Najee Harris’ first 100-yard rushing game this season lifts Steelers to 32-13 win over Raiders
Najee Harris’ first 100-yard rushing game this season lifts Steelers to 32-13 win over Raiders
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Najee Harris broke free down the left sideline, reached the 5-yard line and dived toward the pylon, just getting the ball across the goal line for a Steelers touchdown.
Shaking off a slow start to the season, Harris didn’t let anything stand in his way — even if it meant pushing through a swarm of tacklers for a big gain.
Harris rushed for 106 yards and the 36-yard touchdown to lift Pittsburgh to a 32-13 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
“I don’t know what he ate last night, I don’t know what he did, but he sure did ball out today,” Steelers quarterback Justin Fields said.
Harris exceeded 100 yards for the first time since ending last season with back-to-back such performances. He rushed for 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons but entered averaging 3.3 yards per carry this year.
Harris had a 15-yard run early in the second quarter in which he nearly was stopped at the line of scrimmage but fought through multiple tacklers.
“When drives aren’t going well, you need a play that will spark it,” Harris said. “I always try to be that person to spark the play.”
Fields added 59 yards on the ground and two TDs, though he passed for just 145 yards. Fields’ hold on the starting job had come into question after recent subpar performances and with Russell Wilson being activated for the first time this season after being out with a calf injury.
Pittsburgh (4-2) stopped a two-game skid with its highest-scoring game since beating Cincinnati 34-11 last Dec. 23. The Steelers entered ranked 26th in scoring offense, with an 18.4-point average.
Their defense, which gave up 803 yards in losses the past two weeks, returned to early-season form when their first three opponents gained just 687 yards combined. Pittsburgh held the Raiders (2-4) to 275 yards, and four-time All-Pro T.J. Watt forced two fumbles and had two tackles for loss.
Watt, who had no sacks after entering the game with 4 1/2, said he knew he would need to find other ways to make a difference given the Raiders were determined to keep him away from their quarterback.
“I’ve been doing punchouts back to (college at) Wisconsin,” Watt said. “I carry that with me, and it’s something I continue to try to do. When you have a defense that flies around like this, you’re able to take more chances. I don’t always get the football, but when you do, it’s big.”
Second-year Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell, making his first start in place of the benched Gardner Minshew, opened the game 4 for 4 for 55 yards to lead a touchdown drive. But O’Connell failed to build on that, finishing 27 of 40 for 227 yards, and his interception midway through the fourth quarter set up a Pittsburgh TD and 29-7 lead, much to the delight of thousands of Terrible Towel-waving fans who made this seem like a Steelers home game.
“It was a great first drive for us to go down and get points and a touchdown,” O’Connell said. “It was huge for momentum, but it takes 60 minutes.”
The Raiders played without their their top two receivers — Davante Adams (hamstring) and Jakobi Meyers (ankle) — as well as running back Zamir White (groin). Adams could be traded this season, though coach Antonio Pierce said Wednesday that he still considered Adams a Raider.
Pittsburgh let a victory get away a week ago when the Dallas Cowboys scored with 20 seconds left. There would be no such drama this time, largely thanks to the Raiders’ mistakes.
“Winning is our business,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “We hadn’t been handling business, so it’s good to get back to taking care of business. This is a normal state for us. It needs to be.”
A fumble gave the Steelers possession deep in Raiders territory late in the second half. A third-down stop by Las Vegas then was negated by a roughing-the-passer penalty, leading to Fields’ 3-yard touchdown run that put the Steelers ahead 12-7.
In the third quarter, a blocked punt set up a Steelers field goal and another roughing call led to Harris’ touchdown and 22-7 lead.
O’Connell’s fourth-quarter interception that led to Fields’ second TD run and ended any doubts.
Injuries
Steelers: C Zach Frazier (ankle) left in the third period.
Raiders: G Dylan Parham (foot) was injured in the first half.
Up next
Steelers: Host the New York Jets on Sunday night.
Raiders: Visit the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
By MARK ANDERSON
AP Sports Writer
