Right from the opening drive of the game, the Pittsburgh Steelers were out to make a statement offensively, especially in the running game.
Mission accomplished Sunday in a 30-23 win over the Seattle Seahawks.
The Steelers gained 202 yards on the ground with three touchdowns, dominating from start to finish against the Seahawks’ run defense, which came into the game with the sixth-most yards per game allowed on the ground in the NFL.
Behind an offensive line that was bullying people snap after snap, running backs Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris had huge days, barreling their way through the Seahawks’ defense. Harris rushed for 122 yards on 27 carries and added two touchdowns, while Warren added 75 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.
Both had some rather impressive “Angry Runs” too that will undoubtedly show up on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football early in the week. The physicality with which Harris and Warren ran with was rather impressive to Steelers rookie right tackle Broderick Jones. Speaking to reporters after the game from inside the locker room, Jones stated that it’s a good feeling watching the running backs dominate physically the way they did Sunday.
“I just give it up to the running backs, how physical they were today, making people miss,” Jones said to reporters, according to video via Steelers.com. “Najee’s got a great stiff arm. Like us as a o-line, we love to see that. So just them being physical and just continue to dominate and continue to just run through people’s faces, it’s just, it’s a good feeling.”
It certainly is a good feeling for the offensive linemen, especially when they see the fruits of their labor in-game pay off the way that they did on Sunday. The Steelers’ offensive line controlled the game from start to finish, especially on the ground, moving Seattle defenders off the spot, creating ample rushing lanes for Harris and Warren.
The dynamic running back duo rewarded the Steelers’ offensive line, too. They took advantage of the holes and made plays happen. Both Harris and Warren ripped off 23-yard runs. Both refused to go down on first contact and made plays happen even after unblocked defenders got to them at times.
Harris had a violent stiff arm on the perimeter on Seattle cornerback Tariq Woolen and also had a physical run on his 23-yarder, dragging defenders with him. Both of his touchdowns were great-effort plays, one of which was him breaking a pair of tackles and fighting to the goal line. The other was him getting help from teammates being pushed into the end zone.
Warren had some great runs, too, spinning off a tackle at the line of scrimmage and stiff-arming Seattle rookie cornerback Devon Witherspoon on one run, and then barreling through some defenders and dragging guys with him on his 23-yard run.
That’s the best view in the world for offensive linemen, watching their running backs physically dominate the defense. The Steelers’ offense saw that quite a bit on Sunday, and it was quite enjoyable.
