The rubber could hit the road Monday night when the Steelers travel to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis to face the Colts when it comes to the team’s resurgent running game.
Over the past three games, the Steelers have averaged 154.3 yards per game on the ground, aided greatly by a 217-yard effort in a 20-10 win over the Saints Nov. 13.
Some of that has been supplemented by rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett’s running. Over the past three games, Pickett has rushed for 102 yards on his own.
But a big part of the equation has been a resurgence by running back Najee Harris.
After being held to no rushing yards on four first-half carries Oct. 30 in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Harris has gained 221 yards on his past 44 rushing attempts, a 5.0-yards per carry average that far exceeds the 3.3 yards per attempt he had been averaging earlier in the season.
That will be tested greatly when the Steelers (3-7) play the Colts (4-6-1) Monday night. Indianapolis allows just 3.8 yards per rushing attempt this season, making the Colts one of the two teams in the NFL who give up fewer yards per attempt than the Steelers, who allow 3.9.
“Our running game is getting better, but we’re playing one of the highest-ranked defenses in the league this week,” Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada said Thursday at the UPMC-Rooney Sports Complex. “They’re good at everything. It will be a real challenge for us.”
The Steelers’ offensive line has obviously played a role in the team’s success moving the ball on the ground of late. Despite center Mason Cole missing some time in games this season because of a foot issue, the Steelers have had the same five linemen start each of their 10 games, making them one of the few teams in the league to have that consistency up front.
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