Entering the Week 6 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris was facing quite a bit of criticism as the run game struggled in back-to-back losses to the Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys.
Some of the criticism was warranted, as far as the issues with vision from Harris, but it wasn’t like he was missing holes, because there weren’t any. The offensive line struggled mightily in front of Harris in those two losses, too. Harris also didn’t help himself in certain instances.
That raised questions about Harris, his abilities and being the Steelers’ true workhorse running back. He heard all the noise.
On Sunday against the Raiders, Harris went out and had one of the best games of his career. He rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, highlighted by his 36-yard touchdown in which he broke some tackles, got a key block from tight end Pat Freiermuth and raced down the left sideline for the score.
Ironically, the touchdown came on a toss play, a play in offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s playbook that has been a struggle for Harris. While he found a way to score on the play and had a great day overall, former Steelers defensive lineman Chris Hoke believes that the Steelers aren’t using Harris properly based on his run style and skill set.
Appearing on the KDKA Nighty Sports Call after the win over the Raiders, Hoke gave his thoughts on Harris and how the Steelers deploy him in the run game.
“I believe they use Najee Harris the wrong way sometimes. They’re running him in that zone play where he’s running toward the sidelines, stretch, and his shoulder are parallel to the line of scrimmage instead of running straight downhill. He is more a downhill runner. Let him run between the tight ends,” Hoke said of the way the Steelers utilize Harris, according to video via KDKA. “You saw that beautiful run for 26 yards when he went right off the right tight end and he shook the DB. That’s the kind of run you want from him. Don’t make him turn his shoulders at the line of scrimmage and then find that gap.
“He is not that kind of runner…He is a tough runner and that’s what I love about him. But I think they need to employ him much better. Let him run downhill versus sideline to sideline.”
Dating back to some of the struggles in Weeks 4 and 5 in the run game for Harris, that was a common thought when it came to the big, bruising running back. Instead of having him run stretch plays and toss plays, the Steelers should be focusing on Harris running downhill with a full head of steam as that power running back.
Early against the Raiders on Sunday, the Steelers did just that, allowing Harris to hammer downhill on a duo from rookies Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick, resulting in a 13-yard gain on his first carry of the game. It was a sign of what was to come, even if the Steelers didn’t ask Harris to roll downhill often.
They utilized the toss play too much, but eventually the dam broke, leading to Harris’ 36-yard touchdown on a toss. They even had some success with Harris as a zone runner, especially on that 26-yard run in which he shook Raiders’ cornerback Jack Jones in the hole.
It is a bit curious that the Steelers ask Harris to do some things he’s not very good at in the run game. To his credit, he never complains, just puts his head down and competes.
Sunday was a great sign that things could start to really come together for Harris in the run game, even if the Steelers were going against one of the worst rush defenses in football. Guys got hats on defenders from a blocking perspective, Harris ran hard and was rewarded. It was a total team effort.
It would be nice, though, if the Steelers played to Harris’ strengths more as a running back, letting him be that downhill hammer to bludgeon defenses, rather than asking him to be that nimble, zone running back that Arthur Smith tends to like.
