Tomlin is “happy with the development” of Najee Harris’ game and knows the defense is defending him differently

It's been quite the offseason for Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris, which saw him decline his fifth-year option by the franchise that selected him in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

The move gave Harris a contract year despite his three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and opened his career with the Black and Gold.

Some players can make this decision and give up, others can be encouraged by it, seize the opportunity and take advantage of it. So far, Harris has done just that. The former Alabama star hit the ground running in training camp and continued to develop into a leadership role after entering with the right attitude and in great shape.

The numbers this season, aside from Week 4 against the Indianapolis Colts, have been strong as he ran for 70 yards against the Atlanta Falcons, 69 yards against the Denver Broncos and 70 yards against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Head coach Mike Tomlin was very pleased with such a start to the season, in which he ran hard and consistently. Tomlin praised Harris before the Sunday Night Football game against the Dallas Cowboys to Bob Labriola of Steelers.com.

“I was happy with the development of his game. He started faster this year than in other years, but he came into camp really ready to go. He was in great shape,” Tomlin said of Harris, according to Steelers.com. “He is at the point in his career where he is still young but experienced and so it is reasonable to expect him to start fluidly and be productive.

“And that’s why I like where we are. Obviously we still have some growth to do, both for him and the collective, especially in the running game, but I like where he is.”

There is still a lot of growth needed in the Steelers' running game, especially after their Week 4 performance in the 27-24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

Although the Steelers managed 122 yards on the day with two rushing touchdowns and 30 total carries, most of the damage was done by quarterback Justin Fields and backup running back Cordarrelle Patterson. Harris really struggled to get going, but it wasn't like he was missing holes or anything.

He had nowhere to go, which was frustrating for everyone involved. And that is mainly due to how teams play against him.

Teams attack Harris more aggressively downhill, clogging up the lanes and forcing him into a corner. With running backs like Patterson and even Warren, defenses aren't as aggressive downhill, which allows the linemen to get more hats on defenders and provide them with more lanes in the running game.

Tomlin acknowledged this in his conversation with Labriola.

“No question. That's why everyone loves the supplementary runner. We play against Dallas today. For example, when Ezekiel Elliott was the lead runner and Tony Pollard was the reliever, everyone loved the reliever. The primary ball carrier commands some attention. There’s nothing sexy about their jobs,” Tomlin said of Harris and the differences in the way defenses play him compared to the backup players. “Often the support runners have more running routes simply because of their concept or due to game circumstances such as second and tenth draw plays. The screws and nuts of the main rotor are sometimes a dirty job. Since we're playing Dallas today, a few years ago when they had Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard, everyone was drawn to Tony Pollard by his yards per carry. It's kind of like the backup quarterback.

“Everyone loves the backup quarterback. Everyone loves the backup runner, but the attention they receive and the circumstances in which they run are often different than the primary ball carrier.”

It's great to hear Tomlin finally put this into words, as it's a widely held opinion. It's clear in the film that the defense does this against Harris and not so much against the other running backs on the roster, but it was often seen as an excuse to defend Harris.

However, that wasn't the case. It was just pointed out that the defense plays differently against Harris, defends him differently and makes life very difficult for him. That won't change unless the Steelers' offense can block a little better and distribute things better when Harris is on the field, making the penalty box easier.

Until then, however, Tomlin remains happy with Harris' play. He played well but needs a boost in prime time Week 5 against the Dallas Cowboys.