Entering the 2023 season, there was a lot of pressure on third-year running back Najee Harris to take a significant step forward in his game and be the running back he was in the second half of last season for the entirety of this season.
That hasn’t been the case as Harris — much like the Pittsburgh Steelers offense in general — has had his struggles.
But in the last month or so he’s heating up as the weather gets colder and the conditions get worse.
He also finds himself tied for the league lead in 20-plus-yard explosive runs on the season with 12, doing something many believed he couldn’t do or didn’t have as part of his game coming into the season. The ability to rip off those explosive runs this season is a testament to the hard work Harris has put in and the growth he’s made in regard to the nuances of the position, head coach Mike Tomlin stated Tuesday.
“He’s working to get better. We’re working to get better. I think it’s a reasonable expectation for guys to grow, man, particularly at the early stages of their career. Physical talent is just a component of play at every position,” Tomlin said to reporters regarding Harris, according to video via the Steelers’ YouTube page. “Knowledge setting up blocks, moving second- and third-level defenders as you approach the line of scrimmage. I just think that those are some of the nuances of the game and of the position that you don’t talk a lot about.
“But guys legitimately improve in those areas, particularly when young, and he works extremely hard at the game, physically, mentally, and so it was reasonable to expect him to get better.”
Harris has gotten better — a lot better.
Though the raw numbers aren’t all that impressive at this stage of the season — just 598 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 143 carries (4.2 yards per carry) — he’s getting better and better as the season progresses.
He’s running hard downhill behind his pads, really leaning into his 240-pound frame. He’s taken a cue from backup running back Jaylen Warren and started to hit the hole much quicker and harder, leading to chunk gains in the run game, and he’s really starting to seeing things much better from a vision and awareness standpoint.
There is no questioning Harris’ work ethic or commitment to the team and the game of football. He’s a great leader for the Steelers and he meets the standard of what it means to be a Steelers running back from a mentality standpoint. He refuses to go down on first contact, drags defenders with him and looks to dish out punishment whenever he can.
He’s starting to improve at the nuances of the game, too, like how to press the line of scrimmage with urgency, helping move defenders, like Tomlin stated, and setting up blocks. He has a great feel for the game right now and it’s showing in his play.
It’s reasonable to expect that to continue the rest of the season, too.
