Steelers inside the ropes: Najee Harris already making up for subpar run blocking

On the first completed running play of in-field 11-on-11 drills during Saturday’s training camp session, the Pittsburgh Steelers defense line collapsed the offensive line and Najee Harris was dropped for a loss of about 3 yards.

The following play began similarly, with the defense again getting good penetration as Ben Roethlisberger was handing the ball off to Harris. But this time, Harris juked, made people miss, broke a Cameron Heyward tackle, beat everyone to the corner and turned it into a 5-yard gain.

It was an example of what kind of difference an elite running back can make for a team that has plenty of questions along its offensive line a year after finishing last in the NFL in rushing yards.

Later in another 11-on-11 session, Harris had a gain of at least 25 yards — he later claimed he would have scored — but this time it was made by well-executed blocking by the line that was unbalanced to the left. Harris hit the hole and accelerated.

That play aside, the offensive line did not have its best practice. It should be noted, though, that it was without several regulars: starting tackles Zach Banner and Chuks Okorafor continue to be absent from team drills, and veteran interior linemen Trai Turner and B.J. Finney also did not practice Saturday. On the play that followed the two early snaps in which Harris had to face multiple defenders in the backfield, Benny Snell was similarly under siege.

• Harris’ day wasn’t perfect — he dropped two passes in team drills, one at the end of practice.
• Officials were on hand again and throwing flags, even at times during individual drills.
• After a sluggish start over the first four camp practices at Heinz Field in the Seven Shots 2-point conversion simulation drill, the defense is beginning to flex its muscle. Saturday, it held on the first five snaps (although a caveat is that Roethlisberger did not participate). The only scores were on the final two snaps when Josh Dobbs hit RB Kalen Ballage for touchdowns. Chase Claypool (from Mason Rudolph) and Diontae Johnson (from Dawyne Haskins) dropped would-be scores. Joe Haden broke up a pass from Rudolph to JuJu Smith-Schuster, and in a rarity that couldn’t happen during a game, Haskins was both sacked and threw an interception on the same play. James Pierre returned the ball all the way to the other end zone. Sacks, of course, are not completed fully during practice, but Jamir Jones was right up on Haskins but let up before he threw.
• The offense fared better in a 2-minute drill simulation that ended practice — both first- and second-teamers scored. Roethlisberger avoided a sack to hit a streaking Jonson along the back of the end zone, and McFarland caught a well-designed, delayed screen and scored while Haskins directed the second team.
• The big plays, respectively, from the first- and second-teams in the 2-minute drills were a Johnson catch of more than 30 yards down the left sideline and a Ray-Ray McCloud catch and run of more than 15 yards.
• As captains of their respective units, Roethlisberger and Heyward playfully take the competitions seriously. After McFarland scored and as the horn sounded to end practice, Roethlisberger celebrated in part by playfully kicking Heyward’s helmet as it lied on the ground in front of him.
• The prettiest 11-on-11 offensive play design of the day that was executed well was a Trey Edmunds “touchdown” on a play in which he initially was lined up as an H-back to the left but motioned back to the right. He ultimately was the target of a delayed throw. The motion and unbalanced line were good examples of Matt Canada-style offense.
• TE Zach Gentry has had a strong camp, and he shined in a one-on-one blocking drill between tight ends and linebackers Saturday. But he also blatantly dropped a Haskins-thrown ball right into his hands/chest that rookie CB Shakur Brown was the beneficiary of for an interception.
• Tight ends coach Alfredo Roberts was particularly animated and involved in his unit’s blocking drill, stopping to teach his pupils after nearly every rep.
• About 20 yards away while that was going on, another blocking drill was taking place between wide receivers and defensive backs. Claypool had a celebration akin to scoring a regular-season touchdown when he at one point manhandled CB Justin Layne to the ground.

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