The Pittsburgh Steelers are dealing with their first loss of the season after a challenging Week 4 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. Traveling to Indianapolis, the Steelers faced heightened expectations and pressure. The pregame atmosphere was electric, but an incident involving running back Najee Harris set the tone for a tumultuous contest. As the Steelers ran onto the field, Harris was caught on camera flipping off the jumbotron, a gesture that did not sit well with the Colts’ defense.
This moment of bravado seemed to fuel the Colts, who were determined to make Harris pay for his actions. As the game unfolded, it became clear that Pittsburgh’s running game was in for a rough day. Following the game, Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin did not hold back in his criticism of Harris, asserting that Patterson displayed more grit and intensity in his runs, labeling Harris as soft.
On Wednesday, Franklin further elaborated on his sentiments during an appearance on his podcast, The Trenches, alongside teammate EJ Speed. In a brutal rant, he dissected Harris's performance, indicating that the Steelers' running back had failed to rise to the occasion and that his earlier antics were fuel to the fire.
"He actually was complaining to the ref. That’s what he was doing. 'Ref, ref look at him. That’s aggressive.' I don’t know that guy personally… I wouldn’t say I have personal feelings towards that guy, but what I will say is he flipped the double birds to our fans. I’m rocking with Indy. This is where I’m at… And you flipping off my city coming in and then you go put out that type of performance, I’m gonna speak on that."
Franklin and Speed expressed their anger over Harris's gesture, deeming it disrespectful.
They emphasized their concern for the younger fans in the stadium, noting that such actions set a poor example for kids who look up to professional athletes.
"What is we doing? Like what type of time are you on? And then to not go out there and really be on some dog barking sh**," Franklin said. "You actually on some real some soft scary. And the last three times we played him, he really quit on, I don’t wanna do that. Let me chill."
Franklin did not hold back, launching into a tirade that lasted over ten minutes as he criticized Harris. He went so far as to assert that Harris lacks the willingness to engage physically on the field, labeling him as soft and questioning his toughness as a competitor.
“And you not a dawg. That’s my only issue. You are pretending. You are throwing up the birds like you gonna go stand on something. Bro that’s not what you really wanna do. You don’t really wanna hit nobody out here bro.”
Harris' performance, in particular, was a stark disappointment, marking easily his worst outing of the season. He struggled significantly, carrying the football 13 times but managing a mere 19 rushing yards. His average of just 1.5 yards per carry highlighted the Colts’ defensive tenacity and the challenges facing the Steelers' offensive line.
Veteran Cordarrelle Patterson, 33, had a more impactful performance prior to his unfortunate early exit due to injury. Patterson rushed the ball six times for an impressive 43 yards, showcasing his ability to run with power and determination. However, his departure left the Steelers without a key contributor, further complicating their offensive strategy.
While Harris did manage to make some contributions in the passing game, recording three receptions for 54 yards, his overall performance left much to be desired. The Colts’ defense effectively contained him, and his lack of production was glaring.
Steelers' Najee Harris Is Far From "Soft"
While the Colts' defense has every right to feel offended by Harris' pregame gesture, Franklin’s criticism doesn’t hold up. Harris has consistently shown he plays with intensity and grit, and calling him soft is far from accurate.
Just ask Kyle Brandt, who has awarded Harris the Angry Runs title multiple times, a testament to his physicality and aggressive playing style. This was simply an off game for Harris, and while there are legitimate concerns about his ability to find gaps compared to Patterson, labeling him as anything less than tough is unfair. If Harris hears these comments, it’s likely to only fuel his motivation moving forward.
