CINCINNATI — Najee Harris had no problems against the Bengals defense during the Steelers’ 44-38 victory. Harris, however, was momentarily sidelined during the first quarter of Sunday’s game for a reason that had nothing to do with the Bengals or the game in general.
The Steelers’ starting running back left the game after slowing down on a screen pass near the end of the Steelers’ second drive. It was initially labeled as a leg injury, but Harris later revealed what the problem really was.
“On Thanksgiving, Pat (Freiermuth)’s girlfriend, Jill, made a delicious little banana, and I ate too much,” Harris said with a smile. “I guess I didn’t know it affected me until the first trip.”
Harris, who said he fixed the problem by eating some oranges, picked up where he left off when he re-entered the game on Pittsburgh’s fourth possession. In fact, Harris finished that drive with a 10-yard touchdown run that was the result of a perfect cutback by Harris and textbook blocking by several teammates, including rookie center Zach Frazier.
“It feels great,” Frazier said when CBS Sports asked him to describe the feeling of leading a block that ultimately results in a score. “It’s a great feeling.”
It was a great day for the Steelers offense, which managed to outperform the prolific Bengals offense. Pittsburgh quarterback Russell Wilson, just turned 36, looked 10 years younger Sunday as he threw for a season-high 414 yards and three touchdowns. He was complemented by Harris, a former Pro Bowl player who is enjoying his best season to date.
Harris, who rushed for 99 yards on 15 carries the last time the Steelers played in Cincinnati, had 129 yards on 22 touches in Sunday’s win. Harris is benefiting from a young but continually improving offensive line that has played an integral role in Pittsburgh’s 9-3 start.
“Everything clicked today,” Frazier said. “That whole game overall was a lot of fun… It seemed like everything was working… Every time we go out on the field, I feel like we’re trying to score, and I feel like today, that’s the case.” what we did.”
