The Pittsburgh Steelers took down the Las Vegas Raiders, but the game looked like it could go either way for a while. The Raiders just ultimately made more mistakes. The Steelers also had Najee Harris running like a madman. It was arguably Harris’ best NFL game yet, and Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby had a funny message for Harris.
“I’m not going to lie; I thought I had a clean-ass [tackle-for-loss] early, and I low-key missed that bitch,” Crosby said Tuesday on his podcast. “I was a little high. He got a little wiggly, but I got his ass later. So, [Harris], if you’re watching, fuck you. That’s my guy. Big shout out to [Harris]. Great dude.”
Just to be clear, Crosby isn’t actually mad at or trying to insult Harris. He’s just letting him know not to get a big head just because he slipped out of Crosby’s grasp once. It’s a fun example of how football is ultimately still just a game. The NFL is one of the biggest businesses in the world, but what happens on the field doesn’t always change if some players are friends or not.
It seems like the play Crosby is talking about where he missed Harris came on the Steelers’ third play of the day. It wasn’t Harris’ best work of the day, but it did leave an impression on Crosby. The play only registers as a gain of one yard, but it set the tone. It let Harris and Crosby both know how the day was going to go.
Crosby is correct that he eventually got his TFL on Harris, though. It came much later in the game, and the Steelers had basically begun to run away with the game, but the Raiders still had a chance. With a little over 10 minutes remaining, Crosby bursts through the line of scrimmage, this time making sure he’s got Harris wrapped up behind the line of scrimmage.
Against the Raiders, Harris rushed for 106 yards on 14 carries, also scoring his first rushing touchdown of the year. He was dominant throughout, helping power the Steelers to their greatest offensive explosion of the year so far. He ran like a man possessed, and maybe part of that motivation was the friendly competition against Crosby.
During that same episode, Crosby explained what makes Harris so tough to play against.
“He’s another one, big fucking physical back. You got to really tackle that motherfucker. He’s a big boy.”
Harris is a unit at running back, measuring over six feet tall and weighing well over 220 pounds. Tackling him is a task. He’s almost like an old-school running back. Harris doesn’t do anything cute. He runs straight through people. With a full head of steam, he’s like a runaway train.
Harris has had some duds this year, but the Steelers’ struggles in the run game aren’t totally on him. The offensive line has been dealing with a laundry list of issues, and teams have been better prepared to stop the run against the Steelers. Hopefully, Harris continues to roll along, though. He’s currently in a contract year, and if he wants to have a big payday next year, he’ll need to have more performances like the one he had against the Raiders.
