On Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers squared off with the Los Angeles Chargers and what started off as s slugfest turned into a shootout. The Steelers ultimately lost the game 41-37 but in going back and reviewing the game, the use, or lack thereof of running back Najee Harris seemed to be completely counterintuitive.
Two games ago, the Steelers basically ran the wheels off of Harris against the Detroit Lions. Harris had 26 carries, his fifth-straight game with at least 20 carries.
But on Sunday night, against the worst rushing defense in the NFL, Harris only got 12. You could make the case the Steelers were behind for much of the first three quarters but for much of the game, things weren’t even close to out of reach.
I assume some of why the Steelers didn’t run more is because the offensive line was struggling, even against a patchwork Chargers defensive front. Nevertheless, the move defied all logic and thankfully Ben Roethlisberger was able to rally the troops in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn into a win for the Steelers and this will be a part of the game plan head coach Mike Tomlin needs to address going forward.
