Steelers Fans Pleased Najee Harris In Week 16 By Not Cheering For Someone To Be Fired

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a proud franchise with passionate fans who are never shy about letting the team know how they are doing. In 2023, the Steelers haven't given the fans much to cheer about, and when the crowds have gotten involved, it has usually been in a negative manner. Bringing a three-game losing streak into their Week 16 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, expectations and confidence may have been low, but things quickly turned around. Najee Harris credited the fans after Saturday's game for their passion and was grateful that the team finally gave them some positive football.

Steelers' Harris Plays For The Fans

Pittsburgh's Week 16 game against the Bengals was their last home game of 2023, and as such, the team wanted to put their best foot forward. Lately, the Steelers haven't been able to find their own feet, let alone a good step to take. However, despite what many believed would occur, the Steelers came away from Week 16 with a win and quite a bit more hope than they have had for a while.

Harris, while speaking to reporters following Saturday's victory, made sure to show his appreciation for the Pittsburgh fans and their impact on the game. Considering that it wasn't long ago when the crowds were chanting in unison for Matt Canada to be fired, hearing much more positive cheers was something Harris took pride in.

"We play for them. It's the last home game, so it's good we left on a good note. For them to be chanting something different than 'Fire somebody.'"

It's been a rough road for the 2023 Steelers, especially over the last three weeks, where they lost against consecutive two-win teams and collapsed in a loss to the Indianapolis Colts. The offense has been mediocre at best, but with Mason Rudolph as the starting quarterback against the Bengals, the Steelers put together a 34-11 win. With some of the best quarterback play that Pittsburgh has seen since Ben Roethlisberger, the crowd began chanting Rudolph's name during the fourth quarter of Saturday's game.

With Harris leading the charge as the team's most productive rusher on Saturday (78 yards and one touchdown), the offense did a full 180 from their usual sluggish, three-and-out approach to their offensive attack. Rudolph, getting his first chance to start a game in 2023, made the most of his opportunity with a passer rating of 124.0 to go along with two touchdowns and 290 yards. It may be late in the 2023 season, but if the Steelers have actually started to figure out their identity for success, perhaps this isn't the end of their story just yet.

Steelers Have To Sustain This Success

The recent narrative surrounding the future of the Steelers revolves around whether Mike Tomlin will be - or should be - the head coach beyond the 2023 season. Practically everyone in the football universe knows about Tomlin's ridiculously impressive record of never having a losing season as a head coach, but that has grown old in Pittsburgh. Rather than aiming for just above average, Steelers fans want more from their franchise, and many believed that would mean a separation between Pittsburgh and Tomlin.

While the win against the Colts in Week 16 didn't lift Tomlin from the hot seat, it certainly gave reason to pause and possibly reconsider whether Tomlin's absence would truly be the best thing for the future of the Steelers. Sitting at 8-7 with two games left in their season, the 2023 Steelers have clawed their way back into the postseason conversation, even if they are on the outer ledge. A winning streak to end the season still doesn't guarantee the playoffs considering how narrow the AFC race is becoming, but would it be enough to keep Tomlin at his post?

Winning won't be enough for the 2023 Steelers to claim their spot in the playoffs, which will require some extra help from other teams, but they have taken the first step toward their goal. Not only was their Week 16 victory over the Bengals a vital division win, but it also helped them avoid falling below .500 in a packed AFC. If there is any hope for Tomlin to continue as the head coach of the Steelers, they need to win and do so in the kind of dominant, impressive fashion that they just displayed. The question is, how realistic are those chances?

Does the win over the Bengals convince you that Mike Tomlin is the right coach for the Steelers? 

#SteelerNation