggle, this time with his second-worst career game in yards per attempt. In 11 carries, Harris had 20 total […]
There's not much running the football you can do when down by so many points but there still should be a conversation about Najee Harris following Sunday's loss. The Pittsburgh Steelers running back has continued to struggle, this time with his second-worst career game in yards per attempt.
In 11 carries, Harris had 20 total rushing yards, averaging 1.8 yards per attempt. It was a rough game for the running back as the Steelers' offense as a whole got completely dominated by the Buffalo Bills' defense. Harris' best run was a six-yard run and none of his attempts moved the chains.
As a receiver, he was targeted four times and hauled in three footballs, going for 16 yards. However, a drop put a stain on his performance there, too. The former first-round pick is a great dude and one of the most friendly players on the roster. But on the field? I don't know if there's much to be excited about. Not in the past, not right now, maybe not even looking ahead.
Just about every advanced stat proves what the eye test says when watching Steelers' games. What does Najee Harris create?
Consider the following. NFL's Next Gen Stats has him as the second-worst eligible running back in rush yards over expected per attempt. He's 19th in the NFL in forced missed tackles and 24th in explosive runs (runs over 10 yards), per PFF.
Some have speculated about his health after his foot injury but even that should be doubted since these struggles are not exactly new.
If undrafted rookie Jaylen Warren does more over the next few weeks, he at least deserves more opportunities to touch the football. He's averaged 4.9 yards per attempt through 19 carries and while he's benefited from specific game situations, perhaps developing a 1-2 kind of punch could go a long way for the Steelers attack.
I disagree with the pass protection aspect of the above tweet but it's undeniably true that Harris isn't creating a whole lot for this struggling unit. The first-round running back himself admitted he deserves a big part of the blame earlier in the season.
Now it's time to turn that accountability into a solution. But consider the Najee Harris conversation official going forward.
Featured image via Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
