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The Pittsburgh Steelers improved to 2-0 after defeating the Denver Broncos 13-6 in Week 2. But Steelers running back Najee Harris was less than pleased with the team’s offensive performance.
While the Steelers scored their first touchdown of the season, they punted on six of their seven second-half possessions. The Steelers had 62 offensive yards after halftime.
Following the game, Harris forcefully explained to reporters what the offense needs to do to find its footing this season.
“It’s tough for the running backs but [expletive], we just have to execute on these passes,” said Harris, via “The Pat McAfee Show” correspondent Mark Kaboly. “It’s the same [expletive], we just have to execute. We aren’t being conservative, we are just [expletive] ourselves.
“We make a play and get a penalty that pushes us back and gets us off schedule. The plays you want to run you can’t run anymore because it is second-and-12.”
Through the first two games of the 2024 season, the Steelers have committed 10 penalties on offense. That includes six offensive holding penalties, which is the second-most in the NFL.
The Steelers had four offensive holding penalties and one false start against the Broncos.
RB Najee Harris Puts Steelers Offense on Notice
Although the Steelers opened the 2024 season with two road wins, the offense has been less than stellar. That was particularly the case in the second half against the Broncos.
Pittsburgh had an opportunity to run away with the game. Granted, Denver only had one possession in the second half when it was without one score, but the Steelers scored just 3 points in the half.
Through eight quarters this season, the Steelers have one touchdown.
Harris argued that the offense’s issues aren’t necessarily what opposing defenses are doing to slow down the team’s offense. According to Harris, the Steelers are doing it to themselves.
“We’ve got to find a way to stop beating ourselves up. We’ve got to find a way to stop doing the false starts, we’ve got to find a way to convert on certain downs, we’ve got to find a way to stay on schedule, not lose yards,” Harris told reporters. “Even if the play’s not blocked the right way, just try to get no negative yards. Try to stay on schedule to make it second and 10 instead of second and 15.
“We’ve got to do certain things right, so the play can be executed at the rate that we want it to be. We’re working on that. It is glaring, obviously, because this is the same thing probably last year that happened, maybe I think. But we’re excited for the challenge.”
Steelers Offense the Same as Last Season?
Harris seemed to suggest in parts of his answers that the Steelers went through the same issues last season. That’s not exactly music to the ears of Pittsburgh fans, considering the offensive woes the team went through during 2023.
It got so bad, the Steelers made their first in-season firing since WWII. Then during the offseason, they cleaned house at quarterback.
Repeating the same penalty mistakes is always concerning, but through two games, Steelers fans should be encouraged there are parts of the team’s offense that are different.
In the first two weeks last season, Kenny Pickett had 3 interceptions. Fields has thrown none to open 2024. The Steelers are one of three teams without a giveaway this season.
Fields has also brought a running element at quarterback. He is second on the team with 84 rushing yards.
Harris leads the team with 139 rushing yards. He and the offense will be looking to score more touchdowns in the team’s home opener against the Los Angeles Chargers during Week 3.
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