Najee Harris has been hurdling dudes ever since he stepped foot on a football field. It’s his signature thing. When it works, it’s a thing of beauty. When it doesn’t, it’s a head-scratcher.
Defenders expect it now. Green Bay Packers safety Rudy Ford was ready when Harris attempted a scissor kick jump on a catch-and-run midway through the fourth quarter to convert on 2nd-and-10. Ford carried Harris on his shoulders before planting him firmly out of bounds.
The officials initially spotted the ball at the line to gain but then moved it back two yards as Mike Tomlin gave them an earful. On the next play, defenders flushed a moving Kenny Pickett out of bounds and forced a field goal.
It was frustrating to say the least, because if Harris had just kept trucking instead of theatrics, it would’ve easily been a first down and a new set of downs to find the end zone.
Watching Steelers-Packers with Merrill Hoge and “Footbahlin” producer Spence T’eo, Ben Roethlisberger was critical of the play.
“Here’s my thing: If Naj doesn’t jump this guy and instead puts his shoulder down and runs the guy over, he gets the first down. He jumps over him and gets carried, so he loses all his momentum. He’s 250-some pounds. Now that’s a big guy. Go! Run him over! Run that guy over, and you got the first down. Put him down and run him over, and you guarantee the first down. And you avoid this landing right here. Boom!”
It was Harris’s only blemish of the day, as he finished with 20 total touches for 96 yards and a score.
