The Pittsburgh Steelers have a prolific duo of running backs in their offensive backfield. When it comes to carrying the football, Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren have been known for being two of the most powerful backs in all of football. Thursday night at the NFL Honors ceremony, Good Morning Football host and NFL Analyst Kyle Brandt awarded the winner for Angry Run of the Year.
Good Morning Football (GMFB)
GMFB's Kyle Brandt.
Thursday night, Pittsburgh's very own 2021 first round pick, Najee Harris won Angry Run of the Year, awarded by Kyle Brandt and the Good Morning Football Show on NFL Network. The segment Angry Runs originated at the start of the 2017 NFL season on GMFB where Brandt and the rest of the crew picked the angriest, most brutal runs each week and declared a winner.
Each winner per week would receive an Angry Runs "scepter," which did not come into play until 2020. Now, for the ultimate "Angry Run of the Year," the winner would receive the golden scepter. Thursday night, the golden scepter came home to Pittsburgh. Harris was awarded for his nasty stiff arm move against a defender in one of the team's final games of the 2023 regular season at Seattle.
Angry Run of the Year goes to none other than Najee Harris 😡🏆 (by @FedEx)@ohthatsNajee22 | @KyleBrandt pic.twitter.com/FixlNFAUJu
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) February 9, 2024
This is not the first time Pittsburgh's' angry back has received a scepter. The three-time 1,000-yard rusher has won the segment five times! Harris isn't the type of player that is interested in winning awards from a T.V. show segment, however. The running back has made it clear that his focus is on winning as a collective and doing some damage in the postseason for a change.
The 5th career 😡ANGRY RUNS😡 scepter for Najee Harris has arrived at the Steelers facility.
— Kyle Brandt (@KyleBrandt) January 3, 2024
Will we get proof he received it??
Here’s Najee over the years… pic.twitter.com/p3pCvycQn7
Harris isn't the only one on the team capable of taking home a scepter. Right behind him is Jaylen Warren, some may call him the "lightning" to Harris' "thunder."
In Week 11, Warren was awarded for Angry Run of the Week after an exciting run versus the Cleveland Browns. Warren took a big leap this year, and quickly became noticed around the whole league as a fast and powerful back. Warren's play on the field, especially as an RB2, has been exceptional.
Steelers' Angry Backs
Associated Press
Steelers running back tandem of Jaylen Warren (right) and Najee Harris (left) posted their third consecutive game of 150 yards rushing.
Pittsburgh has seemed to have found it's identity, and it lies within these two studs. Harris and Warren are just the fourth duo in Steelers history to both reach 1,000 yards from scrimmage in the same season. Harris finished the season with 255 carries, 1,035 yards on the ground (averaging 4.1 a carry), scoring 8 touchdowns. Right behind him, Warren ended with 149 carries, 784 yards carried (averaging 5.3 a pop), and having 4 touchdowns. Warren also caught for over 60 receptions and 370 yards, compared to Harris' 29 receptions for 170 yards.
AP
Steelers' new Offensive Coordinator, Arthur Smith, greets quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) in Atlanta, GA.
The duo only seem to get better together each year, and with the Steelers hiring new Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith, they are more than likely to flourish in his offense. In their last three regular season games, Pittsburgh's backfield averaged nearly 160 yards per game. Not to mention, the Steelers are looking to continue to keep quarterback Kenny Pickett as their starter, so he will need all of the help he can get out of these two running backs. Don't expect anything less than to see more scepters coming to Pittsburgh next season.
#SteelerNation
