Mike Martz believes Najee Harris will be X factor for Steelers in 49ers matchup
If the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to have any chance at pulling off a Week 1 upset over the San Francisco 49ers Sunday, they’ll need to establish the ground game and get Najee Harris involved often, former NFL head coach Mike Martz said this week.
“You gotta try with [Najee] Harris to pound these guys,” Martz told The 33rd Team. “Now they didn’t do it in the preseason. Really concerned about — they’re so excited about [Kenny] Pickett and rightfully so because he played terrific in the preseason coming down the stretch [and] throwing the heck out of the ball and doing a magnificent job. But, you know, you go three and out, three and out against this 49ers team, you’re done. You just can’t catch them.
“They have to be able to pound the rock.”
Establishing the run game against San Francisco will be no easy task, as the 49ers finished the 2022 season as the No. 1 defense in the league and No. 2 in stopping the run, surrendering just 77.7 yards per game. With the addition of Javon Hargrave on the defensive line, San Francisco’s front seven looks even more formidable on paper.
Can Steelers establish run game with Najee Harris against 49ers’ defense?
Perhaps Harris and the Steelers will find more success running the ball than they did this past season, when they ranked 16th in the NFL. After earning a Pro Bowl selection during his rookie season, Harris took a step back in 2022. The 25-year-old rushed for 1,034 yards on 3.8 yards per carry and seven touchdowns. He added 41 receptions for 229 yards and three scores through the air.
Harris sustained a Lisfranc injury during training camp which he said impacted his effectiveness.
“My conditioning wasn’t the best because I missed almost four weeks ’cause of my Lisfranc and I couldn’t run,” Harris said on SiriusXM NFL Radio last month. “So, the conditioning was not at its best. The details were not at the best either.”
49ers defensive lineman Arik Armstead said it will be a challenge to stop Harris and bring him to the ground.
“He is an amazing player,” Armstead said this week. “I have heard about Najee since he was in high school when he got an Alabama offer his freshman or sophomore year in high school. I have been hearing about him for a while. He is a great back. It’s going to be a challenge to get him down. I think we will be up for the challenge. But he is an amazing player.”