All these years later and James Conner is still better than Najee. What a waste of a first round pick. They should have just extended Conner.
https://steelersdepot.com/2024/10/wa...s-performance/
While Harris is not the greatest RB since sliced bread or anything....this is pretty damning visual evidence on the OL and TEs. These dudes just are not good right now. Harris had no where to go.
I was glad when we got Najee even in the 1st cause when I watched him he was a beast running sweeps to the right for Bama. Now he seems to me to be a one trick pony, he's great if there is gaping holes and you can get him the ball in the open like the one pass last game. He's to slow out of the gate running up the middle and seems to want to run straight into defense players instead of trying to avoid them.
I do not know. For whatever the reason on the one play that was highlighted in the video, Patterson had a massive hole to run through and was untouched for 5+ yards. The same can not be said for Harris.
I do not know....but I suspect that with Patterson in the game, teams are at least considering it is a pass play? Something is making them back off and the line be more effective blocking.
Ahh....the conspiracy to protect Harris and keep Patterson down?
Patterson only had 6 carries. Maybe he had blocking on all of them?
Maybe they call different plays with one guy versus the other?
Who knows. But until the OL blocks better down in and down out....the offense will struggle regardless of who is running the ball. Again...not a defense of Harris. But a statement that this is a piss poor offensive line right now.
Hopefully a combination of Moore/Seumalo/Frazier/McCormick/Jones can solidify and begin to excel.
I had stated at one time that I wasn't going to worry about this OL until we got to October. Just to give time for them to be together and learn each other and become a unit. October is here. Depending on Sunday night I may officially become worried. This is not looking good and it is not getting better. Injuries or whatever, it's the same result.
That is what you are not getting.
I am not taking up for Harris here.
It is possible for more than one thing to be true at the same time. I propose that:
1. Harris is just a guy and was way over-drafted because Colbert got desperate. Not a new position for myself or others to take.
2. Harris is not quick enough to do zone runes and outside stretch stuff.
3. The offensive line is not good.
4. Heyward and Friermuth can't block very well.
On field situations and game flow also is something to take into account. Are they running the same exact plays in the same situation? Defense personnel the same? All of that could make a big difference.
But it does look like Harris is slow to react a lot of times.
Najee's YPA is 3.9. Pretty bad. I like Najee but it's just not there for him. He tends to do better in the last half of the season but they need him to be consistent the whole season.
Fields needs to start the game with some early throws. Smith needs to mix it up, Go no huddle. These early drives aren't working.
Harris is good at 8 furlongs and not 4 furlongs and he's to slow out of the gate, also not sure it's poor vision than more so he likes to run into other competitors on purpose.
As requested....here are the Patterson plays: https://steelersdepot.com/2024/10/fi...nst-the-colts/
I am not sufficiently caffeinated yet this morning...but it looks to me like two things stick out:
1. The Colts were not crashing the line of scrimmage as quickly when Patterson was in the game. They still seemed to have about 7 guys tasked with hitting the line...but the LBs were not just tearing for the backfield as soon as things were snapped. So...something was different. What that was....I am not smart enough to figure it out. But watching the two sets of runs, that is what stood out on the Colts side of things.
2. Patterson is far better at identifying and cutting back in these (zone?) runs. While I feel the blocking was better on several of these than on ANY of Harris's runs it can not (nor did I ever intend to) be denied that Patterson identified and moved through openings that Harris never would have.
In this random idiot's opinion....Patterson is better at running (see what I did there?) Smith's style of offense than Harris will ever be. I think I see now where the Steelers were coming from with wanting to see what Harris looked like in this system. There was a chance that he took to it and flourished....but there was just as much a chance that he did not....
gotta figure we are drafting a RB in the 2nd or 3rd round this coming draft and a WR likely in rd 1 unless we trade for Adams with a reworked deal for the following 2 years
Kenny Pickett is who I though he was .. Eagles didn't value him either , now he is a Stain at the Mistake by the Lake 3 teams in 4 years more of a shooting star than a superstar