This week, the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to face a serious test to their running game. Through two weeks, results have been middling, if only because the offense as a whole has been dysfunctional at times. Against the Los Angeles Chargers, things won’t be any easier. Their defense has been one of the best in the league, and Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren could face some tough sledding Sunday. Former All-Pro fullback Lorenzo Neal doesn’t think the Chargers will have a problem with either running back.
“You watch Najee Harris running the ball for the Steelers, their running game, to me, has not been anything,” Neal said recently on his Bleav in Chargers podcast. “They don’t have big-play ability. If you tackle him and keep him in the box, Najee runs high, tries to run hard, but they don’t scare me. They’re not game-changing backs or playmaking backs. They run okay.”
Neal, who played for the Chargers from 2003-2007, should look a little closer at Harris and Warren. If you just look at the numbers on paper, his opinions fair but context matters. Harris only has 139 yards, averaging 3.8 yards on 37 carries. Those numbers aren’t eye-popping, but he’s looked good through two games.
In Week 1, Harris ran strong, helping to ice the game against the Atlanta Falcons. In Week 2, he seemed a little quieter, but that could be said about the entire Pittsburgh offense. The Steelers kept getting in their own way, and if they minimize that, Harris could be in for more success.
Neal is correct that Harris hasn’t exactly been a big-play threat in his career, but that’s not his role with the Steelers. He’s the road grader, beating teams up as games go on. If Neal doesn’t want to call that game changing, that’s fair, but Warren definitely deserves that designation.
Last year, there were drives completely powered by Warren. Whether it was running or receiving, he was always a threat to explode. This year, he’s seen less action, but that’s probably due to a hamstring injury he suffered in the preseason. He might not have been totally healthy to start this year though seemed more like himself against the Broncos. This week he should be at full strength.
The Chargers do have a great defense, but the Steelers seem ready to meet that challenge. Their offensive line has struggled in some areas, but everyone on offense has made it clear that they feel close to a breakthrough. Harris and Warren might not be LaDainian Tomlinson, Neal’s former teammate, but they aren’t as bad as Neal thinks they are. We’ll see if they can instill some fear into him and the Chargers’ defense.
