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Steelers running back leaves Bengals game after dominating drive

Najee Harris nearly single-handily drove the Steelers down the field but left after a non-contact injury.
Jacob Harrison
Jacob Harrison

Still Curtain

Pittsburgh Steelers v Cleveland Browns / Cooper Neill/GettyImages

The Pittsburgh Steelers' first drive didn't go as planned as a controversial pick-six by Cam Taylor-Britt put the Cincinnati Bengals on top. The Steelers surged back to bring the game even on their next drive thanks in large part to the efforts of Najee Harris.

Harris was responsible for 55 yards on the drive, as he broke tackles and picked up chunk yardage on a mixture of handoffs and receptions. The drive ultimately ended with a 17-yard touchdown to George Pickens on a screen pass that Harris wasn't on the field for.

On the penultimate play, Harris caught a dump-off swing pass, and just after the catch, seemed to come up lame as he took less than a jog to the sideline for an eight-yard gain. He squatted down after the play and left the game.

Steelers could be without a go-to option on offense

On return from a commercial, the CBS broadcast didn't provide much answer, other than Harris was receiving oxygen on the sideline. Considering the injury was clearly non-contact, it can be comforting that the injury wasn't a leg injury such as a hamstring or Achilles.

Harris and Jaylen Warren typically trade series, though they often spell one another after chunk plays to prevent fatigue. In the best-case scenario, this is a case where Harris didn't check out of the game because of the production he was giving the offense and we'll see him back in the game soon.

We'll continue to monitor Harris's status as the game progresses. He already has two carries for eight yards and four receptions for 45 yards in the contest. His return will be welcomed in a contest that has quickly turned into a shootout.

Update: Najee Harris has been cleared to return to the game.

Jacob Harrison

Jacob Harrison

Jacob Harrison is the site editor for BuffaLowDown and a contributor at Still Curtain. In the past, he has covered the Alabama Crimson Tide, the NFL Draft and many other teams across college and professional football for several publications, including FanSided, Sports Illustrated, and Tide 100.9, where he hosted a live radio show in Tuscaloosa. Today, Jacob lives in Michigan, where he spends his time covering the Bills and Steelers, and offering play-by-play radio coverage for high school football in SW Michigan. Outside of football, Jacob is a passionate heavy metal music listener and an RPG gamer, though nothing tops his role as a father to three hilarious and beautiful children.