They proved again they have the running game

Jan 26, 2024 at 01:00 PM

Mike Prisuta

Steelers.com

They finished as a middle-of-the-pack running team in 2023, 13th in rushing yards per game at 118.2 (the league average was 112.7) and with an average of 4.1 yards per rushing attempt (just below the NFL average of 4.2).

But by the end of the season the Steelers' running game was humming.

They surpassed 100 rushing yards in eight of their final 10 regular-season games, after having managed to reach triple digits just two times in their first seven.

The Steelers also cracked 100 yards rushing (106) and averaged 4.6 yards per carry (on 23 attempts) in their playoff loss at Buffalo.

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers, Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023 in Pittsburgh, PA. The Steelers defeated the Packers 23-19. (Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tennessee Titans, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023 in Pittsburgh, PA. The Steelers defeated the Titans 20-16. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22), Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman James Daniels (78), Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Broderick Jones (77), Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Mason Cole (61), and Pittsburgh Steelers guard Isaac Seumalo (73) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tennessee Titans, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023 in Pittsburgh, PA. The Steelers defeated the Titans 20-16. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023 in Pittsburgh, PA. The 49ers beat the Steelers 30-7. (Jared Wickerham / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023 in Pittsburgh, PA. The 49ers defeated the Steelers 30-7. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023 in Pittsburgh, PA. The 49ers defeated the Steelers 30-7. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. The Steelers defeated the Seahawks 30-23. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023 in Pittsburgh, PA. The 49ers defeated the Steelers 30-7. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) and Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. The Steelers defeated the Seahawks 30-23. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Dan Moore Jr. (65) and Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023 in Pittsburgh, PA. The Patriots beat the Steelers 21-18. (Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023 in Pittsburgh, PA. The Patriots beat the Steelers 21-18. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Las Vegas Raiders, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023 in Las Vegas, NV. The Steelers defeated the Raiders 23-18. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023 in Inglewood, CA. The Steelers defeated the Rams 24-17. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023 in Inglewood, CA. The Steelers defeated the Rams 24-17. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Houston Texans, Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023 in Houston, TX. The Texans beat the Steelers 30-6. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22), Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Broderick Jones (77), Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman James Daniels (78), Pittsburgh Steelers guard Isaac Seumalo (73), and Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Mason Cole (61) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023 in Pittsburgh, PA. The Cardinals beat the Steelers 24-10. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) celebrates during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023 in Baltimore, MD. The Steelers defeated the Ravens 16-13. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023 in Baltimore, MD. The Steelers defeated the Ravens 16-13. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023 in Cincinnati, OH. The Steelers defeated the Bengals 16-10. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22), Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth (88), and Pittsburgh Steelers tight end/fullback Connor Heyward (83) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023 in Cincinnati, OH. The Steelers defeated the Bengals 16-10. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals, Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023 in Pittsburgh, PA. The Steelers defeated the Bengals 34-11. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023 in Pittsburgh, PA. The Steelers defeated the Browns 28-14. (Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) during a preseason game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Atlanta Falcons, Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023 in Atlanta, GA. The Steelers defeated the Falcons 24-0. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Following is a look back at five of their more memorable efforts on the ground:

1-RB Jaylen Warren, 74 yards, Nov. 19, at Cleveland:

The Steelers' longest run of the season jump-started the offense and changed the scoreboard.

Warren accepted a toss from quarterback Kenny Pickett on second-and-9 from the Steelers' 26-yard line on the second offensive snap of the third quarter. Tight ends Darnell Washington and Pat Freiermuth double-teamed defensive end Za'Darius Smith. Right tackle Broderick Jones pulled and got in the way of cornerback Denzel Ward. Center Mason Cole got to the second level and took care of linebacker Sione Takitaki.

Warren started right, accepted Pickett's toss, cut inside away from cornerback Greg Newsome, cut back outside and away from linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, turned upfield at the boundary and was gone. Newsome may or may not have gotten a hand on Warren on what was either an untouched or barely-touched, 74-yard touchdown run.

"They had 64 yards in the first half," CBS play-by-play announcer Ian Eagle reported. "They had 74 yards on this one play."

2-Warren, 18 yards, Dec. 31, at Seattle:

Another example of what can happen at the confluence of vision and blocking. The Steelers deployed three tight ends on second-and-8 from the Seahawks' 18 with 1:53 left in the first quarter. Warren accepted a handoff from quarterback Mason Rudolph, started up the middle, behind tight end Connor Heyward, cut right between guard Isaac Seumalo and Freiermuth, then right again between offensive tackle Dan Moore Jr. and guard James Daniels on the second level, and, finally, back to the left, inside of wide receiver George Pickens' block on cornerback Michael Jackson.

It was a thriller.

Pickens, who had come under scrutiny for his lack of effort when he should have been blocking for Warren on a goal line run on Dec. 16 in Indianapolis, pointed at the Steelers' sideline for emphasis as Warren bolted into the end zone.

"Watch the vision of Jaylen Warren, that is big league," FOX color analyst Jonathan Vilma pointed out. "You can make that second cut, the safeties have no chance."

3-Najee Harris, 20 yards, Nov. 26, at Cincinnati:

Harris took a handoff from Pickett on first-and-10 from the Steelers' 11 with 1:23 left in the first quarter, cut from the right hash to the middle of the field and hit a mass of humanity. But he kept is legs churning and the Steelers kept blocking and the pile kept moving. Harris powered back toward his right and continued down the field, with safety Dax Hill, safety Jordan Battle and linebacker Germaine Pratt all trying to tackle him and Heyward, Freiermuth and Cole trying to push the Bengals' defenders off of Harris. Moore and wide receiver Miles Boykin also chased the play to its conclusion.

"That's him understanding that he's 240 to 245 pounds," CBS color analyst Charles Davis observed of Harris. "And look at his offensive line continue to help.

"When a back gives you extra effort, your offensive line and other teammates will join in."

4-Harris, 4 yards, Dec. 31, at Seattle

The Steelers went with three tight ends again on first-and-goal from the Seattle 4 with 7:05 left in the third quarter. The play went nowhere initially but the Steelers wouldn't take no for an answer. Harris wouldn't go down, Washington continued to push from Harris' left, as Freiermuth, Heyward, Seumalo, Cole and Daniels did from behind. The pile kept lurching forward. Harris eventually broke the plane of the goal line, as did a host of his teammates.

The Steelers' version of the "Brotherly Shove" resulted in a touchdown.

"Pat likes bragging about what he did," Harris explained. "Even if it's not him making a play he'll say, 'Did you see me pushing, 'Naj?'' He does stuff like that. I didn't see it but Pat came at me screaming, 'I helped you out on that.' I'm happy for Pat. Was it Darnell and Connor, too? Oh, man, that's why they were saying, 'Give us the game ball.'

"OK, I get it then."

5-Rudolph, 7 yards, Dec. 23, Cincinnati

The idea was to pass out of a three-wide receivers set on third-and-6 from the Bengals' 10 with 7:59 left in the second quarter. But Rudolph stepped up and to his left to escape a collapsing pocket, then cut to his right behind a block from Seumalo and headed up the field. He stiff-armed pursuing linebacker Logan Wilson, then took on cornerback Mike Hilton head on 1 yard shy of the line to gain as safety Nick Scott crashed down from Rudolph's right side. Rudolph fell forward despite Wilson arriving late to join his two teammates.

Sliding apparently wasn't an option for Rudolph.

He popped up and extended his right arm with the ball still in his hand, "First Down."

"A little courage that time by Mason Rudolph," NBC color analyst Todd Blackledge assessed. "That's the kind of play that this home Pittsburgh crowd loves to see, stiff-arm Logan Wilson and then duck the shoulder and split defenders for the first down."

They proved again they have the running game

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