The first two games of the 2024 season for the Pittsburgh Steelers have looked an awful lot like the bulk of the 2023 season. Sloppy, mistake-filled football on offense creating lackluster results and forcing the defense to play out of their minds to pick them up.
This is a detail not missed on running back Najee Harris. He vented after the team’s 13-6 win over the Denver Broncos and didn’t mince words about what all these penalties have done to the offense.
It’s tough for the running backs but shit, we just have to execute on these passes … it’s the same shit. 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 2nd and 12.
Steelers RB Najee Harris wasn't thrilled after the game, most notably with the unforced errors:
"It’s tough for the running backs but shit, we just have to execute on these passes … it’s the same shit. We just have to execute. We aren’t being conservative. We are just…
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) September 16, 2024
The Broncos were actually penalized more than the Steelers but there’s no doubt the Steelers’ penalties stung more. There was at least one touchdown taken off the board due to a penalty and the hold on Broderick Jones that got him benched negated a play that at minimum put the Steelers in field goal range.
