When you beat a team many are picking to advance deeply through the AFC Playoff bracket --- and you do it on the road --- the positive outweighs the negative. And it ain’t even close. Winning trumps all and trumps it by a million miles. A trillion miles, even.
The Steelers beat the Bills and the main takeaway from this past Sunday should be precisely that --- the Steelers beat the Bills.
The defense was stellar, the offense did enough and the special teams chipped in with what might have been the game’s most influential play.
There you have it.
That’s the main story.
Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
But there is one thing (there are a few, actually) that could serve to have a little tinkering done to it as the Las Vegas Raiders pay a visit to Heinz Field this coming Sunday. In actuality, it is something I feel could benefit the Steelers in the long run, not just this coming week.
I’d like to see a smattering --- even a small one --- of some personnel variety in the run game.
What am I getting at here? Well, it is simple. The Steelers ran the football 17 times (not counting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s attempts) on Sunday against the Bills. Najee Harris toted it 16 and Chase Claypool came around end to run that one traditional, old-school reverse that accounted for 25 yards.
Yep, Najee Harris was the lone running back to get his hands on the rock. More to the point, Harris was on the field for all 58 of the offensive snaps, providing the literal definition of an “every down back.”
No other back lined up in the backfield.
This is interesting to me. Very much so.
I think Harris just might end up being really good. He looks like --- if he gets a line in front of him --- he might be equally adept in the open field as he is on third down needing to muscle through someone to gain a yard or two.
That said, a sprinkling of someone else as the Steelers move forward will help this team move forward even more --- if for nothing more than some insulation.
I’m not calling on Benny Snell or Kalen Ballage to get a bunch of carries. Heck, I’m not even saying they need to get one single carry in a game, but I’d like to see them deployed back there a snap or two here and there. The Steelers would do well giving Harris somewhere less than 100 percent of the snaps in a game no matter the situation.
Here is why ….
I think this offense should be in the business of keeping its best players freshest for the most important times. Often, that occurs late so it would seem inserting a backup --- again, even for just a few plays --- somewhere in the second quarter or in a small run of play would help Harris’ legs. And let me state again, that guy doesn’t need to carry the ball, he just needs to keep Harris’ snap count down some.
But it is also two-fold. Getting someone in there for even just a few plays in the first half can provide you some protection.
Let’s say Harris’ shoe falls off.
Or his chinstrap breaks.
Or he gains a long one and is winded.
Or, God forbid he slightly turns his ankle.
And one of those things happens late.
I wouldn’t want to be in the business of Ballage or Snell getting their first non-special teams snap (that could very well be a carry) with like four minutes left in a game as they haven’t really worked up any lather for over 50 minutes.
I’m not asking for much. Just a brief infusion. After all, Harris is still a rookie, it is OK to ease him in a little bit --- or at the very least not ask him to man the backfield for 100 percent of the snaps.
When you beat the Bills on the road to open the season, there are very few complaints.
To be honest, this isn’t one. It is just an observation. And with a slight fidgeting I think the Steelers could be even more prepared and Harris be even better.