PITTSBURGH — I heard the sad news about Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry on Monday morning. He was injured in Sunday's overtime win against the Indianapolis Colts, a foot injury that required surgery and could keep him out the rest of the season.
This was a heartbreaking development for Titans fans. Henry practically is their whole team; he was on pace for an NFL-record 507 touches going into Sunday's game. But it also was disappointing for anyone who loves football. Henry is one of the all-time best running backs, an incredible combination of speed and power. It's a joy to watch him. The NFL game will be less without him.
I had two other immediate thoughts about Henry's injury:
One, the Titans come to Heinz Field to play the Steelers on Dec. 19. It can't hurt the Steelers' chances if Henry doesn't play.
And two, how is another Alabama running back going to survive the season, considering the punishment he takes in each game?
Najee Harris.
It's not just Harris' touches that are alarming. He had 29 more in the 15-10 win at Cleveland on Sunday after getting 30 in the previous game against the Seattle Seahawks. He is on pace for 401 touches for the season. In Steelers history, only Barry Foster and Le'Veon Bell have touched the ball more in a single season.
Harris' running style also is concerning. He doesn't look to avoid hits, as Hall of Famer Franco Harris wisely did from time to time. Najee looks to deliver pain to tacklers by initiating contact on every play.
And don't get Ben Roethlisberger and me started on the way Harris loves to leap over would-be tacklers.
Did you see Harris' touchdown against the Browns? When he started his jump from the 4-yard-line and landed in the end zone?
"I hate when Najee jumps," Roethlisberger said. "I tell him all the time, 'Stop jumping.' "
It's hard to believe Harris will be able to maintain his demanding pace — jumps or no jumps.
It's equally hard to believe Mike Tomlin won't continue to ride Harris.
I can't blame Tomlin because it's not as if he has capable backups behind Harris.
Benny Snell Jr. has been no better than he was in his first two NFL seasons. He hasn't played many snaps, but he hasn't shown he deserves more. He has had eight carries for 21 yards.
Kalen Ballage has been no better than Snell. He has seven carries for 12 yards.
Maybe Anthony McFarland Jr. will be able to do some of the heavy lifting for Harris. He played for the first time this season on Sunday and it didn't go well for him. He didn't run decisively. He gained 1 yard on his one official carry and lost 2 yards on another carry that didn't count because of a holding penalty on Kevin Dotson.
Giving the ball to Chase Claypool, Diontae Johnson and Ray-Ray McCloud on jet sweeps has been a better option for the Steelers than giving it to Snell, Ballage and McFarland.
Tomlin has no real choice but to stick with Harris.
"I want more," Harris said last week. "I think every running back should want the ball more if you're that type of dog running back."
It's been fun to watch Harris. He's earned his 479 rushing yards and three touchdowns the hard way, often taking hit after hit as he fights for extra yards. One of his best runs Sunday was a 1-yard gain on fourth-and-1 from the Steelers 48 midway through the third quarter. He ran for 122 yards in the win against the Denver Broncos.
Harris is the Steelers' second-leading receiver with 37 catches and two touchdowns. He had a 102-yard receiving game in the loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Only Johnson has more catches among the Steelers.
And Harris has been more than adequate in pass protection. He was able to block Browns beast Myles Garrett on a fourth-down play early in the fourth quarter, giving Roethlisberger just enough time to find Pat Freiermuth for the winning touchdown.
"I just see a special football player," Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis said of Harris a few weeks ago. "He can be much better than me. I was more one-dimensional, where he is multi-dimensional.
"He can block. He can run. He can catch it. He can do it all."
Roethlisberger agreed wholeheartedly with his former teammate, Bettis.
"He's a special talent," he said of Harris. "He's just going to keep getting better."
That's if Harris stays healthy, of course.
What a big "if" that is.
