A weekly series I’ll do that captures the forgotten and hidden plays that helped the Pittsburgh Steelers win—or lose. Not the touchdowns, turnovers, or plays that will make the Monday morning highlights—the little ones that, looking back, played a key role in the outcome. I’ll start off with a hidden moment that helped the Cleveland Browns beat the Steelers Thursday night.
Najee Harris A Shoestring Away From A Touchdown
Football is a game of inches. That was clear on a third-quarter Najee Harris run where inches meant the difference between a field goal and a touchdown. Following a long completion to WR Van Jefferson, the Steelers finally marched into Browns’ territory, trailing 10-3 late in the third quarter.
Zone run to the right. Harris starts to cut it back, and a defender jumps into the gap. Harris jumps back to the right. Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick help clear the way, and there’s a lane up the middle. But the unblocked backside player, No. 57 DL Isaiah McGuire, comes flying in from the backside to make an ankle tackle.
And it’s a close one. Harris nearly steps out of it, and if he does, it’s going to be a touchdown. The only Brown in the area is CB Denzel Ward, who doesn’t have a great angle, and I’m confident Harris is going to run past or through him.
Let’s go the tape. The only problem? It’s really hard to see. This was when the snow was crashing down, and it admittedly was difficult even to see the tackle. But you can see Harris grabbed at the legs and nearly but unable to break out of it.
The All-22 isn’t any better. It’s worse, really. But I’ll show it anyway from both end zone angles.
Instead of a touchdown, it became 2nd and 6. The next play saw C Zach Frazier’s snap go over QB Russell Wilson’s head, recovered but a loss of 7 yards. Wilson’s third-down throw was short of the sticks, and Pittsburgh settled for a 28-yard field goal. Cleveland keeps a 10-6 lead.
Had Harris scored and assuming the extra point was good, it would have been 10-10 late in the third quarter. What happens from there, who knows. But Pittsburgh enters the final quarter knotted at 10. Instead, they’re down six as Cleveland marches downfield on their ensuing drive to score and convert the two-point conversion, making it 18-6.
Pittsburgh stormed back and took the lead so this near-touchdown by Harris feels a little less consequential. Frankly, all the weighty plays in this game are fairly obvious. But it’s a reminder of the fine line between a successful offensive and defensive play. Sometimes an ankle tackle is that difference.
