The chilly, drizzle Saturday in Baltimore begged for a blue-collar running game with long, time-consuming drives. Steelers star Najee Harris definitely enjoyed the assignment.
“We knew that going into the game, we knew the weather report,” Harris told reporters after it rained all afternoon with temperatures settling in the 30s.
He added: “we knew exactly what type of game it was going to be, physical like always. We knew it was going to lean on us more than any other game.”
In a 17-10 win, Harris gained 112 yards on 26 carries. The performance allowed him to surpass 1,000 yards for the season. That detail is historic. The former Alabama star became the first Pittsburgh running back in franchise history to surpass 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons in the NFL. And he clinched the achievement in the Steelers most meaningful game of the year.
Harris scored the Steelers’ first touchdown with 2 minutes, 36 seconds to go in the first quarter. And then he took over the final Pittsburgh drive that allowed the Steelers to extend their lead to 10 points. Harris touched the ball on the first seven plays of the drive. Six were runs, then he caught a short pass from Mason Rudolph to convert a third down.
Then there’s this detail. Harris also added five catches for 21 yards. He had a part in almost half of the Steelers 289 yards.
The Steelers ended the regular season on a three-game winning streak. And the running game came up big in all three, as Rudolph settled in at quarterback. Harris exceeded 100 yards the past two games. It’s the first time this season he put together consecutive 100 yarders. He also gained 78 yards in a win over the Bengals, which started the winning streak.
And here’s how tough Harris was during the game. According to Next Gen Stats, the Steelers running back ran inside on 19 of his 26 carries for 100 of his 112 yards.
By game’s end, Harris and his teammates were celebrating their 10th win of the season and the possibility of a playoff berth.
To make the playoffs, the Steelers now need either a tie in Saturday’s Texans-Colts game or a loss from the Bills or Jaguars on Sunday. Harris said to even be in this position showed “resiliency” from the team.
“I keep saying that word. But it’s true,” Harris said. “The times that you know things look really rough, we always kept as a team, and we kept playing our football and our identity.”
Then he complimented coach Mike Tomlin.
“To get 10 wins is good for the team, but also Mike T,” Harris said. “Just a good coach. He’s been carrying us along this whole year. I think that it really showed how resilient and how calm he always is, even when stuff looks bad. A lot of negative stuff being said, and he always just stays the same person. So, happy for Mike T and the team.”
More must-reads: