Since he entered the NFL in 2021 as a top-flight rookie out of Alabama, third-year running back Najee Harris has only known one true thing when it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the type of games that they play: ugly, tight, low-scoring games that often come down to the last few possessions.
That was again the case in Week Seven against the Los Angeles Rams as the Steelers needed a fourth-quarter resurgence, taking over in the final 15 minutes to grind out a hard-fought win on the West Coast.
Speaking with reporters Wednesday from inside the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side, Harris stated that the low-scoring, tight games nerve-wracking, but he gets energized by them because it comes down to players making plays in big spots.
It helps that, according to him, the Steelers are always prepared for a 15-round fight.
“It’s scary, because it could go either way, you know what I mean? It’s the NFL though. Every game’s not gonna be a blowout, but since I’ve been here it’s been literally all tight games,” Harris said to reporters, according to video via the Steelers’ YouTube page.
Though the majority of the games — if not all that the Steelers have won with Harris in the fold — have been close, that ability to play well in tight games, execute and pick up wins is a great trait that a young Steelers team has, bringing out that dog mentality that Harris likes to refer.
“Yeah, man, that’s the best way [to describe it]. Yeah, we will [find a way to win. That way we’re always prepared for like a 15-round fight,” Harris said to reporters, according to video via the Steelers’ YouTube page. “That’s what I always say. We always have to be prepared to play through five quarters even, that being overtime, that’s why I say five.
“Just us having that mentality, I think it’s helped us persevere. But to your point, man, it is scary sometimes.”
If it’s scary for Harris being in the tight, low-scoring games, imagine how the fan base feels having to deal with the emotional rollercoasters through games on a weekly basis with the Black and Gold.
That said, Harris brings up a great point about the Steelers. They are always prepared for a 15-round battle with their opponent, a knock-down, drag-out battle, a war of attrition. It’s not always going to be pretty. Honestly, in the last three years they’ve rarely been. But all that matters is finding a way to get that all important addition to the record in the win column.
More often than not, the Steelers have done that, all while having key young pieces develop and continue to take steps forward. Head Coach Mike Tomlin likes to talk about sparring before boxing, and right now the Steelers are getting closer to boxing with the big dogs rather than friendly sparring, thanks to their ability to win close games.
