by means of two weeks, Steelers’ halfback Najee Harris has recorded simply seventy two dashing yards on 25 makes an try. in the meantime, Bengals’ quarterback Joe Burrow has been sacked thirteen instances for a full lack of seventy three yards. Harris has been so inefficient (three.forty seven yards per carry) that he’s recorded fewer yards on the underside than the Bengals have misplaced through sacks. That’s not a very good signal for both crew, however whereas I contemplate the Bengals and their reworked offensive line will decide it out, I’m not so sure the identical will be mentioned about Najee Harris.
Thursday evening time ought to see Harris’s struggles proceed. The Browns are clearly a strong protection with an beautiful entrance seven. They’re solely permitting three.eight yards per carry, the eighth-lowest mark of 2022 so far, all whereas going by means of Carolina’s Christian McCaffrey, then Breece hall and Michael Carter of the Jets, of their first two video games. these aren’t pushovers. manhattan’s and the Panthers’ offensive traces actually are, nonetheless the backs themselves usually are not.
That enchancment will proceed with Harris and the Steelers. sure, Jadeveon Clowney gained’t be having fun with tonight, however Clowney’s strengths have by no means lied in his capacity to cease the run. in exact fact, his probably alternative, third-spherical rookie Alex Wright was heralded for his dimension, however by no means his cross-dashing capabilities. although Wright had a bent to drop his head in opposition to the run, that’s probably one factor that the Browns labored with him on this offseason. completely different than that one detrimental, Wright’s strengths out of school have virtually utterly come as a run defender sealing off the sting. There may even be a drop-off in rush protection from Cleveland, nonetheless it shouldn’t be as large a drawback as Clowney’s absence makes it seem.
for the rationale that start of the season, there’s simply one starter on the Steelers’ offensive line — Chukwuma Okorafor — with a run-blocking grade better than sixty five, which isn’t that prime a grade. in exact fact, it’s primarily alternative stage. but 4 of the Steelers’ 5 starters can’t even handle that. That’s not one factor that’s going to drastically enhance by the prime of the season, and for his or her matchup in opposition to Cleveland tonight, it spells disaster.
The Cleveland entrance seven has been spectacular in opposition to the run in clutch circumstances. solely 20.5 p.c of opponent dashing makes an try have gone for first downs. That’s the eighth-best mark inside the league. contemplating that the Pittsburgh offensive line at the second ranks twenty third in adjusted line yards (three.88), Harris most probably gained’t get into the second stage pretty usually. That mentioned, the Steelers’ offensive line is mediocre in relation to stuff price (share of runs the place the working again is met by a defender at or earlier than the road of scrimmage), that means that Harris may see continuously optimistic yardage, even when there wouldn’t be a lot buy. it would probably be sloppy, however that is how Harris can have an affect on the underside, by placing the Steelers into third-and-quick-to-manageable circumstances. clearly, he can have a a lot better affect by means of the air, however after two weeks, Harris has solely seen eight targets. Plus, in his two profession video games in opposition to Cleveland, he’s solely seen a full of six targets. although, with the addition of George Pickens to the huge receiver corps and the emergence of Pat Freiermuth as an environment nice quick-yardage passing selection, I discover it unlikely Harris will get extra movement inside the passing recreation tonight.
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furthermore, of the 23 working backs ever to report decrease than 4 yards a carry whereas toting the rock at the least 300 instances at 25 or youthful, solely seven went on to have over 1,000 yards dashing the following season, and solely two have achieved it for the rationale that start of the twenty first century (LaDainian Tomlinson and Clinton Portis, each in 2005). Let’s be clear, it’s nonetheless too early to inform, however Najee Harris doesn’t pretty look like on the extent of both of these males I simply listed.
Harris is clearly an enormously-proficient particular person, however with no respectable run-blocking offensive line and a quarterback that’s averaging 5.1 yards per cross try (ineffective final amongst QBs with at the least 30 cross makes an try this yr), his affect in video games through the underside assault will probably be minimal. All this mentioned, i do know I’ve talked dangerous with reference to the Steelers’ offensive line so a lot, however they had been in a place to current a 1,000-yard rusher in 2021 whereas recording an adjusted line yard price of three.seventy five. They’re doing larger than that so far this yr, so as prolonged as a consequence of the Steelers’ protection can maintain that inefficient offense in video games, then maybe there’s hope for Harris to return to variety. It simply (most probably) gained’t happen this week.
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