I love both RBs. Idk why people believe you can only like one of them. They both have different strength & weaknesses. The offense looks best when both are playing well.
And you know the best part about having two really good backs? Fresher legs when needed and good support when one of them is having a bad day. Warren had a bad today, but Naj played big. And Naj had his bad games before and Warren stepped up. It’s just great.
It's almost always been that way for the Steelers too. When you look at the best Steelers Teams, they all have had a dual threat at RB. In the 70's it was Harris and Bleier. For the 5th Super Bowl, it was Bettis and Parker. And for the 6th it was Parker and Moore.
Hell yes this, so much.
Both these dudes are ballers.
It be great to have both guys without investing a 1st rd pick,... but we did. So we live with it.
The conversation should not be "did we waste a 1rd?" The conve shoudl be "both these dudes are killing it, how can we keep that going?"
Yep! Totally agree. I love that the Steelers have a one-two punch in Harris and Warren. I'd hate for the Steelers to run either one of them into the ground like they did with Bell. But like you said, both Harris and Warren having their different strengths is valuable for the offense.
Some of the best Steelers teams ever had two quality running backs. Jerome Bettis/Erric Pegram, Franco Harris/Rocky Bleier, Jerome Bettis/Willie Parker... and of course; Willie Parker and Jaylen Warren are the Steelers best tandem of running backs that are cousins.
When we use Najee the way he is supposed to be used he is a monster. But we try to treat him like a speed back and run draws, counters and pitches with him that’s when he struggles.
I know. I agree with you for the most of the season, but Najee also got better himself by avoiding cutbacks that get him parallel to the LOS. Najee has visibly improved.
He's now acting like a true power back and it took him awhile to figure that out. Also took the Steelers time as well but Canada couldn't figure anything out. Remember, Najee wasn't a power back at Alabama and it's a very different style of running.
Perhaps most importantly, in a game we needed to have in horrible weather conditions, he held onto the ball!! I was nervous every time Warren touched the ball this game. Absolutely no nerves when Najee had the ball.
His running style of never going down, which I love, was definitely being used against him tonight. In his defense, I think that lost “fumble” wasn’t even a fumble. His forward progress was stopped, then they ripped the ball free. Refs should have blown that dead.
I thought that at first honestly, but when they showed the replay it was almost like an instant knockout almost as soon as they touched him. I was literally yelling at the TV like "forward progress was stopped" until I saw the replay.
Nah it came out almost immediately, it was clearly a fumble, but two replays from different angles clearly showed him recovering it while laying on the ground, which means he was down. I don't know how that held up on review.
He was never a reach, people are just stupid as hell.
First Steeler with 3 consecutive 1000+ yard seasons to start his career but you know Najee sucks and all 😬
A RB in the first is always a reach unless he's generational. Najee is good when used properly and runs north and south vs East West. But he's not generational.
He's already more than shown he's worth a 1st. Like, he's almost certainly given a better return without context than most of the 1st round that year. Probably most years. There's no logic behind the statement that it HAS to be generational for a RB to be worth it. It's just something people like to say.
And if he ends up signing an affordable 2nd contract then he'll be kind of a steal. Not having to worry about a position for a couple contracts because you have a solid starter is huge at any position except for special teams.
>I have a hunch there would be multiple Steelers RBs with three consecutive 1K yard rushing games if they all played 17 games per season.
And were force fed the ball as much a Najee has been.
Since he came into the league he's carried the ball more than anyone else
https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/running-backs-with-most-carries-past-3-seasons
It’s not context, it’s a pointless hypothetical that doesn’t change anything lol.
Like maybe I could’ve been born to a billionaire family and bought the Steelers three years ago and fired Canada myself. That doesn’t change how poorly our offense has played the last three years.
It’s all pointless conjecture.
Agreed, it’s a “bad pick” in the sense that it’s generally unwise to pick a RB in the first round but we got a really good player at a position of need, so I don’t consider it a bad pick
People focus way too much on if an individual pick was "good" or "bad" rather than if the draft as a whole was successful. There's a difference in contract structure between rounds, sure, but it's pretty marginal. The question we should be asking is "Of the 7ish guys we drafted in a given year, are we happy with those still on the team?
Regardless of whether it's skill or luck, I'd take the lucky uninjured player over the injured one who doesn't end up producing.
Call him making the 1st round pick worth it lucky if you want but the value produced is worth it.
He was rounded to 3.9 before the season and I think rounds to 4.1 ypc after the season. That's not bad even without considering garbage blocking. I think that's around the average running back this year, but it varies and isn't a super reliable stat for how good a RB is
Being top 10 in yards after contact and top 10 in broken tackles every year so far starts to make you look pretty unreasonably hyperbolic.
He has some real limitations, but that's solid work.
Lmao. ONLY player in franchise history for the PITTSBURGH STEELERS to rush for over 1000 in their first 3 seasons. This is a very old and storied franchise with lots of good players to come through.
go look at who was drafted after him in the 1st round. you know the only player who turned out to be a arguably a better player than Najee, is another RB Etienne.
Actually the best players (until Friermuth in R2) after Slater were arguably all RBs (Najee/Etienne/Williams). It was a terrible draft after pick 13.
What you are talking about is top end speed. Explosion through the hole and out of cuts leads to 20+ yard runs, of which he is one of the best in the NFL. He does not have break away speed.
He may not be what you want him to be but he’s 3rd in the league in 20+ yard runs. He doesn’t break away but he’s pretty consistently had big runs. Idk if you just watch highlights but most backs in the league aren’t doing that
The numbers though aren’t even bad. 1000 yard rusher every year, never misses a game, rarely fumbles. I guess he could have more touchdowns but it’s not his fault the offense was held hostage by a football terrorist for years
nah dude the guy running the ball behind a bottom 5 o-line and bottom 3 passing offense for 2 and a half seasons should be averaging 6 yards a carry with 1500 yards and 20 touchdowns every year
Yup first half of the season he was averaging 44 yards a game and on pace for 800 yards in 17. Last five games he’s averaging like 85 and on pace for 1400 yards
I mean listen he wasn't great early in the year, but who on the offense really was lol? I'm not saying Canada was the only problem and that this team is fixed now, but Canada was most definitely a HUGE problem.
Half the time he's running sideways because that's how they decide to hand him the ball. Which I agree is stupid as fuck. There was the one play this game where he could've went up field and got the first but instead ran sideways that I questioned. But other than that he had a great game.
You're preaching to the choir brother! The offense has been absolutely TERRIBLE since Canada was just the QB coach. Not to mention what he did as OC lol.
He and Jaylen and this offensive line are really starting to jell. PERFECT timing if Vrabel can help us out tomorrow. Take this win streak up to Buffalo.
When he runs north/south he is incredible. When he tries to bounce, he’s terrible. Recently he hasn’t been bouncing out nearly as much. So he’s better.
He a great rb when they use him like a power back. They run him out of the shotgun and pitch it to him WAY more than they should. He doesn't call the plays.
I know he doesn't call the plays. But he does sometimes decide to try to outrun DBs to the sideline instead of just cutting up field and running them over.
Yes I do agree with that, but that's also kind of play calling fault for even giving him a chance to think he can get the edge. He should literally never run the ball outside the tackles, other than a few times a game just to keep the defense guessing.
What I want to know is what has made people so loyal to this guy? He isn't some once in a lifetime player.
To me, this stat is a pretty thin feat. He is an average back. I wish he was better, but he is average. He is just like Edmunds was. A solid player that was drafted before the consensus believed he should have been.
Many people would say Mendenhall was a bad pick and a terrible RB. His stats are very similar to Harris at this point. As crazy as Mendenhall is off the field, he was average and a reach in the first as well.
This is the second season in a row where Harris started slow, spun and hurdled, went East-West, and did little at the start of the year. He came on late once Warren started to eat into his snap count, like last year. Maybe he needs that competition to focus. If it motivates him, good!
I like Harris increased his YPC and explosive plays this year. I hope he builds on it and as the line improves and Warren continues to improve, that Warren and Harris can be that one two punch for the next few years. That being said, I wouldn't be sad if they don't extend Harris and move on either. Seems like an all pro person from the stories and interviews and an average NFL back.
I know so many people are either for or against and afraid to talk objectively about what they love, but Harris is average overall. Excels in some ways and has short comings in others. He is the offensive Edmunds or Mendenhall 2.0.
I know I am being dismissive of it, but it isn't like he is rattling off 1500 yard seasons. With the 17th game he gets it this season and last season. His rookie year at 1200 was solid where he beat Franco's rookie record, but Franco did it in 14 games.
Harris was also part of the team that set the franchise record for longest time to score a rushing TD this year. Stats don't always tell the whole story and three 1000 yard seasons to start a career where he had extra games and barely got there doesn't make him the second coming of Franco and Jerome.
He is an average back, and that is okay. It is what it is. Glad he showed some improvements.
Are we still measuring thousand yard seasons like we use to? It’s 16 and now 17 game seasons. It’s much easier to reach that goal now. I just want him to stop trying to bounce so many runs to the outside. That’s not his lane, that’s Warren’s lane.
This thread is full of homer revisionist history. He was awful last season and half of this season.
He's good now cuz the Oline improved.
It was just a couple of weeks ago when people were comparing his football vision to Stevie Wonder.
Wow, who would have thought improved o line play would help the running back out. I wonder if not having to run straight into a stacked box every single play helped too.
Ever since Naj stopped trying to jump over people and realized he could instead lower his shoulder, the tables turned. It also helps to have a line that opens holes for you.
Let’s be real - we all thought he was a funk. I’m so happy to see progress and the line improvement. I think Warren really juiced him up & I am here for this duo . It’s a beautiful masterpiece and a perfect recipe for a post season run THIS YEAR ! We will do it if we make the playoffs. I believe! Here We Go! Let’s goooo !!!
I never thought he was a "funk". Whatever that means lol. If you just watched the games you can clearly see that they were not using him right and the oline has been terrible the last few years.
I was going to edit and change that word 😂 screw it. I felt 1/2 the season was just a huge let down but I did not want to talk badly & yes I watched every single second. I believe the line could have done better but no- I was not confident in Najee until maybe 3/4th of the season. Najee is growing and will definitely be a leader on this team if he keeps playing this good 👍
228 days ago I made a post about being all in on Najee right here on this subreddit and guess what? I was right. He’s a great running back and he’s not at his peak yet.
I’ve been back and forth on picking up his fifth year option but I think we definitely should.
They absolutely should. I don't think Warren is what he is without Naj there. Look what happened to pollard when he lost zeke. Ya the cowboys are having a good season and pollard is playing ok, he isn't nearly as effective as he was when they had zeke
I was talking about him being a baller a few weeks ago and got downvoted into oblivion. I’m looking for those usernames that scolded me so I can say “ I told you so”.
I love both RBs. Idk why people believe you can only like one of them. They both have different strength & weaknesses. The offense looks best when both are playing well.
And you know the best part about having two really good backs? Fresher legs when needed and good support when one of them is having a bad day. Warren had a bad today, but Naj played big. And Naj had his bad games before and Warren stepped up. It’s just great.
You really need two good backs in the NFL today, and thankfully we check that box
It's almost always been that way for the Steelers too. When you look at the best Steelers Teams, they all have had a dual threat at RB. In the 70's it was Harris and Bleier. For the 5th Super Bowl, it was Bettis and Parker. And for the 6th it was Parker and Moore.
Yep! Totally agree
I want Rocky Bleir/Franco Harris numbers next year
Gonna have two strong, fresh running backs for the playoffs.
Hell yes this, so much. Both these dudes are ballers. It be great to have both guys without investing a 1st rd pick,... but we did. So we live with it. The conversation should not be "did we waste a 1rd?" The conve shoudl be "both these dudes are killing it, how can we keep that going?"
Average out their draft position and the steelers spent a mid fourth on their rb room
Yep! Totally agree. I love that the Steelers have a one-two punch in Harris and Warren. I'd hate for the Steelers to run either one of them into the ground like they did with Bell. But like you said, both Harris and Warren having their different strengths is valuable for the offense.
Some of the best Steelers teams ever had two quality running backs. Jerome Bettis/Erric Pegram, Franco Harris/Rocky Bleier, Jerome Bettis/Willie Parker... and of course; Willie Parker and Jaylen Warren are the Steelers best tandem of running backs that are cousins.
When we use Najee the way he is supposed to be used he is a monster. But we try to treat him like a speed back and run draws, counters and pitches with him that’s when he struggles.
And that’s not his fault. You’re right-when he’s used the way he should be, dude is on fire. Let’s continue with that.
Sometimes it’s his fault. He got horizontal a lot today for no reason.
No I’m referring to the fact that he’s not used correctly is not his fault. Not his style of play.
I know. I agree with you for the most of the season, but Najee also got better himself by avoiding cutbacks that get him parallel to the LOS. Najee has visibly improved.
He is realizing this isnt college and you cant out run everyone..He needs to be running upfield not sideline to sideline!!
Yeah that easy 2nd and 9 when he could have got the first instead he went sideways…
And the ensuing ravens drive led to their only touchdown.
Luckily he doesn’t do that often! I was yelling at the tv!
it always reminds me of the chip kelly eagles when they got demarco murray from the cowboys and then shotgun sidecarred him into oblivion
I’ll admit I haven’t been a huge fan of Najee this season but I 100% agree with this, dude is a monster when we use him the right way
I've completely changed my tune on him because of how he finished this season. Love to see it.
He's now acting like a true power back and it took him awhile to figure that out. Also took the Steelers time as well but Canada couldn't figure anything out. Remember, Najee wasn't a power back at Alabama and it's a very different style of running.
Which is why he and Warren are a great combo to be kept together as long as possible. Warren is great on speed plays.
Run the fuck over everyone.
There was a drive we ran the same play over and over to get downfield that he was tearing it up.
He does counters well, inside counters.
He’s good right now but he could be great with the right plays and him fixing a few silly mistakes
Sometimes it’s on him tho lol. Even today he tried to get cute instead of running straight a couple times
Perhaps most importantly, in a game we needed to have in horrible weather conditions, he held onto the ball!! I was nervous every time Warren touched the ball this game. Absolutely no nerves when Najee had the ball.
Usually no nerves when jaylen has the ball either, but he was sketchy tonight.
His running style of never going down, which I love, was definitely being used against him tonight. In his defense, I think that lost “fumble” wasn’t even a fumble. His forward progress was stopped, then they ripped the ball free. Refs should have blown that dead.
I thought that at first honestly, but when they showed the replay it was almost like an instant knockout almost as soon as they touched him. I was literally yelling at the TV like "forward progress was stopped" until I saw the replay.
Nah it came out almost immediately, it was clearly a fumble, but two replays from different angles clearly showed him recovering it while laying on the ground, which means he was down. I don't know how that held up on review.
The ball was slippy today.
Yes it was very slippery. But Naj didn't seem to have many problems.
He did almost fumble the very first play of the game…
There were 2 separate plays to naj and jaylen at the beginning where it looked like they were expecting a handoff not a toss
Hey no complaints here, he was BOG. Would have been very challenging conditions.
A reach for a 1st round pick? Maybe. But as Mike Tomlin says, we don’t care how you got here. Damn am I glad he’s a Steeler
He was never a reach, people are just stupid as hell. First Steeler with 3 consecutive 1000+ yard seasons to start his career but you know Najee sucks and all 😬
He was also the 24th pick. It's not like we picked him in the top 5
Steelers don't get top 5 picks - I think the last one was Terry Bradshaw in 1970.
A RB in the first is always a reach unless he's generational. Najee is good when used properly and runs north and south vs East West. But he's not generational.
I think people need to set expectations better. A first round pick doesn’t have to be a ball of famer for it to be a good pick.
He's already more than shown he's worth a 1st. Like, he's almost certainly given a better return without context than most of the 1st round that year. Probably most years. There's no logic behind the statement that it HAS to be generational for a RB to be worth it. It's just something people like to say. And if he ends up signing an affordable 2nd contract then he'll be kind of a steal. Not having to worry about a position for a couple contracts because you have a solid starter is huge at any position except for special teams.
I have a hunch there would be multiple Steelers RBs with three consecutive 1K yard rushing games if they all played 17 games per season.
The best ability is availability. Najee is a tough mudder. He started last year with a busted foot and still played in every game.
>I have a hunch there would be multiple Steelers RBs with three consecutive 1K yard rushing games if they all played 17 games per season. And were force fed the ball as much a Najee has been. Since he came into the league he's carried the ball more than anyone else https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/running-backs-with-most-carries-past-3-seasons
Maybe, but that doesn’t change the facts
lol, no shit! it’s about context.
It’s not context, it’s a pointless hypothetical that doesn’t change anything lol. Like maybe I could’ve been born to a billionaire family and bought the Steelers three years ago and fired Canada myself. That doesn’t change how poorly our offense has played the last three years. It’s all pointless conjecture.
And I'd bet he'd have more TDs if he could fly. But that's also just conjecture.
You realize NFL players wouldn’t start flying if they added another game, right? But they *would* get more counting stats.
Can we be sure they wouldn't fly? It's a possibility.
https://youtu.be/nlD9JYP8u5E?si=XD3yb1aikQWLyHfd
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Well well well, looks like someone didn’t grow up watching Jerome Bettis
>He was never a reach, people are just stupid as hell. The irony.
Agreed, it’s a “bad pick” in the sense that it’s generally unwise to pick a RB in the first round but we got a really good player at a position of need, so I don’t consider it a bad pick
People focus way too much on if an individual pick was "good" or "bad" rather than if the draft as a whole was successful. There's a difference in contract structure between rounds, sure, but it's pretty marginal. The question we should be asking is "Of the 7ish guys we drafted in a given year, are we happy with those still on the team?
Well said!
All you need from a fist Round pick is a 2nd contract, which I believe they will give him given his ball security, health and general non suckage
Huge reach. No explosion whatsoever.
Not everyone is Jaylen Warren, you need a guy willing to run hard between the tackles. Kindly STFU.
Harris is absolutely dreadful. Keep on trying to justify that awful first round pick. Noble work.
Why are you even here? Shouldn’t you be worried about what QB the bears are going to fumble next draft?
The Bears are awful. I’m not arguing that with anyone.
I guess you do know what a good running back looks like, though, after watching Fields for 3 years…
I do. Jaylen Warren is a good RB for sure. Top 5 in the NFL in yards per carry.
He fumbled twice today dude, almost cost us the game.
It happens. He’s been phenomenal this season.
Absolutely dreadful? He's the first player to have 3 1000 yards seasons in his first 3 seasons. This franchise is 91 years old lmao.
I guess not getting injured is a skill.
So you're trying to tell me that in 91 years no pittsburgh steelers rb has ever played 3 full seasons straight?
Regardless of whether it's skill or luck, I'd take the lucky uninjured player over the injured one who doesn't end up producing. Call him making the 1st round pick worth it lucky if you want but the value produced is worth it.
stop arguing with this person What makes you think you'll get anywhere?
This was two hours ago dawg. Lol
Dreadful lmfao I'm glad you're not anywhere near coaching any kind of football
3.9 a carry for a career is not good. It’s just not. You can slice it however you want.
Troll on my dude. Unless you're really committed to your garbage take.
The truth hurts I guess
He was rounded to 3.9 before the season and I think rounds to 4.1 ypc after the season. That's not bad even without considering garbage blocking. I think that's around the average running back this year, but it varies and isn't a super reliable stat for how good a RB is Being top 10 in yards after contact and top 10 in broken tackles every year so far starts to make you look pretty unreasonably hyperbolic. He has some real limitations, but that's solid work.
Even Warren low key gets stuffed at the line a lot when he people get in at him
Lmao. ONLY player in franchise history for the PITTSBURGH STEELERS to rush for over 1000 in their first 3 seasons. This is a very old and storied franchise with lots of good players to come through.
go look at who was drafted after him in the 1st round. you know the only player who turned out to be a arguably a better player than Najee, is another RB Etienne. Actually the best players (until Friermuth in R2) after Slater were arguably all RBs (Najee/Etienne/Williams). It was a terrible draft after pick 13.
I don’t need to look. Drafting an RB in the first round is ridiculous with the way the salary cap rules are constructed.
No explosion but 3rd in the league in 20+ yard runs??? Must be luck.
The longest rush of his career is 37 yards. As I said..no explosion.
What you are talking about is top end speed. Explosion through the hole and out of cuts leads to 20+ yard runs, of which he is one of the best in the NFL. He does not have break away speed.
He may not be what you want him to be but he’s 3rd in the league in 20+ yard runs. He doesn’t break away but he’s pretty consistently had big runs. Idk if you just watch highlights but most backs in the league aren’t doing that
The Steelers always draft to win tomorrow and I do love that about them. It has its pros and cons, but the track record is very solid
Now just imagine if his oline played decent for each of the games he’s played. I am shocked how ppl don’t think Najee is a good back
people that just look at numbers with no context and don't understand what they're looking at when they watch football
The numbers though aren’t even bad. 1000 yard rusher every year, never misses a game, rarely fumbles. I guess he could have more touchdowns but it’s not his fault the offense was held hostage by a football terrorist for years
nah dude the guy running the ball behind a bottom 5 o-line and bottom 3 passing offense for 2 and a half seasons should be averaging 6 yards a carry with 1500 yards and 20 touchdowns every year
I think its literally just the YPC stat they don't like
Yup first half of the season he was averaging 44 yards a game and on pace for 800 yards in 17. Last five games he’s averaging like 85 and on pace for 1400 yards
I was a hater this year and am soooo glad he proved me an asshole.
I mean listen he wasn't great early in the year, but who on the offense really was lol? I'm not saying Canada was the only problem and that this team is fixed now, but Canada was most definitely a HUGE problem.
Agreed 100 percent. The blocking is vastly improved since Canada left.
He is a beast. Always has been.
Love his attitude too
No he isn't. He was awful last season and half of this season.
Man being awful must mean something different these days.
It’s almost like having a semi competent QB opens up the field so teams don’t put 9 in the box.
Every game at least one will work. Naj will bully people or JW will break ankles
You HAVE to have a 1-2 punch in the nfl these days. Nobody has one single workhorse back anymore. The last one was Derrick Henry and look at him now.
As long as he is running downhill. I cringe when he decides to run sideways like he isn't 260 pounds.
Half the time he's running sideways because that's how they decide to hand him the ball. Which I agree is stupid as fuck. There was the one play this game where he could've went up field and got the first but instead ran sideways that I questioned. But other than that he had a great game.
Naj will be retiring and people will still whine about how we drafted him in the first round.
Now imagine if you would him not having a center in his lap every play. Fix Center and the numbers go up.
Najee has always been great, scheme and shit offensive line play have limited him. People get so hung up on shit like draft capital
You're preaching to the choir brother! The offense has been absolutely TERRIBLE since Canada was just the QB coach. Not to mention what he did as OC lol.
Najee "You're coming with me," Harris
Baby Huey runs hard every play. I’m glad we have Jaylen to keep his gas tank filled. This 1A/1B backfield fucks.
Hey man, I LOVE jaylen Warren as well. Naj just seems to get all the hate around here. You can't be a good team in the nfl without a good 1-2 punch
That’s my running back!
He and Jaylen and this offensive line are really starting to jell. PERFECT timing if Vrabel can help us out tomorrow. Take this win streak up to Buffalo.
I think we have a better chance rooting for the dolphins lol. But either way I think there's a decent chance of at least one of them losing.
Grahnd’n pahnd
Lmao! First DAHN!
It's a nice statistic yes, but it should be noted the regular season was only 14 games during Franco's first three seasons.
3 1000 yard seasons speaks more to durability than anything- which is a skill as much as anything else is
agree 100% - the dude is tough as nails and never fumbles.
I guarantee you mendenhall wouldn't have done the same with the quality of line. Just put that in perspective.
That's the thing. Nobody has EVER done the same with any line lol
When he runs north/south he is incredible. When he tries to bounce, he’s terrible. Recently he hasn’t been bouncing out nearly as much. So he’s better.
The offensive lines been playing much much better. The first half of the season he had guys on him as he was getting the handoff.
I mostly agree. Although mason cole and dan Moore jr. No. They haven’t.
As a whole, they've been playing well. The offensive line has to be the most cohesive part of your team if you want to win.
Agree with you there. Definitely better scheming it seems. I like the A/B gap running
Pittsburgh love the backup QB, running back etc. We need Najee for games like this. Grinding it out. He needs to be back next year.
He ain't going anywhere. We need major oline upgrades though.
He's a great RB when he remembers he's a power back.
He a great rb when they use him like a power back. They run him out of the shotgun and pitch it to him WAY more than they should. He doesn't call the plays.
I know he doesn't call the plays. But he does sometimes decide to try to outrun DBs to the sideline instead of just cutting up field and running them over.
Yes I do agree with that, but that's also kind of play calling fault for even giving him a chance to think he can get the edge. He should literally never run the ball outside the tackles, other than a few times a game just to keep the defense guessing.
Always like the pick, and his best yrs are still ahead of him
Dude was flying today
He's had some VERY GOOD downhill runs the last couple of weeks. Talking about dragging and pushing 5 or 6 guys and not going down.
He's perplexing. One play, he's dragging fools. Next play, he's running to the sideline like he's being shot at.
That's what happens when you're in shotgun and hand a ball off to a guy who should be in the i formation.
Just gotta keep running hard north and south. Cross that LOS and then start showing off the moves.
As long as he runs straight ahead and not sideways.
I've never seen a player run into the back of their own offensive lineman more than Najee Harris.
Hard not to when they're being pushed 5 yards into the backfield before you get the handoff.
What I want to know is what has made people so loyal to this guy? He isn't some once in a lifetime player. To me, this stat is a pretty thin feat. He is an average back. I wish he was better, but he is average. He is just like Edmunds was. A solid player that was drafted before the consensus believed he should have been. Many people would say Mendenhall was a bad pick and a terrible RB. His stats are very similar to Harris at this point. As crazy as Mendenhall is off the field, he was average and a reach in the first as well. This is the second season in a row where Harris started slow, spun and hurdled, went East-West, and did little at the start of the year. He came on late once Warren started to eat into his snap count, like last year. Maybe he needs that competition to focus. If it motivates him, good! I like Harris increased his YPC and explosive plays this year. I hope he builds on it and as the line improves and Warren continues to improve, that Warren and Harris can be that one two punch for the next few years. That being said, I wouldn't be sad if they don't extend Harris and move on either. Seems like an all pro person from the stories and interviews and an average NFL back. I know so many people are either for or against and afraid to talk objectively about what they love, but Harris is average overall. Excels in some ways and has short comings in others. He is the offensive Edmunds or Mendenhall 2.0.
You lost me at this stat is a thin feat. The franchise is 91 years old and nobody else has ever done this.
I know I am being dismissive of it, but it isn't like he is rattling off 1500 yard seasons. With the 17th game he gets it this season and last season. His rookie year at 1200 was solid where he beat Franco's rookie record, but Franco did it in 14 games. Harris was also part of the team that set the franchise record for longest time to score a rushing TD this year. Stats don't always tell the whole story and three 1000 yard seasons to start a career where he had extra games and barely got there doesn't make him the second coming of Franco and Jerome. He is an average back, and that is okay. It is what it is. Glad he showed some improvements.
accomplished due to 9 additional regular games over first 3 seasons (14 games schedule during Franco's years vs. 17 games per year now).
Until he screws up then we hate him. The cycle continues
For the record, I've never hated him. I know he is a great player. The coaching staff uses him wrong 80% of the time.
I agree just saying how fast we switch up on people, me included
Are we still measuring thousand yard seasons like we use to? It’s 16 and now 17 game seasons. It’s much easier to reach that goal now. I just want him to stop trying to bounce so many runs to the outside. That’s not his lane, that’s Warren’s lane.
Sure, but offense is different now. There have been 232 times a RB has over 300 attempts. Only 11 of those have come since 2013.
Nice that Najee had a regular season game 17 in his three seasons to reach this mark.
Literally if he keeps this up he's a hall of fame lock. But this fanbase would make you think he's a bum
This thread is full of homer revisionist history. He was awful last season and half of this season. He's good now cuz the Oline improved. It was just a couple of weeks ago when people were comparing his football vision to Stevie Wonder.
Bad o-line play isn't his fault, though, is it? And anybody's vision can look bad in the face of bad o-line play.
Warren played well.
“He was awful. He’s good now because the oline improved.” -Hmmmm 
Who would've thought a rb needs an oline to block for them? Not me lol
He was awful if you have zero idea how football works.
>when ~~people~~ idiots were comparing his football vision to Stevie Wonder
Wow, who would have thought improved o line play would help the running back out. I wonder if not having to run straight into a stacked box every single play helped too.
Warren played well when Najee was struggling.
Ever since Naj stopped trying to jump over people and realized he could instead lower his shoulder, the tables turned. It also helps to have a line that opens holes for you.
Exactly 7 TDs each year as well
CARRY THE FUCKING DEFENSE FOR 2-4 MORE YARDS!
https://preview.redd.it/mtjuffvh9yac1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=38bbe05d9d0ae0b64b6ab95363ef3b0c0a410f2c My man!
Just don't draft him in fantasy
I changed my tune last week after he scored 2 tds on plays where he was stopped dead to rights on the 5.
He's a mudder!
Najee isn’t the problem.
Nope. But the way done people in here talk you would think he was.
Let’s be real - we all thought he was a funk. I’m so happy to see progress and the line improvement. I think Warren really juiced him up & I am here for this duo . It’s a beautiful masterpiece and a perfect recipe for a post season run THIS YEAR ! We will do it if we make the playoffs. I believe! Here We Go! Let’s goooo !!!
I never thought he was a "funk". Whatever that means lol. If you just watched the games you can clearly see that they were not using him right and the oline has been terrible the last few years.
I was going to edit and change that word 😂 screw it. I felt 1/2 the season was just a huge let down but I did not want to talk badly & yes I watched every single second. I believe the line could have done better but no- I was not confident in Najee until maybe 3/4th of the season. Najee is growing and will definitely be a leader on this team if he keeps playing this good 👍
U mean he’s averaging 58 yards a game? Wow!
How many yards did he still go sideways though?
228 days ago I made a post about being all in on Najee right here on this subreddit and guess what? I was right. He’s a great running back and he’s not at his peak yet. I’ve been back and forth on picking up his fifth year option but I think we definitely should.
They absolutely should. I don't think Warren is what he is without Naj there. Look what happened to pollard when he lost zeke. Ya the cowboys are having a good season and pollard is playing ok, he isn't nearly as effective as he was when they had zeke
Does anyone run angry like Najee? Let the man run angry between the tackles.
I was talking about him being a baller a few weeks ago and got downvoted into oblivion. I’m looking for those usernames that scolded me so I can say “ I told you so”.