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Steelers running back Najee Harris carries in the third quarter against the Ravens on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
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Paul Zeise: Najee Harris proved his value when Steelers needed him most

Matt Freed/Post-Gazette

Paul Zeise: Najee Harris proved his value when Steelers needed him most

Lost in all of the celebration of Ben Roethlisberger’s final days is the fact that there is no celebration if Najee Harris doesn’t put in some serious work the last two weeks.

And in Sunday’s 16-13 win against the Ravens, Harris made some huge plays to put the Steelers in position to win. Harris didn’t run for huge yards in the game — 11 carries for 28 yards — but the Steelers don’t win if he doesn’t come back into the game despite an arm injury.

Any questions about Harris as a difference-maker have been answered resoundingly and definitively. The difference between Harris and whoever else is a running back on the roster. Sunday it was Benny Snell, and it was clear he is not the same kind of player Harris is.

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Snell failed to pick up a short-yardage first down — his specialty — and was called for a false start on a 4th down and 1, forcing the Steelers to settle for a field goal. 

Harris, who injured his elbow on the first drive, may not have been given the opportunity to return if this was an early-season game or if there wasn’t anything on the line. But the Steelers had everything on the line in this game, and they needed Harris.

Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool carries against the Ravens in the third quarter, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022, at M&T Bank Stadium.
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“Najee sustained an elbow injury early but was able to get himself back in the game,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “And then he made significant plays for us.”

On the Steelers’ game-winning drive, Harris made a one-handed grab for an 11-yard reception and a first down. And then he ran for 16 yards to set up Chris Boswell’s game-winning field goal.

And let’s not forget that Monday, in the 26-14 win against the Browns, Harris ran 26 times for 188 yards and a touchdown and had three receptions for 18 yards. He carried the Steelers offense on a night when Roethlisberger wasn’t very good.

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Harris made tough run after tough run in that game and showed there is a formula — an offense built around him with a game-managing quarterback — for the Steelers to win next year and beyond without Roethlisberger.

Roethlisberger said earlier this week that Harris is the kind of player who the Steelers will build the offense around once he is gone.

"There's some young guys that are going to all come up together and change how this offense is going to be,” Roethlisberger said. “Naj is going to be the ringleader of that group in terms of his play."

Some questioned whether or not the Steelers “reached” for Harris by drafting him in the first round. There is some idea that he hasn’t been a real difference-maker, but that sentiment is silly and completely out of touch with reality.

Steelers wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud gets a first down on a fourth-and-eight play against the Ravens in overtime, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022, at M&T Bank Stadium.
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The Steelers’ offensive line has been atrocious for most of the year. Kendrick Green has been underwhelming at center. The Steelers have had to piece together the guard position, and neither tackle has played consistently well at any point this season.

Add to that the fact that the Steelers’ passing game is pedestrian and the threat of Roethlisberger throwing the ball down the field for big plays scared nobody.

All of those things made for tough sledding for Harris or any running back, yet he was the ultimate workhorse and often did a thankless job. He became the first rookie in NFL history to have 300-plus carries and 70-plus receptions.

Overall, he rushed 307 times for 1,200 yards and caught 74 passes for 467 yards. He had 10 total touchdowns, and despite all that work, he had zero fumbles. 

Sunday, he wasn’t a difference-maker until he needed to be, and that was in overtime. In many ways, he wasn’t much different than Roethlisberger, who wasn’t great until it became winning time. One of the worst cliches in sports is “great players aren’t always great, they are just great when they need to be.” But if it’s true, it certainly applies to Harris.

The Steelers face long odds next weekend in the playoffs against Kansas City. Harris will likely not be 100%. If the Steelers are going to pull off the upset, they will need him to be a major factor.

That’s because one of the best ways to beat the Chiefs is to keep Patrick Mahomes and that offense on the sidelines. That can happen if Harris is grinding out yards and the Steelers are cranking out first downs.

Some might point to Harris’s 3.9 yards per carry as proof he hasn’t been effective, but that’s the same number as Jerome Bettis averaged for his career. And while I’m not saying Harris is Bettis, he is that same kind of runner: a durable high-volume runner who gets tough yards when his team needs it the most.

Sunday was more confirmation of that, as his numbers against the Ravens weren’t earth-shattering — but the Steelers are probably packing their bags for the offseason without him. 

Paul Zeise: pzeise@post-gazette.com or Twitter: @paulzeise

 

First Published: January 10, 2022, 1:00 p.m.
Updated: January 10, 2022, 1:23 p.m.

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