2021, Rd. 1-24 | |
Antioch, CA | |
26 | |
03/09/1998 | |
4YR | |
Alabama Crimson Tide |
Harris rushed 16 times for 41 yards and brought in both targets for 13 yards in the Steelers' 24-19 loss to the Browns on Thursday night.
Analysis
The Browns' defense came into the night with some extreme home/road splits against the run, and Cleveland's typically stout work against opposing ground attacks at Huntington Bank Field continued to Harris' detriment Thursday. The fourth-year pro was constantly stymied at or near the line of scrimmage, with his longest run going for a modest 11 yards. Harris' yardage total was his lowest since Week 4, but he should have a good opportunity to bounce back in a Week 13 road matchup against a more giving Bengals defense on Sunday, Dec. 1.
Harris carried the ball 18 times for 63 yards and caught four of five targets for 30 yards in Sunday's 18-16 win over the Ravens.
Analysis
The running back had his second straight quiet performance on the ground, but Harris made up for it somewhat by catching more than three passes for the first time since Week 3. The Steelers have a slate of potentially tough run defenses down the stretch, so Harris' three straight 100-yard efforts prior to Pittsburgh's Week 9 bye might end up being his high-water mark for the season. On the other hand, he'll be facing a Browns defense in Week 12 that just got steamrolled by Taysom Hill for 138 yards and three TDs.
Harris (ankle) doesn't have a designation for Sunday's game against the Ravens, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.
Analysis
Meanwhile, fellow running back Jaylen Warren is listed as questionable after logging no practice reps Thursday and returning to the field as limited Friday. If Warren is inhibited or even inactive Sunday, Harris would be Pittsburgh's unquestioned top backfield option versus a Baltimore defense that has stymied opposing RBs to the tune of 3.23 yards per carry (2nd) this season.
Harris (ankle) was a full practice participant Thursday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis
Harris was held out of Wednesday's practice due to the ankle issue, but his return to the field a day later as a full participant suggests his absence was likely just maintenance-related. Meanwhile, Jaylen Warren (back) sat out Thursday's session, making his health the bigger question mark of Pittsburgh's top two running backs heading into Sunday's game against the Ravens. Warren has pushed for a bigger role behind Harris in recent weeks with double-digit touches in each of the last three games, but if Warren were to miss Sunday's contest, Harris could be in prime position to handle one of his largest workloads of the season in terms of both snaps and touches.
Harris (ankle) returned to practice Thursday, Alan Saunders of SteelersNow.com reports.
Analysis
Harris didn't practice Wednesday, but head coach Mike Tomlin downplayed the running back's absence, a notion supported by Harris' presence at Thursday's session. Per Saunders, Harris looked "just fine running the ball" during practice, though it won't be known if he was a full or limited practice participant until after the session concludes.
Injury Status
Status: QUESTIONABLE
Type: Ankle
Harris (ankle) didn't practice Wednesday, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.
Analysis
Though Harris missed Wednesday's session, head coach Mike Tomlin downplayed the running back's absence, indicating that Harris is among the players he anticipates including in the team's "planning at the latter part of the week." With that in mind, Harris still appears on track to be ready to go for Sunday's game against the Ravens, though he may need to practice fully by Friday in order to head into the weekend without an injury designation.
Injury Status
Status: QUESTIONABLE
Type: Ankle
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that Harris could be limited in practice this week due to an ankle injury, but the running back is expected to play Sunday against the Ravens, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Analysis
Harris is banged up coming out of a 28-27 win over the Commanders this past Sunday, when he matched his season high with 21 carries and gained 53 yards while scoring a touchdown. The Steelers are seemingly planning on taking it easy with Harris in practice this week coming off the big workload, but his availability for a Week 11 matchup with Baltimore doesn't seem to be in serious jeopardy.
Injury Status
Status: QUESTIONABLE
Type: Ankle
Harris rushed the ball 21 times for 53 yards and one touchdown in Sunday's 28-27 win over the Commanders. He was not targeted.
Analysis
Harris entered Sunday in the midst of one of the most productive stretches of his career by topping 100 yards in three consecutive games. He didn't continue that streak and was inefficient overall, but there were still some positive takeaways from his performance in Week 10. He led the Steelers' backfield, recording 21 touches as compared to 16 for Jaylen Warren. Harris also scored his third touchdown in his last four games with a one-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter. It's also worth noting that Harris briefly left the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent ankle injury, though he did return on Pittsburgh's game-winning drive.
Harris carried the ball 19 times for 114 yards while catching three of four targets for 17 yards in Monday's 26-18 win over the Giants.
Analysis
Harris shined in the national spotlight for the second consecutive week after churning out another 100-plus yard rushing performance against a New York squad. The addition of quarterback Russell Wilson has helped add the threat of the deep ball to Pittsburgh's offense, lightening opposing defensive boxes for the 6-foot-1, 242-pound Harris. The bruising back took full advantage of that against the Giants and may continue to do so in the second half of the fantasy season. For now, the Steelers enter a bye week, so fantasy managers will have to find a substitute for Harris in Week 9, before reactivating the back for a Week 10 matchup against Washington.
Season | Team | Rushes | EPA/Rush | Total EPA | Rush Yards | Rush TD | Yards Per Carry | Yards After Contact | Avg. Box Defenders | Success % | TFL % | Explosive % | First Down % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | 191 | -11.48 | -4.22 | 749 | 3 | 3.92 | 496 | 6.08 | 33.0% | 7.3% | 8.4% | 18.3% | |
2023 | 255 | -24.95 | -20.17 | 1035 | 8 | 4.06 | 715 | 7.06 | 39.2% | 11.4% | 8.2% | 20.0% | |
2022 | 272 | -28.65 | -24.48 | 1034 | 7 | 3.80 | 88 | 6.47 | 40.4% | 8.1% | 5.9% | 16.5% | |
2021 | 307 | -0.06 | -19.38 | 1200 | 7 | 3.91 | 0 | -- | 37.1% | 8.5% | 5.9% | 20.8% |