In 2021, the Pittsburgh Steelers seemingly found their answer at running back, with Najee Harris leading the team with an astonishing 307 carries, 84% of all offensive snaps, and zero regular season fumbles. The team’s other running backs, Anthony McFarland, Benny Snell, and Kalen Ballage, combined together for 137 total rushing yards during the 2021 season. Harris had 1,200 on his own. There were seven touchdowns scored by Steelers running backs in 2021. All seven were from Najee Harris. You get the point. Najee carried virtually the entire load last season when it came to running the ball, and received very little help in doing so.
While there are differing points of view on this, most observers believe that the Steelers are going to have to find another back to help carry the load for Harris, and that that player likely isn’t on the roster already. Typically, when these conversations come up, fans and observers tend to instructively look back fondly on the last time that the Steelers had a star running back and a dependable back-up to help with the ground game.
CINCINNATI, OH - DECEMBER 04: Le'Veon Bell #26 of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrates after defeating the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on December 4, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
The Steelers lose Bell
DeAngelo Williams lives in the minds of Steelers fans as an all-around solid guy to have on the team and someone you could depend on should Le’Veon Bell be injured and/or suspended. During the 2015 season, the Steelers signed Williams after running backs Le’Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount were sentenced to probation in February for a DUI offense related to marijuana usage. Bell was ultimately suspended for three games, reduced from an initial four, meaning that the nine-year Pro Bowler of the Carolina Panthers, Williams, would have to open up the season for the Steelers as the starter.
After Bell's brief return, Williams would then go on to return to the starting running back position when Bell tore his MCL during a November 1st game against the Cincinnati Bengals after being tackled by whom else... Vontaze Burfict.
Regardless, none of the Bell’s availability affected the team much, as Williams proved he was able to carry the load, even if he didn’t have the x-factor that Bell brought to the Steelers run game. During that 2015 season, Williams led the league with 11 rushing touchdowns on only 10 starts and rushed for a total of 907 yards. Additionally, Williams was an asset in the passing game, hauling in 40 of his 47 targets for an additional 367 yards. While Williams himself was injured in the season finale against the Cleveland Browns and was unable to suit-up for the playoffs, his leadership on the field during the regular season was a key reason why the team was making a push into the postseason.
Williams then returned to the team in 2016, working in tandem with Bell and only starting four games as a result. With an attitude that there was no such thing as a "backup running back," he was still a contributor on the field, rushing for 343 of the team's total 1,760 rushing yards, a total of 19.5% of the team’s yards on the ground. He rushed for four touchdowns, and caught two through the air, accounting for 13.04% of the team's touchdowns that season. That isn’t an insignificant contribution by any means.
It’s also worth noting that Williams was an excellent representative for the team during his time as a Steeler, using his platform to advocate for breast cancer awareness and even going so far as to dye his hair pink in honor of his mother who passed away from the disease. On the field and off the field, Williams left a big legacy in the minds of Steelers fans and set the mold for being a contributing running back on the team. The same cannot be said of the back-up options that the team has utilized in recent years.
via SI.com
Ditching the backup mentality
Beyond the great qualities of the man himself, what makes Williams such a salient figure in the minds of Steelers fans isn’t just that he was able to step in in 2015 in Bell’s absence and do an admirable job, it’s that he was also able to significantly contribute WITH Bell on the field.
That’s what has been missing from the Steelers running game since then. For example, compare his 19.5% of all rushing yards in 2015 with the paltry 8.6% of rushing yards from Snell, Ballage, and McFarland COMBINED in 2021. When two of your running backs are out-rushed by wide receivers, as McFarland and Ballage were, and one, McFarland, was even out-rushed by a less than ideally mobile 39 year old Ben Roethlisberger, you know you have a problem.
The Steelers need to ditch the concept of a backup running back and find the next DeAngelo Williams. They need to find someone who doesn't just view themselves as the understudy, but somebody who wants to be a real contributor on the ground. With Najee Harris doing his thing on the field, having an additional running back who can spell him as needed, but also be a serious threat in his own right, will be vital for the Steelers moving forward.
As the team seeks to cement Harris as a leader on its offense, it will have to be tactical in their use of him on the field, seeking to extend his career and avoid injuries associated with wear-and-tear. Finding the next DeAngelo Williams would go a long way towards improving the run game as a whole and propelling this team towards being able to run the ball in a punishing manner deep into the postseason, should they get there.
What do yinz think about the team's current "back-up" running back situation? Click to comment below!
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