There wasn’t a lot of things that went well for the Steelers last Sunday against the Houston Texans as the team suffered a brutal 30-6 defeat on the road. However, one bright spot amid a rather dreary offensive performance for Pittsburgh was RB Najee Harris. He managed 103 scrimmage yards against Houston thanks to his hard running between the tackles as well as a fantastic catch-and-run he made for Pittsburgh’s longest reception of the day.
OC Matt Canada was asked about Harris’ performance last weekend on Thursday and if his strong showing against Houston could be built upon as the team prepares to take on the Ravens this coming Sunday in Pittsburgh.
“I know Najee played with just great energy and great passion and he did everything we could ask him to do to try to win the game and do everything he can,” Canada told reporters via video from Amanda Godsey’s YouTube channel. “You know, taking holes when they were there. Making something happen if it wasn’t quite as perfect as we wanted it to be. I thought he played really hard, and we’ll continue to lean on him for that.”
Having conducted a film room on Harris and his performance last weekend, we saw a determined Harris run the best he has all season against Houston. Coming out like a man possessed in the second half, he routinely broke tackles upon contact, fighting for every yard as he displayed power as well as burst to rip off multiple successful runs in the second half.
Harris was the lone bright spot when it came to Pittsburgh’s skill position players against Houston. He made the most of the holes that were there for him in the running game and also did his best to create when the perfect hole wasn’t there. Canada and the offensive coaching staff would be wise to lean on Harris in this week’s matchup against the Ravens as QB Kenny Pickett deals with a knee injury. They should ride the hot hand of Harris as well as capitalize on the superb run blocking shown by guys like LT Broderick Jones and TE Darnell Washington.
The Ravens boast the third-ranked run defense in football, making them a tough opponent for Pittsburgh’s struggling rush attack. However, Harris had his best game of the season in Week 17 last year against Baltimore, running for 111 yards as he and Jaylen Warren established a presence on the ground to help Pittsburgh to victory. If the Steelers want to get back atop of the AFC North standings with a win on Sunday, leaning on a hot Harris should be a big part of their strategy.
