It’s no secret that Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada has a target on his back among both fans and the media. However, some people have also put the responsibility for the offensive struggles through the first four weeks heavily on the players.
One of those who has spoken publicly about the players needing to perform better is one of those same players on the field, RB Najee Harris. When he spoke with the media on Wednesday, Harris was very clear about the players needing to step up and execute better.
Some people might see that as making excuses for an embattled offensive coordinator. Some might see that as finger pointing rather than problem solving. However, that’s not how NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport saw it when it came up as a topic of discussion on The Insiders show Thursday.
“Najee Harris is very smart,” Rapoport said. “He played at Alabama. He has been through an intense media environment and intense media circuit. He has seen the criticism. There is a lot that he has been through. This all leads me to believe that this is on purpose… I took this to be ‘Don’t look at the coaches, look at us. Stop just blaming them. We should take responsibility.’ And I thought it was a cool thing to do and really, it’s what leaders of teams do.”
There’s been a lot of talk about Harris’ role in the Steelers offense, especially as fellow RB Jaylen Warren has shown a propensity for making big plays on the ground and through the air. For his career, Harris has not shown much in the way of big-play ability as evidenced by failing to eclipse an average of four yards per carry in each of his first two seasons.
Yet Harris was one of the very few players on the field in the Week Four loss to the Houston Texans to show any sort of fire and determination, running for 5.1 yards per carry and 71 yards in total along with catching one pass for 32 yards. So Harris can hold his head high and talk the way he did this week because he executed when he got his opportunities. This isn’t a diva player calling out everyone around him. As Rapoport said, this is the sign of a player leading his team.
There’s no lack of leaders on the defensive side of the ball for the Steelers, but there’s certainly a need for someone to step up on the offensive side of the ball to help rally the players. There have been at least three subpar offensive performances through four games with the offense showing some signs of life in the Week Three win over the Las Vegas Raiders. While QB Kenny Pickett is wearing the “C” for the offense as voted by the players, it certainly appears that Harris, a captain in 2022, may be doing some leading of his own.
Whether Harris’ speech galvanizes the players come Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, only time will tell. What’s clear is that something and realistically a number of things need to change for the Steelers offense. Otherwise, 2023 will simply be another battle for another non-losing season under head coach Mike Tomlin.
