Pittsburgh Steelers rookie running back Najee Harris has so far piled up a season-best 122 yards in a win over the Denver Broncos last week. The 23-year-old former Alabama star and the Steelers will try to keep it going when they host Seattle in prime time this weekend. Harris says he is adjusting to playing in Pittsburgh and he's excited to see what the Steelers can do as they get into the meat of the season. Harris could be in line for another big day against Seattle, which comes to Heinz Field with the NFL's worst defense.
“When he reads the holes, when he sees it, he hits it,” the longtime Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner told the AP about Najee Harris. “I think he stiff-armed somebody out of bounds in the Raiders game. Definitely somebody you’ve got to get a body on.”
It’s been an up and down season for Harris. The Las Vegas Raiders beat the Steelers 26-17, followed by losses the Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers. It was a bit of a shock to Harris, who dropped three games in four years while starring at Alabama. It also reinforced a lesson he learned long ago.
“We don’t want to lose games, but there’s some things that losing can teach you that winning never can,” Harris told the AP. “I look at a loss as a win sometimes because it’s a learning point as a team.”
The more the 39-year-old Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger can stuff the ball into Harris’ chest, the fewer opportunities defenses have to batter the 18-year veteran quarterback’s body. Roethlisberger is already dealing with pectoral and hip issues, but he was hit just twice last Sunday when the Steelers ran the ball more than they threw it.
