There are numerous plays in every game that you might be able to point to and say things could’ve gone differently had just one thing changed. Perhaps not the end result of each game, but at least how you get there. And one play in Sunday’s victory by the Pittsburgh Steelers in particular seemed to have a couple of alumni steamed.
Former Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger hosted RB Merril Hoge, who both played and worked for the team in various capacities, on his Footbahlin podcast as they watched the game live against the Green Bay Packers. They both vented their frustrations over RB Najee Harris’ decision to attempt a hurdle late in the fourth quarter rather than lower his shoulder as he neared the first down marker.
To set the stage, the Steelers were up 20-19 facing 2nd and 10 with 5:58 to play at Green Bay’s 25. Jaylen Warren had been pounding the ball up to that point in the drive but checked out of the game one play earlier after being stopped for no gain. QB Kenny Pickett tossed a screen to Harris left side and left his feet six yards beyond the line of scrimmage to try to clear 6-0, 210-pound S Rudy Ford. The defensive back was able to grab him by the leg and bring him (and the ball) out of bounds before clearing the line to gain.
“All he does is jump”, Roethlisberger exclaimed in exasperation—and that, before the officials re-spotted the ball two yards short after initially giving him the first down. Both he and Hoge were lamenting that Harris was going to get himself hurt. And then they spotted the ball back to make it 3rd and 2.
“If Naj doesn’t jump this guy and puts his shoulder down and runs ahead, he gets the first down”, Roethlisberger said. “He jumps him and gets [carried out of bounds by the defender]. He loses all his momentum…Now that’s a big guy, but you’re telling me that his momentum [isn’t enough]?”.
Harris, by the way, is listed at 6-1, 242 pounds. You’re not going to do a lot of things to that man physically that he doesn’t want to do. He’s trucked plenty of defenders in the past, but he often chooses the northern route—to his former quarterback’s chagrin, though he did have a touchdown.
“Go. Run him over. Run that guy over and you’ve got the first down. Man”, his ranting continued after the Steelers failed to pick up the first down, deflating a successful drive with a field goal. “Put him down and you run him over and you guarantee the first down. And you avoid this landing…But now you’re kicking the field goal and you’re only up four instead of running for the first down and getting it”.
“Get the first down and stop jumping!”.
How many living rooms around Pittsburgh had a conversation very much like this on that play, one might wonder? It’s just interesting to see how similarly a future Hall of Famer might watch his former team to the average fan’s experience. Of course, Roethlisberger might know a little more at times.
As it turned out, the four points wouldn’t matter—but perhaps only thanks to CB Patrick Peterson’s blocked extra point in the first half. That lost point kept the score from being within a field goal, so the Packers had to look for the end zone at the end of the game rather than attempt to tie. And that ended in an interception inside the red zone as time expired.
