Najee Harris steps up and sparks the offense in the Steelers' win over the Raiders

LAS VEGAS (AP) — If Najee Harris continues to perform like he did Sunday at Allegiant Stadium, the Pittsburgh Steelers might regret forgoing his fifth-year option in the spring.

Statistically, Harris had the best game of his four-year Steelers career, rushing for 106 yards on 14 carries in a 32-13 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

Harris averaged 7.6 yards per carry, his highest total in 57 career games for the franchise. It surpassed the 6.71 yard average he posted against Cleveland in the penultimate game of his 2021 rookie season.

Harris achieved this average by displaying a variety of styles against the Raiders. He used his strength to score a 15-yard run in the first half, made a deft cutback on a 26-yard gain in the third quarter, and broke outside on his 36-yard touchdown run, which gave the Steelers a 22-7 cushion lead.

“I know what I can do,” Harris said. I've been doing this since college. That’s what I did in the league.”

Just not regularly since joining the Steelers.

Before becoming the team's first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Harris had 13 100-yard games at Alabama, including 12 of his final two seasons with the Crimson Tide. By comparison, Harris surpassed 100 yards receiving on Sunday for the seventh time in four seasons. He has played more games with fewer than 30 rushing yards (eight) in his Steelers career.

This inconsistency is one of the reasons the Steelers did not pick up his $6.7 million fifth-year option for the 2025 season.

“I’m sorry I can’t do it like that every game,” Harris said. “You guys are just waiting to write something about me. I'll try again next game and maybe it'll be something good. It was one of those games where (things) worked well.”

In the previous two weeks, losses to Indianapolis and Dallas, Harris averaged 2.26 yards per attempt. After rushing for 19 yards on 13 carries against the Colts, he totaled 42 rushing yards on 14 attempts against Dallas.

Not only did Harris bounce back against the Raiders, racking up 75 rushing yards after halftime, the Steelers also racked up a season-high 183 yards on the ground. Quarterback Justin Fields contributed 59 yards and two touchdowns.

“So the offensive line, the receivers, the tight ends all came together and realized it takes all of us to be efficient in the run game,” Harris said. “I do what I do. I can only do so much. This is a team sport and for big games to happen, for splash games to happen, it takes all of us.”

The tone was set on the first drive when Harris followed an 11-yard reception with a 13-yard run. In the second quarter he kept turning his legs and managed 15 yards on a run through the middle with a push from tight end Pat Freiermuth, among others.

It led to a field goal that cut the Steelers' deficit to 7-6.

“When the drives aren’t going well, you have to have a play to spark it,” Harris said. “What can I do to let the team know we need to keep pushing?”

Coach Mike Tomlin also praised the downfield blocks Harris received, and not just from the usual suspects.

“I just thought it was a collaborative effort,” he said. “Not just the big guys, but also the perimeter guys. And of course Najee. … Whenever you have a run output like that, it’s not an individual, it’s a collective.”

Harris' touchdown, his first of the season, came one play after the Steelers had to swap centers. Rookie Zach Frazier injured his ankle on a Harris run that gained five yards. His replacement, Ryan McCollum, threw a block that allowed Harris to break outside and get through traffic before diving to the pylon for the score.

“It was great,” Freiermuth said. “Najee works on his butt every day. He comes into the building every day with a smile on his face and ready to work. Because we saw it pay off in this game, we really relied on him.”

The touchdown gave the Steelers a two-point lead that they refused to relinquish. Harris was only successful twice as the game progressed and had to sit out the last two series while the Steelers defended their lead.

“That was huge,” outside linebacker TJ Watt said. “Any time you can run the ball in the NFL, it’s demoralizing for a defense. It also allows us to gain momentum.”

Harris hopes the momentum can continue into next week when the Steelers take on the New York Jets at Acrisure Stadium.

“The more we get together … they'll realize that if you want to be efficient in both passing and running, you have to go in there and block. “Every job has a dirty part. For us, it’s pass protection. For receivers, it's about getting in there and blocking. Sometimes you're blocking a D-end and you don't have good size, but if you get something on him it creates a bigger play. When you capture it on film and see it, it will be something to build on.”