The Pittsburgh Steelers have two dynamic, starter-capable running backs in Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. They may have gotten here via different paths, Harris a first-round pick and Warren undrafted coming out of college. But make no mistake, they are both weapons in the backfield.
New offensive coordinator Arthur Smith should be salivating about the possibilities that these two studs can generate. Even last year with a vanilla offense that struggled to produce much firepower, these two backs put up some solid numbers. Harris rushed for 1,035 yards, Warren 784.
Heading into this season, talk has been plentiful regarding the Steelers’ desire to run the ball in Smith’s offense. Terms like “bully ball” have been thrown around to describe Pittsburgh’s intention of being a physical team that can pound the ball down your throat on the ground.
The Steelers even went and drafted three big road graders in Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier, and Mason McCormick to prove they weren’t kidding.
All of this begs the question of whether the Steelers can produce two 1,000-yard rushers in this offense. And if so, what kind of success could that lead to?
There have only been seven teams since 1970 that produced two 1,000-yard rushers in a season. That’s it. Seven. And two included quarterbacks Michael Vick and Lamar Jackson. So technically, only five teams had two running backs rush for 1,000 yards. (Disclaimer: I only researched post-merger stats. I have no idea if two guys in leather helmets from the same team accomplished this.) Here is the list:
| Year | Team | Rusher 1 | Rusher 2 | Record | Outcome |
| 1972 | Dolphins | Larry Csonka 1,117 | Mercury Morris 1,000 | 14-0 (14 games) | Super Bowl |
| 1976 | Steelers | Franco Harris 1,128 | Rocky Bleier 1,036 | 10-4 (14 games) | Lost AFC Championship Game |
| 1985 | Browns | Kevin Mack 1,104 | Earnest Byner 1,002 | 8-8 | Lost divisional round of playoffs |
| 2006 | Falcons | Warrick Dunn 1,140 | Michael Vick 1,039 | 7-9 | No playoffs |
| 2008 | Giants | Brandon Jacobs 1,089 | Derrick Ward 1,025 | 12-4 | Lost divisional round of playoffs |
| 2009 | Panthers | Jonathan Stewart 1,133 | DeAngelo Williams 1,117 | 8-8 | No playoffs |
| 2019 | Ravens | Lamar Jackson
1,206 |
Mark Ingram 1,018 | 14-2 | Lost divisional round of playoffs |
As you can see, the Steelers have already had a season with two of their RBs rushing for at least 1,000 yards. Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier accomplished the feat in 1976. They also have the distinction of doing it in a 14-game season.
Pittsburgh was going for its third Super Bowl title in a row when both Harris and Bleier were injured in a playoff game against the Baltimore Colts. Neither could play the next game against the rival Oakland Raiders, and the Steelers’ three-peat bid came to a halt.
The 1972 Miami Dolphins were the first team to accomplish the feat during their magical, perfect season when they went undefeated (also a 14-game season). The bruising Larry Csonka and the speedy Mercury Morris powered the Miami offense all the way to a Super Bowl victory and NFL immortality.
Five of the teams in the elite club made the playoffs. The Dolphins and Steelers were joined by the 1985 Cleveland Browns, the 2008 Giants, and the 2019 Ravens in reaching the postseason. All three of those teams lost in the divisional round of the playoffs.
The two remaining teams — the 2006 Falcons with Michael Vick and Warrick Dunn and the 2009 Panthers with Jonathan Stewart and one-time Steeler DeAngelo Williams — both failed to make the postseason.
The league is much different than when most of these teams accomplished the feat of two running backs rushing for at least 1,000 yards in a season. The league shifted long ago to a passing one where running the football is an afterthought to most teams. It’s now high-powered, quick strike, spread teams out, and chuck the ball all over the field. Quarterbacks rule the day in this era.
The NFL I grew up watching, running backs were the superstars. Every young boy wanted to be Walter Payton, Eric Dickerson, Bo Jackson or Barry Sanders. Today, running backs rarely get drafted in the first round and struggle to make big money in a league that throws money around like it grows on trees.
The Steelers will be bucking the trend if they proceed with a run-heavy attack like it seems they are intent on doing. They have the horses in Harris and Warren. And history shows that if you can produce two 1,000-yard rushers, your chances of making the postseason hover around 70 percent. Those are pretty good odds.
Hey, maybe they can catch lightning in a bottle and go on a run. I’d love to see the Steelers make Mercury Morris and Larry Csonka wait as long as possible before popping that damn champagne, celebrating the only undefeated team in history.
That act is beyond old.
