PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Understandable that Kenny Pickett would have the ear of the offensive coordinator, the quarterback and OC often share ideas. Before he left for a weekend off during the bye week, tailback Najee Harris talked with Matt Canada about some thoughts he had about the offense.
“I stayed here an extra day with Mason Cole to look over some film to see what tendencies we need to change,” Harris said Wednesday. “Some stuff we need to change as an offense and took that to the coaches.”
Harris said he did something similar last year and wanted to bring a lineman into the room with him. He wanted to get a center’s perspective into what he was seeing on tape. They exchanged ideas with the goal of helping the offense and its identity.
He then had a dialogue with Canada about their conclusions.
“Yeah, he’s really receptive,” Harris said. “It’s going to be in this game plan. The stuff that we talked about, me and Mason, is happening now. It’s a lot more, (with) better looks into stuff.”
And then he stopped for fear of getting into specifics and giving something away. He said a lot of the issues in the first five games were mainly execution and it was good to have time to reflect on it and what the team can do better. He didn’t stop with the team, admitting there is ‘a lot of stuff’ where he can improve.
Harris then said what else has him excited going into the post-bye time, health. There is the chance two starting offensive linemen could return, along with tight end Pat Freiermuth, wide receiver Diontae Johnson and running back/returner Anthony McFarland.
“Right now, we need playmaking as an offense,” Harris said. “We don’t have that much right now. Getting our playmakers back is good.”
Last year the Steelers were able to find an identity after the break and finish winning seven of the last nine. Harris said it’s a different season, but is optimistic that could happen again.
“We are sitting better than where we were at last year,” Harris said. “That’s good. There is always room to get better. That’s what we are preaching as a team. That’s what we understand right now. We got our guys back. It’s good to get them back and get them going.”
Facing Donald
Harris is a fan of Rams All-Pro Aaron Donald. The former Penn Hills HS star and Pitt All-American works out out at the South Side facility during the offseason. He said they’ve met a few times and called Donald a ‘cool dude’ and said he was like a big brother figure. They were together at an event in Pittsburgh and Harris said Donald gave him advice and he was quiet and just soaked up everything he said.
“It’s exciting to play against someone that is that generational talent,” Harris said.