Getty Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris responded on October 25 to questions about the team's taunting penalties and discipline during Week 7.
Head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers has more of a player’s coach reputation. As a result, Tomlin’s squads aren’t regarded as the most disciplined in the league. Steelers running back Najee Harris, though, appears to be leading the charge to try and change that.
After picking up a first down to essentially seal a victory against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 7, Harris kept a fiery right tackle Chukwuma Okorafor away from a situation that could have led to personal foul penalty.
Didn’t notice this during the game. But after the final Pickett sneak, Najee Harris came in to break up Okorafor from the Rams picking at him to prevent an extra penalty.
Even when a 2nd defender got close, Harris just points for Okorafor to walk away.
Leadership. #Steelers
When asked about that situation on October 25, Harris addressed the tightrope between playing with emotion but also composure.
“We’ve just got to strike a balance between when is it too much and see where we’re at situationally,” Harris told the media. “That was a time that we were trying to close out the game and penalties, we didn’t want that.
“I saw it happen, and I just tried to get in between that and just back everyone up.”
Steelers WR Commit 2 Taunting Penalties Against Rams
Harris’ comments about avoiding penalties in key situations were particularly timely. A lack of discipline was a major problem for the Steelers in Week 7 against the Rams.
Steelers wide receivers committed two taunting penalties in the fourth quarter. First, George Pickens wiped out most of an 18-yard gain with a taunting foul to begin a drive from the Pittsburgh 20-yard line.
Instead of first-and-10 at the Steelers 38, the next snap was first-and-10 at the Steelers 23.
Then while facing a third-and-8 with 3:03 remaining in the fourth quarter and leading by 7, a defensive pass interference was going to give the Steelers a first down. But instead, Diontae Johnson committed a taunting penalty, which offset with the pass interference foul.
Fortunately for the Steelers, they overcame both penalties. Pittsburgh still scored a touchdown on the drive that started with the setback from Pickens.
The Steelers also gained eight yards on third and fourth down after Johnson’s foul to move the chains and seal the win.
Still, Pittsburgh had eight penalties for 76 yards in Week 7. That was 36 more penalty yards than what the Rams had.
With how much quarterback Kenny Pickett and the Steelers offense struggles to move the ball, Pittsburgh can’t afford to lose 30 yards in one quarter to personal fouls.
Najee Harris Providing Underrated Leadership for Steelers
The taunting penalties from Pickens and Johnson have been huge talking points for Steelers nation this week. Former Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger even addressed them on his Footbahlin Podcast.
“I just don’t know how long we allow that to keep happening,” Roethlisberger said on his podcast. “Because, it didn’t end up hurting the team, but what if it did?
“It hasn’t hurt us yet, but all it takes is one time. What happens if that happens in the fourth quarter and it changes the game? Do we just keep allowing that stuff? At some point, you’ve got to put a stop to it now before it gets out of control.”
If there’s any good news from the fourth quarter taunting penalties for the Steelers in Week 7 (other than the fact the team still won), it’s that they have led to Harris emerging as a leader.
When the Steelers were Super Bowl contenders at the end of Roethlisberger’s career, the team’s playmakers, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell, were not good leaders. That could have been why the team appeared to come up short in crucial games and didn’t earn a trip to the Super Bowl with its elite offense from 2014-17.
Harris may still be leaving something to be desired from a production standpoint. But his leadership shouldn’t be taken for granted.