PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – A few notes from the Steelers 20-10 win over the Saints on Sunday including from Najee Harris, George Pickens, TJ Watt and Cam Heyward.
Najee Neurology
It seemed like it was the Najee Harris’ luck this year. After his longest run of the season, he found himself in the medical tent.
Harris was slow to get up after that 36-yard burst in the third quarter. Immediately there was concern of a concussion, the Steelers tailback headed over to be inspected by an independent neurologist.
“I was telling him I was alright,” Harris said. “I was telling them you don’t need to look at this (stuff). I’m alright.”
“They are not going to believe me with what is going around the NFL with concussions. They did a good job of looking at the film and looking at that stuff and said I’m good to go.”
Practice makes it
TJ Watt one of a number of players saying they had their best practice week of the year. He believed what we saw in the win was directly related to the better energy and focus last week.
“I mean, you don't win the game on Sundays,” Watt said. “You win it through all the preparation you put in throughout the week. That's from, I mean, 8:00 am extra meetings, to having clean, crisp practices and communication. That's why it's so important at home to have that communication as a defense because
it's so loud in there.”
Long-time for Pickens
George Pickens scored his second touchdown of the season in a way he hadn’t for a long time.
“Little League, that’s the last time,” Pickens said of the inside handoff for a one-yard touchdown. “The thing I did today, Little League was probably the last time I ran in-between the tackles, linebacker area. That’s probably the last time I am going to do that as well.”
Not just run offense
The Steelers ran for 217 yards, the most since 2016. Their defense also held the Saints to 29 yards rushing.
“I thought the run defense was real good,” said Steelers Captain Cam Heyward of making New Orleans one dimensional. “I thought everyone playing assignment football. The execution I thought picked up in the run defense & that led to the couple of sacks and the turnovers as well.”
Kicker question
The Steelers dropped Nick Sciba and then signed Matthew Wright from the Chiefs practice squad and added him to the active roster to replace Chris Boswell (who went on Injured Reserve last week with a groin injury). Wright missed 39 and 48-yard field goals, making a pair of 33 yarders and two extra points. It appears the Steelers will stick with him.
“We’ll get back to work with Matt Wright and company,” Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin said. “Operationally, it could have been better in some of those things, but we’re always going to fall short of perfection.”
“We've had success with him. He left here and had continual success in the league. I think he was 21 of 24 in J'ville [Jacksonville]. He's been successful in the league. We were comfortable with that information not only in terms of what he's done in the National Football League but what he's done here with us.”
Steeler Nation
Excited to see TJ Watt in the game and then feeding off their success, the Steelers outside linebacker crediting the 65,000 announced at Acrisure Stadium for a big edge.
“I think they were wild, going crazy,” Watt said. “And like I said, I hope we can keep that up because I want them to know how big of an advantage it really is for us as a defense. It makes life hell for offenses, and we're going to continue to try to make plays to feed off them.”