2 Steelers players recognized after dominant month of October
By Tommy Jaggi
The Steelers have their share of high-profile players, but these two earned recognition league-wide after dominant performances in October.
Pittsburgh didn’t exactly have the start to the 2021 season they were hoping for when they handed out numerous voidable-year contracts this past offseason. However, after losing three straight games, the Steelers have bounced back and are currently on a three-game win streak.
Much of this success has to do with the defense holding their opponents to 16.3 points per game over this span, as well as the noticeable improvement along the offensive line. However, two players really stood in a positive light during the month of October and they are being recognized for their quality performances.
Steelers RB earns Offensive Rookie of the Month
Najee Harris didn’t have a smooth start to his NFL career. The talented rookie running back out of Alabama earned just 123 rushing yards on 40 carries during the month of September (3.0 yards per carry). Since then, however, Najee has been a menace.
Over four games in October, Harris toted the rock 88 times for 356 yards (4.0 yards per carry) and earned 4 total touchdowns during this span. It has been a miraculous turnaround for the rookie running back.
Thanks to his ability to keep the chains moving, the Steelers have been winning the time of position battle, stringing together offensive drives more frequently, and allowing their defense to stay fresh on the sideline.
Harris undoubtedly has the skill set to be one of the best running backs in the league — which is why the Steelers justified taking him so high in the 2021 NFL Draft — and thanks to improved offensive line play, he could be even better down the stretch. This was the first personal award Najee Harris received in the NFL, and it won’t be his last.
Steelers DL makes NFL Midseason All-Pro Team
If there is one player on the Steelers who has defined what it means to be consistently great, it’s defensive lineman, Cameron Heyward. Despite his age (32), Heyward has been a dominant force for the Steelers this year, and his impressive play has not gone unnoticed.
Currently, Heyward is Pro Football Focus’s highest-graded defensive player — narrowly topping the great Aaron Donald after 7 games. He and Donald are the two interior defenders to make the PFF NFL Midseason All-Pro Team. No other Steelers player made the cut, though T.J. Watt was listed as a second-team player on this list behind Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby.
Heyward hasn’t exactly dominated the box score for Pittsburgh this season (just 2.5 sacks and 5 tackles for a loss in 7 games); however, he’s constantly harassing the quarterback and stuffing the run. He’s finally starting to get the recognition he deserves.
By the end of the season, we hope there are other players who can receive a few personal honors, as it likely means they are significant contributors in Pittsburgh. T.J. Watt is the best player on the team, for my money, but these two guys are great football players and are both coming off an incredible month of October.