After loss, Najee Harris expresses frustration about lack of production, Steelers offense
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CLEVELAND — Najee Harris did not speak with media throughout the practice week.
After Sunday’s 13-10 loss at the Cleveland Browns, though, the Pittsburgh Steelers running back didn’t want to stop talking.
A frustrated Harris spoke for more than 5 minutes while sitting in the visitor’s locker room at Cleveland Browns Stadium. No fewer than four occasions over that span, Harris ignored a team spokesperson’s attempts at ending the interview.
“They (media) can keep asking questions,” Harris said at one point. “It’s fine.”
Though he restrained himself from saying too much, Harris clearly had plenty he was eager to get off his chest after a game in which the Steelers offense managed a meager 249 yards and netted fewer than 8 yards seven times over their first 11 meaningful possessions. Harris’ contributions were limited to 36 yards on 13 touches.
“There’s just a lot of stuff that just goes around … that (reporters) don’t see,” Harris said when asked about the offense. “I guess that’s what I’m trying to say. I am just at a point, man … where … I’m just tired of this (crap).”
Najee Harris is “tired of this (bleep).” pic.twitter.com/jX7gNvHE9Q
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) November 19, 2023
The Steelers entered Sunday’s game ranked 28th in the NFL in total offense. They ended it in the bottom five of the NFL in offensive points with just 152 through 10 games this season.
“Is it fixable?” Harris said, rhetorically, when asked about the offense’s struggles. “Yeah. But are we going to fix it?”
When answering a question about the offense earlier, Harris said, “It’s hard … I want to say what I really want to say, but it’s just difficult.”
Harris was a co-captain of the offense during his second NFL season in 2022, but with quarterback Kenny Pickett no longer a rookie, this season Pickett was named the offense’s lone captain.
Still, coach Mike Tomlin frequently has referenced Harris’ leadership and how Tomlin has sought to foster it.
After Sunday’s loss, Harris was asked how as a leader on offense he wanted to attack the issues of the unit.
“We’re going to have a talk, I guess, let’s say, as a team,” Harris said. “That’s the best way to say it.
“Just all of us offensively, I think.”
Najee Harris was frustrated after the loss. Says the offense needs to have a talk. Said he left like the Browns were on him on every carry and every screen pic.twitter.com/IHt0svzmUG
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) November 19, 2023
Harris on multiple occasions during his comments referenced that he would prefer to speak on his own performance rather than dwell on the overall struggles of the unit. But Sunday, Harris’ 35 yards were the third-fewest for him for a game this season, as was his 2.9-yard per carry average.
Six of Harris’ 13 touches netted 1 or fewer yard. Two lost yardage, and only two went for more than 5 yards. Harris had a 17-yard run on a third-and-22 draw play during the fourth quarter when the Browns defense largely was content to let him run. Aside from that, Harris averaged 1.6 yards per touch.
“I’m not going to talk about team stuff, (but regarding) my performance, I couldn’t get things going,” Harris said. “It seemed like every time I got it, seems like it was just the defense was just playing to minimize my role or something like that.
“They were just sitting on screens for me (and) even in the run game, just blowing stuff up in the run game. Just I couldn’t get nothing going personally.”
Harris’ backup, Jaylen Warren, had a career high in rushing yards for a second consecutive game. After totaling 101 on 15 carries during last week’s win against the Green Bay Packers, Warren’s 74-yard touchdown highlighted a nine-carry, 129-yard performance in Cleveland.
“All the little screens and dump-offs, he makes (defenses) shake all the time,” tight end Pat Freiermuth said of Warren. “It’s big for our offense.”
Harris on Sunday did not express any explicit frustration in Warren’s growing role, one that by extension has gradually minimized Harris’ impact on the offense. Harris never has openly complained about Warren’s contributions.
But Harris seemed to have more generalized targets for venting frustration.
“We could fix it,” Harris said of the offense, talking over a staffer’s attempt to end his question-and-answer session. “It’s just … we’re just … it’s tired.
“I’m just really just tired. Just stuff I don’t even know how to … ”
Najee Harris pic.twitter.com/jlVdmtEnlj
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) November 19, 2023
When Harris was asked if opponents seemed to know what plays were coming, he paused for several seconds.
“Yeah,” Harris finally said. “Some situations, to be honest with you.”
He similarly used a pause, a pained expression and restrained words do his talking when a reporter asked Harris if he felt every Steelers player had a “team-first attitude.”
“Do I think everybody has a team-first (attitude), on this team?” Harris said. “Yeah. I’d rather not talk about the team … I’ll just talk about me, my performance. If y’all ask a question about my … ”
And with that, a team staffer demonstratively ended Harris session with media.