Pittsburgh Steelers RB Najee Harris has run for over 100 yards in three straight games for the first time in his career, and his performance in recent weeks has elevated Pittsburgh’s offense in a big way. Appearing On The Herd today, NFL film guru Greg Cosell said that Harris is playing the best football since the Steelers drafted him in the first round in 2021.
“I think he’s looked better this year than he has at any point in his NFL career,” Cosell said.
Cosell hasn’t always been a fan of Harris. During the offseason, he said he didn’t think Harris was a foundational piece at running back, something the Steelers seemed to agree with when they declined his fifth-year option. Two years ago, Cosell also called Harris “pedestrian,” but his performance in recent weeks has earned some praise from Cosell.
There’s no doubt that having Arthur Smith as Pittsburgh’s offensive coordinator has made things a little bit easier for Najee Harris. While he had some bumps along the way earlier this season, he’s been consistent, something Cosell said in the past he has to do more often, especially when it comes to fighting for extra yards. This season, that’s been on display. Harris, who’s always been a powerful runner, has taken it to another level, running through defenders to extend the play every week. Smith’s offense has always been running back-friendly, and it’s benefitting Harris this year.
One of the key differences watching Harris this year has been his ability to cut. It’s not that it’s something he hadn’t done in the past, but he’s cutting more effectively now to break free into holes or the open field and gain more yards. Coupled with his power, it’s led his yards per carry taking a jump to 4.4, which is well ahead of his career high of 4.1 last season.
He has a robust 5.96 yards per carry over his last three games, and his ability to pick up extra yards and also break long runs, which he’s been doing over the past few weeks with a carry of at least 26 yards in each of his last three games, has really opened things up for Pittsburgh’s offense. With Russell Wilson at quarterback, teams need to be wary of his deep ball and passing ability, which has led to Najee Harris running into less-stacked boxes. While Justin Fields is more of a threat as a runner at quarterback, Wilson’s passing ability has opened things up for Harris and Jaylen Warren in the run game, which has been a welcome development.
We’ll see if Harris can keep things rolling after the bye. With all of Pittsburgh’s divisional games coming in the second half, it’ll be huge if Najee Harris can wear down opposing defenses and continue to be a weapon for the Steelers’ offense.
