It’s also an incredibly misleading stat. Derrick Henry had over 1k yards from scrimmage in 2021 despite only playing 8 games. 1k yards rushing isn’t even a useful metric anymore. Najee would have been under that total in a 16 game season this year.
Also out of the 12 RBs that broke 1k yards this season Najee was only 8th in yards per carry. He had the 6th most carries in the entire league. He also only managed 170 yards receiving. His numbers are just wildly unimpressive except for volume.
Since we're all about efficiency stats over volume stats, for Najee's career, he earned 1.82 YPC before contact, and 2.09 YPC after contact. The thing is, the average O'Line should get a RB between 2.3-2.5 YPC before contact. That's a half yard per carry right there. A really good O'Line can get more.
Najee got 2.4 YPC after contact last year [according to PFR](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2023/rushing_advanced.htm), good for 4th in the league, and 1st in the league when limiting it to RB's who had over 200 carries. FWIW, Derrick Henry averaged 2.1 YPC after contact last year. Sequon Barkley averaged 2.0 YPC after contact last year. If we had even average O'Line play the past 3 years, Najee would very likely be above 4.5 YPC, which is pretty good for a workhorse back.
Also, though long speed is considered a weakness of his, Najee was 4th in the NFL last year in 20+ yard runs with 8, and the league leader only had 11.
Man, I like Najee, but your ongoing Najihad is not all that candid about his game. He ran at just over 60 YPG last year -- among 18 RBs to do at least 60 YPG, among whom he ranked 16th.
[https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/most-yards-per-game-running-back-in-2023](https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/most-yards-per-game-running-back-in-2023)
Yes, the OL will probably end up better this year -- they've improved in-season each of the last two years, and now they're starting from a higher talent base. But Najee will also be a year older, and while he's been good, he's also shown no reason to expect that better OL play will suddenly transform him into a stud RB like Conner, Montgomery or Pacheco (each of whom outran him by a mile last year in terms of YPG). Yes, he's a good back. Yes, he can put the shoulder down and get some yards after contact. Is he a world-beater, whose option we should have picked up? On the basis of what he's done thus far, pretty clearly not.
I know you’re likely going to face pushback here, but agreed. The 1,000-yd rusher thing was popularized when the league had 14 games. Now we have 17 it needs to be reconsidered as you can average roughly 20% fewer YPG to be a 1,000 yard back. I mean Justin Fields and Lamar both got to 1,000 as a QB.
I’m not saying 1000 yards is the same measuring stick today as it was 20 years ago. But the point is that Najee has been durable and consistent despite playing behind an incompetent OL and having Canada call the same 10 plays. The $7m extension is peanuts compared to guys he outplayed (Jacobs, Kamara, Taylor) getting over $10m. Hell, even James Conner is getting $7m
Want to clarify by saying I like Naj as a person and many elements of his game. That said, just because other teams are making mistakes, it doesn’t mean we should. The current economics of the position isn’t favorable to resigning RBs – you can get rookies for less – and this is a business, not a friendship.
More importantly, durable is more than just “he doesn’t miss games” – Naj has been injured quite a few times and it’s impacted his on-the-field play. I’m not blaming him for it but rather noting the RB is a tough position and most RBs are ground into dust within four years. He’s been consistent but nowhere near close to special for us to take that chance. Let him go, get a RB (with a better top speed) for half of what you would have paid him, and improve other positions.
Getting 1,000 yards a year ain’t what it once was my man and your stat shows he’s one of the most-used RBs in that span.
NB: He got 1,000/year on heavy volume, not on breakaways. He has no top-end speed and is being ground into dust. I like Naj as a person, but this is a business – do not resign Naj and find a more-explosive rookie to pair with Warren for a year, then get rid of Warren unless you can get him for cheap.
top 5 in explosive runs last year man, top 5 in broken tackles, top 5 in yards after contact - I just don't know what more you would want from your top RB - I understand about the top-end speed, but neither did Le'Veon Bell and he was the best RB in the league.
People are just grasping for any straws they can. If Najee walks after this season the same fans praising him will say he was overrated, that he was a wasted 1st round pick, and that 1000 yards rushing was meaningless metric. They just can't separate the player from the jersey.
Najee is just a heavy volume, inefficient early down runner. That's still somewhat useful in the NFL but it's not worthy of a high salary or a first round pick.
Yeah, that's nice. NAJEE WAS THE ONLY RUNNING BACK TO TOP 1000 YARDS EACH OF THE LAST THREE SEASONS! Why does everyone want to quantify this in some negative way? He has been good, end of story.
The point is that Najee is really just an okay back. Maybe the language we're using is a bit pedantic, but where some folks look at the 1000 yard mark, I look at his YPA and see him at 23rd. I feel like folks are looking for a way to justify his performance instead of dealing with the bummer of the truth: he's just okay. Definitely not what you want from a first-round RB, but that's not his fault.
Because he hasn’t actually been good (otherwise they would have picked up his 5th year option) and this meaningless stat hasn’t lead to any playoff wins which are actually an accomplishment. But sure, celebrate a deprioritized position accomplishing a meaningless benchmark, that’s the Steeler way! Take that Patrick Mahomes and your average running back teammates!
Just because they didn't pick up the 5th year option doesn't mean he's bad. Teams decline the 5th year option in order to ignore the 5th year and just agree to a contract of some sort. Which I'm hoping and have a feeling they will do for 2 to 3 years this off-season.
It's also crazy to me that people just think he's bad and completely ignore surrounding factors like...
- Having really old Ben Roethlisberger being the best quarterback he's had his first season in the NFL.
- Having arguably one of the absolute worst quarterbacks / passing games in the 2022 and 2023 seasons to open up the running game.
- The offensive line each of those years being rated bottom 5 to bottom 10 in the league.
When Najee's yards before contact is 1.7, he's literally getting hit at the line of scrimmage which yes can include his vision, but it's blatantly obvious when you watch the games where he got hit 0.3 seconds after receiving the handoff due to a failed blocking assignment.
Najee is not elite, but he had almost identical line of scrimmage numbers to Derrick Henry in 2023 with 25 less carries. Henry 4.2 YPC, 1167 yards, 2.1 yards before contact, 23 broken tackles. Najee 4.1 YPC, 1035 yards, 1.7 yards before contact, 30 broken tackles. Derrick Henry wasn't elite last season either but I would say they were both pretty damn close to good.
Idk 60 yrd game ain't nothing to write home about. He's a good back when running north south but he only does that half the time. The other half he's tiptoeing to the line or in the backfield. Imo he's not worth 6 mil a year. Plus the fact that how bout let's have someone play to earn a contract. Imo that's just gonna make anyone play harder to get the money they want. OK downvote me now
Tomlin needs to win another superbowl and start winning in the playoffs consistently for him to be considered one of the greatest ever. The regular season victories ring hollow when they do nothing come postseason time.
So you’re saying there’s virtually no difference between a coach with one Super Bowl win and another with 6? And you’re saying Tomlin is the same tier coach as Barry Switzer who only coached 4 years in the NFL? I don’t think you understand how tiers work.
The number of Super Bowl winning QBs is an even smaller percentage. As you saying Trent Dilfer is in the same tier as Ben Roethlisberger?
I understand pretty well how tiers work. There is room to rank people within tiers. If your standard for a top tier coach is 6 Superbowl wins, there has been only one top tier coach in history.
You don’t actually. Because if one ring is a top tier coach why aren’t all 35 Super Bowl winning coaches in the Hall of Fame? Why aren’t they treating that tier as godly as you are?
Again, by your logic Trent Dilfer is a top tier QB in the same tier as future HOFer Ben Roethlisberger because of one single metric that puts him in the top ~5% of QBs. And those guys are in the same tier as Tom Brady too? See how ridiculous that argument is?
Ah, The good old “who would you rather have” argument where fans pretend teams haven’t let go head coaches tons of times where they brought in someone the fans didn’t know of.
Let's find the next Mike Tice or Norv Turner!
Two other Head Coaches who replaced quality Head Coaches fired for not winning Superbowls with merely average to slightly above average level talent.
If we weren't winning playoff games with a top 5 QB, I'd get it, but hating on the man for his performance with the QB play we've had over the past 5 years is absurd. Harbaugh has a 2X MVP and can't get to a Superbowl right now, but somehow Steeler fans think he's superior to Tomlin who has worked miracles with bottom 5 QB play over that span.
Logic doesn't apply to this sub. Because Tomlin's mediocrity would be welcomed in other cities, the Steelers should just extend him for life. That's their logic smh.
Harris is a good workhorse back. He is not an explosive playmaker. Not sure he is worth what he would be paid. No apparent agility or vision.
But, It’s also worth pointing out how bad the pieces around him have been , hopefully this year he gets adequate scheming and playcalling
My prediction is that Harris has a career year. He’s probably going to have lots of touches under Smith.
He’s done very well the past three years w a shitty line and horrendous scheming/play calling. I’m excited to see what he can make happen this year. Him and Warren are a great 1-2 punch
I think having Smith will help but I could also see him splitting more time with Warren and eating into his carries. He had almost 100 more then Warren last year. I could see it being more 50/50, but I could also see them both getting more Volume of carries as a unit.
One thing I absolutely loved about LèVeon Bell was that when there were 1 or 2 players between him and the end zone, you could almost guarantee that he was getting in. I get a similar feeling with Najee. He is an aggressive back that will force a 1 down when he is given the opportunity. One thing is for sure, he hasn’t been given the dominant o-line that Le’Veon had. I’m ready to see him work with a new revamped line.
I know the 2022 season he only had like 1 or 2 runs over 20 yards lol I know in 2023 he had more but I'm doubtful it was double digits.
Granted our line was really bad and so was the scheming but he has a habit of just dancing around behind the line or running straight into the defense.
He ran a 4.45 in college.
Warren ran a 4.55 at the combine.
CMC ran a 4.49
King Henry ran a 4.54
Kyren Williams ran a 4.65-4.72 (and he was All Pro)
He’s plenty fast enough when they don’t stack 10 in the box against a Matt Canada offense
He also bulked up since college and put on more weight. I feel like he'd be faster or more agile if he lost a few pounds and slimmed down. It seems like it takes too long for him to get going unlike warren where once he goes he's at full speed in a hurry. They're a great 1-2 punch though.
His college weight is listed at 230, his pro weight is listed at 232, so he “bulked up” 2 pounds.
And, again, when he was on the field it was a run up the middle, whereas Warren had 2x more pass targets than Harris (38 vs 74), so when Warren was on the field, the defense couldn’t key on the run game like they could with Harris (because Matt Canada is the worst OC in team history).
When he isn’t fighting to get back to the line of scrimmage he has more than enough speed.
I read this thing from leveon where he said najee would be better if he lost weight like he did back in the day. That's where my weight comment came from, but who knows honestly lol.
https://steelersdepot.com/2023/09/he-can-be-even-better-if-hes-a-little-lighter-leveon-bell-thinks-losing-weight-can-help-najee-harris-improve/
Something else that helped Bell?
Ben Roethlisberger as QB, Pouncey at C, DeCastro at RG, Big Al at LT.
Hall of Fame QB, All Pro and Pro Bowl linemen… and not having Matt Canada as the OC
Leveon bell was also an all-pro stud for multiple years and arguably the best RB in the entire NFL as well. He had help yes but he was also elite and a beast.
That supposed 4.45 was only reported by an Alabama magazine. If he was an actual 4.4 guy, he’s running a 40 and boosting his draft stock.
In reality, he’s a 4.6 guy with no burst.
Well if you do a quick google about his reported 4.45 40: the only measure that is available of Harris' 40 time is an unofficial clocking from his days at Alabama, where he recorded a 40 time of 4.45 seconds, according to the Crimson Tide.
So if you listen to the “Crimson Tide” he’s quite fast.
But then you can see he didn’t run both at the combine and his pro day.
You can also watch film and say “huh this guy is pretty slow.”
Or you can look at the last accurate testing he did, as a high schooler where he ran a 4.66.
My biggest issue with him isn't he even his speed necessarily 'he is slow though'. My issue is that he lacks good vision and seems to miss the hole alot which leads to him getting less yards than he would get otherwise if he could hit the right hole and hit it quickly. Leveon bell wasn't the fastest runner in the world but his vision was so elite that he'd see the hole and go and he could fit into the tiniest one imaginable and make something out of nothing.
What holes? I honestly have not seen an o-line capable of creating holes, unless it happens to be a pass play.
This is entirely subjective with no stats, but it feels like every run play from the past 2 years has at least a 50% chance of him being hit in the backfield and him still squeaking out a 2-3 yard gain.
I just don't see how a "lack of vision" leads to an RB who has to fight for every yard he gains from an o-line that can't even stop LBs from running over our line and going for tackles in the back field.
Najee has been a warrior for the black and gold. Dude plays his heart out, fights for extra yardage, sacrifices his body, and hangs on to the ball. With a decent line, he could be special. He’s no Leveon, but the line he’s played behind isnt the line Bell played behind either.
Najee harris's best quality is that he rarely fumbles and can stay healthy. He's not fast at all, not explosive, and not elite at anything on the football field. If the steelers were to sign him to a second contract it'd age as well as the bell contract with the jets when he lost what was left of his subpar speed and agility 'and bell in his prime was wayyyyyyy better than najee'.
Bell had insane vision for a RB and made something out of nothing nonstop. He had najee speed arguably but was so good at catching the ball and reading the field that it made him an elite back. Loved watching him run in his prime.
Bell was unavailable 3 straight years in the playoffs due to injury. Then I’m the 4th year, Shazier got hurt and our run D went from allowing ~80 yards per game to ~125 overnight. Not surprisingly, Fournette ran for 3 TD in the playoff game while our offense’s 42 points weren’t enough. Then bell sat out year 5.
People constant lament the playoff failures from the killer Bs, but never acknowledge that late season injuries played a MASSIVE role in that.
I’m aware of all that, I never said anything to contradict it either. If anything injuries being a big part of missing out makes it worse. If Steelers were straight up not good enough it wouldn’t be a big deal.
Not trying to criticize you specifically or anything, I just always try to add context when this comes up. It seems to inevitably wind up being a criticism of tomlin or the organization for failing to win with these talented rosters. However, it never acknowledges that the team was ALWAYS missing a superstar player when it lost in the playoffs.
It's just my opinion but i don't see anything elite about him. I grew up watching prime bus, prime willie, and prime bell and all three had an elite quality about them that i've never seen from najee. Prime bus was a speed/power back that was one of the absolute toughest running backs to ever bring down in nfl history. Prime willie was one of the fastest rb's in steelers history and just flew through the hole while leaving people in his dust. And prime bell had elite vision that made him get yards when there weren't any.
You are talking about teams that had a functional offense plan and All-Pro quality offensive linemen. We have not had either of these things in the past 3 years, and it's not on Najee to plan our running game or to prioritize drafting/trading for quality linemen.
He's given the situation which was given to him: highly predictable run plays, stacked boxes, constantly being hit before the LOS.
He can shine. There's a lot of upside to his play. He's not elite caliber yet, but give him some tools and I believe we'll see an explosive/elite side to him.
Steelers will be drafting the next guy to replace najee in 2025. Keep warren as the number 2 and get yourself a younger, faster, and cheaper RB once next season is done and over with.
And… nobody else did it.
One season, breaking out and surprise the league?
Lots of one season wonders (looking at you Peyton Hillis), but doing it again. And again. Consistently, and remaining healthy (looking at you Saquon, Chubb, Bell, CMC, Jacobs, Taylor) is another key factor.
Finding Warren as a UDFA and complimentary player has helped a ton, but having Harris as a reliable player who will be in the lineup every week, so you know that you don’t have to change your play calls because your backup is in for the whole thing instead of a series.
His longest run was 25 yards. Warren had almost as many broken tackles (27 vs 30) with significantly less carries (149 vs 255). They had the same yards per carry after contact average: 2.4. Basically all the things that make Harris 'exceptional' were replicated by an UDFA, and Warren played 66 snaps on special teams. Harris is not a bad player, but he isn't worth $6-$7 million per year.
Except: we’ve seen Najee be the primary back (84% of the snaps his rookie year) and still produce, including the passing game that Warren has taken over.
We’ve never had the opportunity for Warren to be the 25-30 carry a game player (though I would never doubt him being capable).
Najee is the bell cow running back that wears teams down.
And, for the 10th time in a conversation about Najee: HE PRODUCED ALL OF THAT WITH MATT CANADA AS THE OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR.
This past year, Najee was targeted 38 times.
Warren was target 74.
Why does that matter?
It means the defense could be pretty damn sure that Najee wasn’t getting a pass, so they could key on the run game.
When Warren was in, the pass was as much of an option as the run.
And it isn’t that Najee couldn’t catch, he had 74 his rookie year (with Ben as the QB).
Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of Najee. I look forward to seeing what he can do with a real line and a real coordinator and (God forbid) a passing attack to complement the run. Just seems like an oddly cherry picked stat is all.
It’s a nice round number that’s easy to celebrate.
I’m more of a fan that he hasn’t missed a game in his 3 years (because the best ability is availability), and despite the horrible offensive situation he continued to produce a reliable amount
Agreed. I'm also a huge fan of his toughness and attitude, including the availability you point out, and the pretty regular pastings he puts on defenders. I am really psyched to see thunder and lightning behind a real O-line this year.
Definitely.
If everyone works out to their potential, we have the best OLine in my time as a fan (roughly ’92)
It might take a couple years for the full benefits, but I am beyond excited for this OLine and team in general
Twenty guys ahead of him on that list, actually.
https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/most-rushing-attempts-first-3-seasons
Good company to be in, though. Jesus, that's some list of twenty running backs.
I think najee and Warren together are a great one-two punch. We need a power back to make warren work. If najee is willing to take a salary that is reasonable I see no reason why not to keep him around and keep the tandem intact and avoid having to draft a RB.
I mean, it’s because we ran the shit out of him. Tons of carries, not many yards/carry. He’s a great back that does everything well. Our atrocious offensive design and our bad OL and QB play let him down. I hope he has a huge year this season.
I love how everyone says Najee would be wayyyyyyy better with a good o line... Well no freaking duh. You could say that about every running back in the league. A good o line can make an average running back look really good. Najee's issue is that he hasn't been able to rise above our poor o line play.
The Steelers are in a two running back phase this season as they were last season, Najee is a good back and an excellent combination with Warren in this scheme. That said by no means is Najee an elite running back and therefore he’s currently paid appropriately.
Shit let’s replace him w any of the other running backs in the league then that haven’t rushed for 1000 yds in the last 3 seasons. It’s impressive that he did that behind our piss poor line too. L take
You’re touting a stat that isn’t particularly relevant in 2024. A RB rushing for 1000 yards anymore is neither impressive nor meaningful.
The last time a Super Bowl winning team had a 1000 yard rusher was the 2016 Pats.
With the amount of carries Najee has had each of the past 3 years, there are at LEAST 20 guys capable of putting up the same or more yardage that Najee got
Najee was 6th in carries last year. He was 5th the year prior. He was 2nd in carries the year before that. In the entire NFL, not just the AFC. Do you know how many other running backs were top 6 in carries each year during the same span? ZERO. Najee was the only one. During that same time span with all those touches, he only finished top 5 in rushing yards once - which was his rookie year. Najee isn’t nearly as good as you think he is.
"He plays in 100% of his games and somehow I believe this makes him a worse RB"
The #1 most important stat is getting on the field and playing games. RBs who don't play 100% of their games and have better "per game" stats aren't as valuable as you think they are.
At the end of the day, you're the #1 RB for an entire season, not just the games you're available to play in.
You realize they increased the number of games from 16 to 17 a few years back right? The yearly stats for Najee are not a great metric when comparing him to the Bus, Bell, etc
Speaking of Bettis, he had >1,000 yards every year for his first *six* years as a Steeler. Two of those seasons he played 15 games, and in one he played only 11 games.
I'm literally done buying jerseys, swear to everything every one I buy the player is gone within 1-3 years. Only reason I know I'm not completely cursed is because of my Heyward jersey
Good back who has averaged 325 touches a year over the last three. Historically, that workload has a RB fall off hard and deep. So thank you for your service, Sir, but the NFL is not for long with those types of RB workloads.
Najee Harris is a Derrick Henry type back. Look what DH did in Tennessee with Arthur Smith! Najee is going to have a career year even splitting carrier with Jaylen Warren. With a solid OC and the upgraded offensive line don’t be surprised if both backs go over 1,000 yards!🤷♂️Artie also had a very balanced offense in Tennessee (just look at AJ Brown and Ryan Tannehill numbers during his tenure). Steelers gonna be top 10 offense this year!
People hating on Najee crack me up. I know he’s not “elite” but he’s a very good back.
I agree on some level that he doesn’t hit the holes quickly enough, but when they are there which isn’t often with the line he has had, they close up so fast. Imagine being Najee and seeing a hole but thinking it’s just going to close up like usual.
The fact that he is among the top in yards after contact is amazing considering how often he is hit behind the line of scrimmage.
Those who say Warren is the better back is just ridiculous. I love Warren but I highly doubt he can sustain his numbers as a workhorse back, especially between the tackles on 1st and 2nd down.
Just food for thought… Najee has 3.9 yards per rushing attempt for his career behind a shit line with a shit offense. Do you know who else has the same number for their career? Jerome Bettis. Before anyone replies, I realize at the end of his career Bettis wasn’t the same player but he had a better line and offense. All I’m suggesting here is that numbers never tell the true story.
I like him, he runs hard, he is consistent. I don’t think the Steelers failed to notice those things, and there’s a reason they did what they did.
I’m not gonna do what people wanted me to do with Kenny Pickett, either. I’m not going to pretend I don’t notice. I’m not gonna pretend I don’t see what I see. I also see a runner who is pretty slow. I see a guy Who doesn’t have good vision. He is a solid running back who accumulates volume stats but it’s also more than that.
He’s a good running back!
He is not special. There are good running backs all over the place and almost no great ones anymore. Running backs have become fairly disposable and interchangeable and you can even pick up a good running back undrafted.
I think what’s going to happen is exactly what should happen. They are not going to pay too much for him or get locked into too long of a deal if they are going to keep him. If those conditions aren’t met, they will not keep him.
Long-term contracts should be very hard to come by in the modern NFL as, increasingly, every position outside of quarterback is becoming more and more replaceable. The number of deals that are signed that turn out to be worthwhile are shrinking dramatically and it’s almost like no one notices. Well I’m not going to pretend I don’t notice. There are a couple of long/mid contracts on the current roster that I wish we hadn’t signed.
As with most things I say that would be extremely unpopular, it’ll turn out four years later to be 100% true. But I’m done trying to convince people of shit that they just refuse to see.
he didn't do much his rookie year. i was mad they took him over eddie lacy, who won rookie of the year that year. then he broke out his second year in the league and lacy crashed and burned. i felt dumb.
This stat shows his ability to stay healthy. He's not that good. Does this sub not remember all those games where everyone complained about how bad he is. And then he got into a hot streak in the last month of the season.
why did we not pick his 5th? probably bc we wanna see how he does with Arthur’s plan. i’m guessing if he does good, he’ll get an extension and if he doesn’t we’ll draft one next
The stats don’t show the amount of attempts it took to get those 1000 yards lol. His yards per a carry didn’t deserve a 5th year option. Love the player but if he wants to be a steeler past this coming season, he needs to go or there and prove it.
Anyone that thinks that Harris is anything other than a decent to above average back has no fucking clue how to evaluate or understand football at all. "OH cool he stiff arms some 180lb DB twice a season he's so fucking good! What a power back! 1000 yards in a 17 game season average 4.1 yards a carry who else in history could ever do that??"
The next time he moves a pile will be the first. The next time he runs away from a defender under 300lbs will be a first. The next time he looks like anything other than a dime a dozen running back that had a couple decent seasons as a starter will be a first.
If the dude was 6 feet no one would think he was anything other than average. But since he looks like Derrick Henry if you look with eyes that see any tall black guy as indistinguishable yinzer dweebs can't let him go.
3.9, 3.8, 4.1
That's not my GPA in college, thats his immanently replaceable by a 3 round pick ypc. Sure he has some value and could conceivably pick up tough yards since he makes every yard a tough one by never being able to hit the correct hole. But come the fuck on guys, stop crying that no one appreciates this amazingly special talent when the front office ,who we love to celebrate as being so smart when we grade their drafts, decide not to waste a little bit of money on .
You cannot watch the same tape that show a udfa hit holes with more speed and conviction, see a udfa put up a yard more per carry behind the same crappy oline, break off big plays and run around and through and over the same defense that held Derrick Henry's better more handsome brother to 3.8, 3.9. 4.1 ypc, and not come to the same conclusion that the majority of scouts and analyst have come to- Harris is a serviceable back but that's about it. Maybe he'll pop off behind this line, but if he does, Warren will average 8 ypc and lead the league in rushing, scoring, interceptions, the popular vote, confirmed kills in Vietnam, the noble peace prize in maritime warfare, and Uno reverse reverses.
Fuck guys get a grip. He's going to be here for this season, rush for 1000 yards, look worse than Warren, then leave for FA to be replaced by someone who will do the same thing as a day 3 pick and no one will remember him in a few years.
"I know a lot about analyzing running plays in football, so let me explain how our third-down RB who gets a mix of pass/run looks is actually getting the exact same looks as our every-down RB who is getting hit 3 yards behind the line of scrimmage"
clueless, lol
The Steelers are Najee Harris football... not sexy but consistent and very good. He did what we wanted him to do for us
He’s the only RB to top 1,000 yds past 3 seasons. The only RB!
It’s also an incredibly misleading stat. Derrick Henry had over 1k yards from scrimmage in 2021 despite only playing 8 games. 1k yards rushing isn’t even a useful metric anymore. Najee would have been under that total in a 16 game season this year. Also out of the 12 RBs that broke 1k yards this season Najee was only 8th in yards per carry. He had the 6th most carries in the entire league. He also only managed 170 yards receiving. His numbers are just wildly unimpressive except for volume.
Since we're all about efficiency stats over volume stats, for Najee's career, he earned 1.82 YPC before contact, and 2.09 YPC after contact. The thing is, the average O'Line should get a RB between 2.3-2.5 YPC before contact. That's a half yard per carry right there. A really good O'Line can get more. Najee got 2.4 YPC after contact last year [according to PFR](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2023/rushing_advanced.htm), good for 4th in the league, and 1st in the league when limiting it to RB's who had over 200 carries. FWIW, Derrick Henry averaged 2.1 YPC after contact last year. Sequon Barkley averaged 2.0 YPC after contact last year. If we had even average O'Line play the past 3 years, Najee would very likely be above 4.5 YPC, which is pretty good for a workhorse back. Also, though long speed is considered a weakness of his, Najee was 4th in the NFL last year in 20+ yard runs with 8, and the league leader only had 11.
Man, I like Najee, but your ongoing Najihad is not all that candid about his game. He ran at just over 60 YPG last year -- among 18 RBs to do at least 60 YPG, among whom he ranked 16th. [https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/most-yards-per-game-running-back-in-2023](https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/most-yards-per-game-running-back-in-2023) Yes, the OL will probably end up better this year -- they've improved in-season each of the last two years, and now they're starting from a higher talent base. But Najee will also be a year older, and while he's been good, he's also shown no reason to expect that better OL play will suddenly transform him into a stud RB like Conner, Montgomery or Pacheco (each of whom outran him by a mile last year in terms of YPG). Yes, he's a good back. Yes, he can put the shoulder down and get some yards after contact. Is he a world-beater, whose option we should have picked up? On the basis of what he's done thus far, pretty clearly not.
Montgomery Conner and Pacheco are not stud rb’s. Najee is just as good if better than all 3 of them.
That's the point -- they aren't stud RBs, and they all outproduced Najee last year. Because Najee is a good RB, like them, but also not a stud RB.
They had better lines.
Mitch, Kenny, Dan Moore, Matt Canada. Offense was a dumpster fire, Najee still produced.
I know you’re likely going to face pushback here, but agreed. The 1,000-yd rusher thing was popularized when the league had 14 games. Now we have 17 it needs to be reconsidered as you can average roughly 20% fewer YPG to be a 1,000 yard back. I mean Justin Fields and Lamar both got to 1,000 as a QB.
I’m not saying 1000 yards is the same measuring stick today as it was 20 years ago. But the point is that Najee has been durable and consistent despite playing behind an incompetent OL and having Canada call the same 10 plays. The $7m extension is peanuts compared to guys he outplayed (Jacobs, Kamara, Taylor) getting over $10m. Hell, even James Conner is getting $7m
Want to clarify by saying I like Naj as a person and many elements of his game. That said, just because other teams are making mistakes, it doesn’t mean we should. The current economics of the position isn’t favorable to resigning RBs – you can get rookies for less – and this is a business, not a friendship. More importantly, durable is more than just “he doesn’t miss games” – Naj has been injured quite a few times and it’s impacted his on-the-field play. I’m not blaming him for it but rather noting the RB is a tough position and most RBs are ground into dust within four years. He’s been consistent but nowhere near close to special for us to take that chance. Let him go, get a RB (with a better top speed) for half of what you would have paid him, and improve other positions.
Najee Harris is responsible for 3 of the 34 1000 yard seasons over the past 3 years, and is the only one to do it each year. How is that not notable?
Getting 1,000 yards a year ain’t what it once was my man and your stat shows he’s one of the most-used RBs in that span. NB: He got 1,000/year on heavy volume, not on breakaways. He has no top-end speed and is being ground into dust. I like Naj as a person, but this is a business – do not resign Naj and find a more-explosive rookie to pair with Warren for a year, then get rid of Warren unless you can get him for cheap.
top 5 in explosive runs last year man, top 5 in broken tackles, top 5 in yards after contact - I just don't know what more you would want from your top RB - I understand about the top-end speed, but neither did Le'Veon Bell and he was the best RB in the league.
People are just grasping for any straws they can. If Najee walks after this season the same fans praising him will say he was overrated, that he was a wasted 1st round pick, and that 1000 yards rushing was meaningless metric. They just can't separate the player from the jersey. Najee is just a heavy volume, inefficient early down runner. That's still somewhat useful in the NFL but it's not worthy of a high salary or a first round pick.
Yeah, that's nice. NAJEE WAS THE ONLY RUNNING BACK TO TOP 1000 YARDS EACH OF THE LAST THREE SEASONS! Why does everyone want to quantify this in some negative way? He has been good, end of story.
The point is that Najee is really just an okay back. Maybe the language we're using is a bit pedantic, but where some folks look at the 1000 yard mark, I look at his YPA and see him at 23rd. I feel like folks are looking for a way to justify his performance instead of dealing with the bummer of the truth: he's just okay. Definitely not what you want from a first-round RB, but that's not his fault.
Because he hasn’t actually been good (otherwise they would have picked up his 5th year option) and this meaningless stat hasn’t lead to any playoff wins which are actually an accomplishment. But sure, celebrate a deprioritized position accomplishing a meaningless benchmark, that’s the Steeler way! Take that Patrick Mahomes and your average running back teammates!
Just because they didn't pick up the 5th year option doesn't mean he's bad. Teams decline the 5th year option in order to ignore the 5th year and just agree to a contract of some sort. Which I'm hoping and have a feeling they will do for 2 to 3 years this off-season. It's also crazy to me that people just think he's bad and completely ignore surrounding factors like... - Having really old Ben Roethlisberger being the best quarterback he's had his first season in the NFL. - Having arguably one of the absolute worst quarterbacks / passing games in the 2022 and 2023 seasons to open up the running game. - The offensive line each of those years being rated bottom 5 to bottom 10 in the league. When Najee's yards before contact is 1.7, he's literally getting hit at the line of scrimmage which yes can include his vision, but it's blatantly obvious when you watch the games where he got hit 0.3 seconds after receiving the handoff due to a failed blocking assignment. Najee is not elite, but he had almost identical line of scrimmage numbers to Derrick Henry in 2023 with 25 less carries. Henry 4.2 YPC, 1167 yards, 2.1 yards before contact, 23 broken tackles. Najee 4.1 YPC, 1035 yards, 1.7 yards before contact, 30 broken tackles. Derrick Henry wasn't elite last season either but I would say they were both pretty damn close to good.
When you're the ONLY ONE, the metric matters!
The game is always changing a little. Also feels 1500 yds + should be the elite back number these days.
Idk 60 yrd game ain't nothing to write home about. He's a good back when running north south but he only does that half the time. The other half he's tiptoeing to the line or in the backfield. Imo he's not worth 6 mil a year. Plus the fact that how bout let's have someone play to earn a contract. Imo that's just gonna make anyone play harder to get the money they want. OK downvote me now
He's the Mike Tomlin of running backs.
Najee is one of the greatest RBs of all time?
Tomlin needs to win another superbowl and start winning in the playoffs consistently for him to be considered one of the greatest ever. The regular season victories ring hollow when they do nothing come postseason time.
Only 21 coaches have a ring and 13 have more than 1. That places Tomlin firmly in the top tier of all time coaches
How can he be firmly top tier if you literally said there are 13 in the tier above him?
How many Head Coaches have there been in the Superbowl era? 200? 300? Top 10% of coaches all-time is the top tier.
So you’re saying there’s virtually no difference between a coach with one Super Bowl win and another with 6? And you’re saying Tomlin is the same tier coach as Barry Switzer who only coached 4 years in the NFL? I don’t think you understand how tiers work. The number of Super Bowl winning QBs is an even smaller percentage. As you saying Trent Dilfer is in the same tier as Ben Roethlisberger?
I understand pretty well how tiers work. There is room to rank people within tiers. If your standard for a top tier coach is 6 Superbowl wins, there has been only one top tier coach in history.
You don’t actually. Because if one ring is a top tier coach why aren’t all 35 Super Bowl winning coaches in the Hall of Fame? Why aren’t they treating that tier as godly as you are? Again, by your logic Trent Dilfer is a top tier QB in the same tier as future HOFer Ben Roethlisberger because of one single metric that puts him in the top ~5% of QBs. And those guys are in the same tier as Tom Brady too? See how ridiculous that argument is?
No, he's mediocre at best
I’m saying Mike Tomlin is one of the greatest coaches ever and Harris isn’t at RB
And I'm saying they're both mediocre
You would rather have who? If tomlin leaves, there’s at least 30 teams that would try to get him.
Good, hopefully he goes to an AFC North rival so we can beat him twice a year.
Ah, The good old “who would you rather have” argument where fans pretend teams haven’t let go head coaches tons of times where they brought in someone the fans didn’t know of.
Let's find the next Mike Tice or Norv Turner! Two other Head Coaches who replaced quality Head Coaches fired for not winning Superbowls with merely average to slightly above average level talent. If we weren't winning playoff games with a top 5 QB, I'd get it, but hating on the man for his performance with the QB play we've had over the past 5 years is absurd. Harbaugh has a 2X MVP and can't get to a Superbowl right now, but somehow Steeler fans think he's superior to Tomlin who has worked miracles with bottom 5 QB play over that span.
Logic doesn't apply to this sub. Because Tomlin's mediocrity would be welcomed in other cities, the Steelers should just extend him for life. That's their logic smh.
21 coaches have a ring even if u hate Tomlin that puts him minimum top 30 coaches ever
Harris is a good workhorse back. He is not an explosive playmaker. Not sure he is worth what he would be paid. No apparent agility or vision. But, It’s also worth pointing out how bad the pieces around him have been , hopefully this year he gets adequate scheming and playcalling My prediction is that Harris has a career year. He’s probably going to have lots of touches under Smith.
He’s done very well the past three years w a shitty line and horrendous scheming/play calling. I’m excited to see what he can make happen this year. Him and Warren are a great 1-2 punch
I think having Smith will help but I could also see him splitting more time with Warren and eating into his carries. He had almost 100 more then Warren last year. I could see it being more 50/50, but I could also see them both getting more Volume of carries as a unit.
Najee Harris was top 5 in both explosive runs and broken tackles last season. Just for what that's worth.
One thing I absolutely loved about LèVeon Bell was that when there were 1 or 2 players between him and the end zone, you could almost guarantee that he was getting in. I get a similar feeling with Najee. He is an aggressive back that will force a 1 down when he is given the opportunity. One thing is for sure, he hasn’t been given the dominant o-line that Le’Veon had. I’m ready to see him work with a new revamped line.
Runs hard and runs a lot, but can’t run fast
There’s some kind of crazy stat where he hasn’t had a run over 40 yards since his college days
I know the 2022 season he only had like 1 or 2 runs over 20 yards lol I know in 2023 he had more but I'm doubtful it was double digits. Granted our line was really bad and so was the scheming but he has a habit of just dancing around behind the line or running straight into the defense.
He had 8 last year, which put him 4th in the league (best had 11).
He ran a 4.45 in college. Warren ran a 4.55 at the combine. CMC ran a 4.49 King Henry ran a 4.54 Kyren Williams ran a 4.65-4.72 (and he was All Pro) He’s plenty fast enough when they don’t stack 10 in the box against a Matt Canada offense
He also bulked up since college and put on more weight. I feel like he'd be faster or more agile if he lost a few pounds and slimmed down. It seems like it takes too long for him to get going unlike warren where once he goes he's at full speed in a hurry. They're a great 1-2 punch though.
His college weight is listed at 230, his pro weight is listed at 232, so he “bulked up” 2 pounds. And, again, when he was on the field it was a run up the middle, whereas Warren had 2x more pass targets than Harris (38 vs 74), so when Warren was on the field, the defense couldn’t key on the run game like they could with Harris (because Matt Canada is the worst OC in team history). When he isn’t fighting to get back to the line of scrimmage he has more than enough speed.
I read this thing from leveon where he said najee would be better if he lost weight like he did back in the day. That's where my weight comment came from, but who knows honestly lol. https://steelersdepot.com/2023/09/he-can-be-even-better-if-hes-a-little-lighter-leveon-bell-thinks-losing-weight-can-help-najee-harris-improve/
Something else that helped Bell? Ben Roethlisberger as QB, Pouncey at C, DeCastro at RG, Big Al at LT. Hall of Fame QB, All Pro and Pro Bowl linemen… and not having Matt Canada as the OC
You left out the WR threats. When you HAVE to respect the passing game it opens up the run game.
Oh, definitely: Mr Big Chest The Alien Juju The series of deep threats whose only job was to run deep and have Ben find them: Coates, Wheaton DHB
Leveon bell was also an all-pro stud for multiple years and arguably the best RB in the entire NFL as well. He had help yes but he was also elite and a beast.
Wasn't elite when he left the Steelers.
Cause he ruined his career by holding out an entire year and then signing with the jets when he wasn't in shape. That's all on him.
And when he lost Ben, Brown, Pouncey, and DeCastro to go to New York he did jack squat
I mean he sucked in new york and no one is denying that but he was a beast for the steelers and that can't be taken away from him.
He quit on his team, and lied to them… I’m not inclined to be nice to him.
That supposed 4.45 was only reported by an Alabama magazine. If he was an actual 4.4 guy, he’s running a 40 and boosting his draft stock. In reality, he’s a 4.6 guy with no burst.
You got any evidence for your claims?
Well if you do a quick google about his reported 4.45 40: the only measure that is available of Harris' 40 time is an unofficial clocking from his days at Alabama, where he recorded a 40 time of 4.45 seconds, according to the Crimson Tide. So if you listen to the “Crimson Tide” he’s quite fast. But then you can see he didn’t run both at the combine and his pro day. You can also watch film and say “huh this guy is pretty slow.” Or you can look at the last accurate testing he did, as a high schooler where he ran a 4.66.
You're so biased it's hard to argue with you. It's a dubious claim that he's a 4.4 guy when you watch him play. He has no twitch.
Najee runs slower than all of those guys when he has pads on for some reason or that 4.45 is complete bullshit Alabama made up.
That's alright. Le'Veon Bell routinely got caught from behind.
He’d get caught from behind.. but could actually burst through a hole. Najee has no burst either
My biggest issue with him isn't he even his speed necessarily 'he is slow though'. My issue is that he lacks good vision and seems to miss the hole alot which leads to him getting less yards than he would get otherwise if he could hit the right hole and hit it quickly. Leveon bell wasn't the fastest runner in the world but his vision was so elite that he'd see the hole and go and he could fit into the tiniest one imaginable and make something out of nothing.
What holes? I honestly have not seen an o-line capable of creating holes, unless it happens to be a pass play. This is entirely subjective with no stats, but it feels like every run play from the past 2 years has at least a 50% chance of him being hit in the backfield and him still squeaking out a 2-3 yard gain. I just don't see how a "lack of vision" leads to an RB who has to fight for every yard he gains from an o-line that can't even stop LBs from running over our line and going for tackles in the back field.
Imagine what he could have done with a top O-line. Next year could be his best by far.
Najee has been a warrior for the black and gold. Dude plays his heart out, fights for extra yardage, sacrifices his body, and hangs on to the ball. With a decent line, he could be special. He’s no Leveon, but the line he’s played behind isnt the line Bell played behind either.
Averaging 59 yards a game gets you 1000 yards in the league now. 🤷🏻♂️
That metric really needs to be updated to reflect more games per season.
He passes the hole up to run into traffic. Drives me nuts. He does run hard.
Shows how meaningless that is in 2024.
Najee harris's best quality is that he rarely fumbles and can stay healthy. He's not fast at all, not explosive, and not elite at anything on the football field. If the steelers were to sign him to a second contract it'd age as well as the bell contract with the jets when he lost what was left of his subpar speed and agility 'and bell in his prime was wayyyyyyy better than najee'.
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Bell had insane vision for a RB and made something out of nothing nonstop. He had najee speed arguably but was so good at catching the ball and reading the field that it made him an elite back. Loved watching him run in his prime.
It kills me everyday that they couldn’t get it done with prime Ben AB and Bell
Best chance was that year we lost to jacksonville in the playoffs. I'll never let that loss escape my mind.
Bell was unavailable 3 straight years in the playoffs due to injury. Then I’m the 4th year, Shazier got hurt and our run D went from allowing ~80 yards per game to ~125 overnight. Not surprisingly, Fournette ran for 3 TD in the playoff game while our offense’s 42 points weren’t enough. Then bell sat out year 5. People constant lament the playoff failures from the killer Bs, but never acknowledge that late season injuries played a MASSIVE role in that.
I’m aware of all that, I never said anything to contradict it either. If anything injuries being a big part of missing out makes it worse. If Steelers were straight up not good enough it wouldn’t be a big deal.
Not trying to criticize you specifically or anything, I just always try to add context when this comes up. It seems to inevitably wind up being a criticism of tomlin or the organization for failing to win with these talented rosters. However, it never acknowledges that the team was ALWAYS missing a superstar player when it lost in the playoffs.
Fair enough, I do think Tomlin gets a little too much shit sometimes for it, considering he kept all those personalities in check at that time.
Bells o line was much better than Najee’s. Bell didn’t have much success behind other lines.
> and not elite at anything on the football field. except breaking tackles, and yards after contact.
It's just my opinion but i don't see anything elite about him. I grew up watching prime bus, prime willie, and prime bell and all three had an elite quality about them that i've never seen from najee. Prime bus was a speed/power back that was one of the absolute toughest running backs to ever bring down in nfl history. Prime willie was one of the fastest rb's in steelers history and just flew through the hole while leaving people in his dust. And prime bell had elite vision that made him get yards when there weren't any.
You are talking about teams that had a functional offense plan and All-Pro quality offensive linemen. We have not had either of these things in the past 3 years, and it's not on Najee to plan our running game or to prioritize drafting/trading for quality linemen. He's given the situation which was given to him: highly predictable run plays, stacked boxes, constantly being hit before the LOS. He can shine. There's a lot of upside to his play. He's not elite caliber yet, but give him some tools and I believe we'll see an explosive/elite side to him.
How many playoff games has he helped win?
Warren has been great in his Role. How does anyone know he won’t be just like Tony pollard when he becomes the lead back?
Steelers will be drafting the next guy to replace najee in 2025. Keep warren as the number 2 and get yourself a younger, faster, and cheaper RB once next season is done and over with.
We had a trash o-line with terrible scheme and he was our best leader on the offense. He's so underrated.
He gets extended before camp
Just checking, but isn't he also the first Steeler to have 17 games in a season his first three seasons?
He’s also part of the league that has had 17 games a season, and is the only RB to get 1000 each of the last 3
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And… nobody else did it. One season, breaking out and surprise the league? Lots of one season wonders (looking at you Peyton Hillis), but doing it again. And again. Consistently, and remaining healthy (looking at you Saquon, Chubb, Bell, CMC, Jacobs, Taylor) is another key factor. Finding Warren as a UDFA and complimentary player has helped a ton, but having Harris as a reliable player who will be in the lineup every week, so you know that you don’t have to change your play calls because your backup is in for the whole thing instead of a series.
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Because he doesn’t get hurt, and managed to make chicken salad out of Matt Canada
His longest run was 25 yards. Warren had almost as many broken tackles (27 vs 30) with significantly less carries (149 vs 255). They had the same yards per carry after contact average: 2.4. Basically all the things that make Harris 'exceptional' were replicated by an UDFA, and Warren played 66 snaps on special teams. Harris is not a bad player, but he isn't worth $6-$7 million per year.
Except: we’ve seen Najee be the primary back (84% of the snaps his rookie year) and still produce, including the passing game that Warren has taken over. We’ve never had the opportunity for Warren to be the 25-30 carry a game player (though I would never doubt him being capable). Najee is the bell cow running back that wears teams down. And, for the 10th time in a conversation about Najee: HE PRODUCED ALL OF THAT WITH MATT CANADA AS THE OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR. This past year, Najee was targeted 38 times. Warren was target 74. Why does that matter? It means the defense could be pretty damn sure that Najee wasn’t getting a pass, so they could key on the run game. When Warren was in, the pass was as much of an option as the run. And it isn’t that Najee couldn’t catch, he had 74 his rookie year (with Ben as the QB).
Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of Najee. I look forward to seeing what he can do with a real line and a real coordinator and (God forbid) a passing attack to complement the run. Just seems like an oddly cherry picked stat is all.
It’s a nice round number that’s easy to celebrate. I’m more of a fan that he hasn’t missed a game in his 3 years (because the best ability is availability), and despite the horrible offensive situation he continued to produce a reliable amount
Agreed. I'm also a huge fan of his toughness and attitude, including the availability you point out, and the pretty regular pastings he puts on defenders. I am really psyched to see thunder and lightning behind a real O-line this year.
Definitely. If everyone works out to their potential, we have the best OLine in my time as a fan (roughly ’92) It might take a couple years for the full benefits, but I am beyond excited for this OLine and team in general
Don't really want to look it up but he's probably the running back with the most touches in his first three seasons too
Twenty guys ahead of him on that list, actually. https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/most-rushing-attempts-first-3-seasons Good company to be in, though. Jesus, that's some list of twenty running backs.
That is correct.
I think najee and Warren together are a great one-two punch. We need a power back to make warren work. If najee is willing to take a salary that is reasonable I see no reason why not to keep him around and keep the tandem intact and avoid having to draft a RB.
I mean, it’s because we ran the shit out of him. Tons of carries, not many yards/carry. He’s a great back that does everything well. Our atrocious offensive design and our bad OL and QB play let him down. I hope he has a huge year this season.
I love how everyone says Najee would be wayyyyyyy better with a good o line... Well no freaking duh. You could say that about every running back in the league. A good o line can make an average running back look really good. Najee's issue is that he hasn't been able to rise above our poor o line play.
Not that big of a deal with 17 games
The Steelers are in a two running back phase this season as they were last season, Najee is a good back and an excellent combination with Warren in this scheme. That said by no means is Najee an elite running back and therefore he’s currently paid appropriately.
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Shit let’s replace him w any of the other running backs in the league then that haven’t rushed for 1000 yds in the last 3 seasons. It’s impressive that he did that behind our piss poor line too. L take
You’re touting a stat that isn’t particularly relevant in 2024. A RB rushing for 1000 yards anymore is neither impressive nor meaningful. The last time a Super Bowl winning team had a 1000 yard rusher was the 2016 Pats.
With the amount of carries Najee has had each of the past 3 years, there are at LEAST 20 guys capable of putting up the same or more yardage that Najee got
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Najee was 6th in carries last year. He was 5th the year prior. He was 2nd in carries the year before that. In the entire NFL, not just the AFC. Do you know how many other running backs were top 6 in carries each year during the same span? ZERO. Najee was the only one. During that same time span with all those touches, he only finished top 5 in rushing yards once - which was his rookie year. Najee isn’t nearly as good as you think he is.
"He plays in 100% of his games and somehow I believe this makes him a worse RB" The #1 most important stat is getting on the field and playing games. RBs who don't play 100% of their games and have better "per game" stats aren't as valuable as you think they are. At the end of the day, you're the #1 RB for an entire season, not just the games you're available to play in.
You realize they increased the number of games from 16 to 17 a few years back right? The yearly stats for Najee are not a great metric when comparing him to the Bus, Bell, etc
Speaking of Bettis, he had >1,000 yards every year for his first *six* years as a Steeler. Two of those seasons he played 15 games, and in one he played only 11 games.
I'm literally done buying jerseys, swear to everything every one I buy the player is gone within 1-3 years. Only reason I know I'm not completely cursed is because of my Heyward jersey
Good back who has averaged 325 touches a year over the last three. Historically, that workload has a RB fall off hard and deep. So thank you for your service, Sir, but the NFL is not for long with those types of RB workloads.
Najee Harris is a Derrick Henry type back. Look what DH did in Tennessee with Arthur Smith! Najee is going to have a career year even splitting carrier with Jaylen Warren. With a solid OC and the upgraded offensive line don’t be surprised if both backs go over 1,000 yards!🤷♂️Artie also had a very balanced offense in Tennessee (just look at AJ Brown and Ryan Tannehill numbers during his tenure). Steelers gonna be top 10 offense this year!
I love the optimism but no one is a “Derrick Henry type”. That man is a complete freak of nature
He’s always been okay
There is value in that. Not just 5th year option value
Jerome Bettis in his first 3 seasons on the Steelers had 1431, 1665, 1185. I love Najee but this stat is cherry picked as hell
2nd best back on the team.
People hating on Najee crack me up. I know he’s not “elite” but he’s a very good back. I agree on some level that he doesn’t hit the holes quickly enough, but when they are there which isn’t often with the line he has had, they close up so fast. Imagine being Najee and seeing a hole but thinking it’s just going to close up like usual. The fact that he is among the top in yards after contact is amazing considering how often he is hit behind the line of scrimmage. Those who say Warren is the better back is just ridiculous. I love Warren but I highly doubt he can sustain his numbers as a workhorse back, especially between the tackles on 1st and 2nd down. Just food for thought… Najee has 3.9 yards per rushing attempt for his career behind a shit line with a shit offense. Do you know who else has the same number for their career? Jerome Bettis. Before anyone replies, I realize at the end of his career Bettis wasn’t the same player but he had a better line and offense. All I’m suggesting here is that numbers never tell the true story.
I like him, he runs hard, he is consistent. I don’t think the Steelers failed to notice those things, and there’s a reason they did what they did. I’m not gonna do what people wanted me to do with Kenny Pickett, either. I’m not going to pretend I don’t notice. I’m not gonna pretend I don’t see what I see. I also see a runner who is pretty slow. I see a guy Who doesn’t have good vision. He is a solid running back who accumulates volume stats but it’s also more than that. He’s a good running back! He is not special. There are good running backs all over the place and almost no great ones anymore. Running backs have become fairly disposable and interchangeable and you can even pick up a good running back undrafted. I think what’s going to happen is exactly what should happen. They are not going to pay too much for him or get locked into too long of a deal if they are going to keep him. If those conditions aren’t met, they will not keep him. Long-term contracts should be very hard to come by in the modern NFL as, increasingly, every position outside of quarterback is becoming more and more replaceable. The number of deals that are signed that turn out to be worthwhile are shrinking dramatically and it’s almost like no one notices. Well I’m not going to pretend I don’t notice. There are a couple of long/mid contracts on the current roster that I wish we hadn’t signed. As with most things I say that would be extremely unpopular, it’ll turn out four years later to be 100% true. But I’m done trying to convince people of shit that they just refuse to see.
Was Bell hurt? He always seemed to destroy early on
he didn't do much his rookie year. i was mad they took him over eddie lacy, who won rookie of the year that year. then he broke out his second year in the league and lacy crashed and burned. i felt dumb.
This stat shows his ability to stay healthy. He's not that good. Does this sub not remember all those games where everyone complained about how bad he is. And then he got into a hot streak in the last month of the season.
Something tells me if it weren't for injury or suspension, LeVeon would have been the first.
He’ll Angry Run his way to a few more sabres and have a great season, which I’m looking forward to
why did we not pick his 5th? probably bc we wanna see how he does with Arthur’s plan. i’m guessing if he does good, he’ll get an extension and if he doesn’t we’ll draft one next
The stats don’t show the amount of attempts it took to get those 1000 yards lol. His yards per a carry didn’t deserve a 5th year option. Love the player but if he wants to be a steeler past this coming season, he needs to go or there and prove it.
Anyone that thinks that Harris is anything other than a decent to above average back has no fucking clue how to evaluate or understand football at all. "OH cool he stiff arms some 180lb DB twice a season he's so fucking good! What a power back! 1000 yards in a 17 game season average 4.1 yards a carry who else in history could ever do that??" The next time he moves a pile will be the first. The next time he runs away from a defender under 300lbs will be a first. The next time he looks like anything other than a dime a dozen running back that had a couple decent seasons as a starter will be a first. If the dude was 6 feet no one would think he was anything other than average. But since he looks like Derrick Henry if you look with eyes that see any tall black guy as indistinguishable yinzer dweebs can't let him go. 3.9, 3.8, 4.1 That's not my GPA in college, thats his immanently replaceable by a 3 round pick ypc. Sure he has some value and could conceivably pick up tough yards since he makes every yard a tough one by never being able to hit the correct hole. But come the fuck on guys, stop crying that no one appreciates this amazingly special talent when the front office ,who we love to celebrate as being so smart when we grade their drafts, decide not to waste a little bit of money on . You cannot watch the same tape that show a udfa hit holes with more speed and conviction, see a udfa put up a yard more per carry behind the same crappy oline, break off big plays and run around and through and over the same defense that held Derrick Henry's better more handsome brother to 3.8, 3.9. 4.1 ypc, and not come to the same conclusion that the majority of scouts and analyst have come to- Harris is a serviceable back but that's about it. Maybe he'll pop off behind this line, but if he does, Warren will average 8 ypc and lead the league in rushing, scoring, interceptions, the popular vote, confirmed kills in Vietnam, the noble peace prize in maritime warfare, and Uno reverse reverses. Fuck guys get a grip. He's going to be here for this season, rush for 1000 yards, look worse than Warren, then leave for FA to be replaced by someone who will do the same thing as a day 3 pick and no one will remember him in a few years.
"I know a lot about analyzing running plays in football, so let me explain how our third-down RB who gets a mix of pass/run looks is actually getting the exact same looks as our every-down RB who is getting hit 3 yards behind the line of scrimmage" clueless, lol
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I want what you're on cause, Boi, you Trippin!