There are fumbles, and there are fumblers.
On Sunday, at 5:56 left in the 3rd quarter the Steelers were trailing the Eagles 20-13. They had the ball on the 26 yard line and were in the middle of a solid drive that had covered 38 yards. The Steelers momentum was gaining. Holes were starting to open and the Steelers were moving the ball for the potential score. On this first down play at 5:56 left in the 3rd quarter, Najee Harris fumbled the ball. The Steelers then gave up a 13 play, 74 yard drive that resulted in a touchdown. There was no further scoring in the game. Watching this live, and then rewatching it on the replay was tough. It certainly was the tipping point in the second half of the game. Am I mad at Najee? No. On most NFL teams there is usually one or more patterns of failure. Things that tend to crop up over and over and as fans we worry that this one negative thing may come back to haunt our team. For the Browns it’s Jameis Winston’s interceptions. For other teams its a shaky place kicker. For others it is a guy who is prone to fumbles. This fumble by Najee Harris is none of those things. This was a fluke.
Najee Harris was drafted by the Steelers in 2021. He has never missed a game and has objectively been this team’s bell cow in the backfield. Najee Harris has 1063 total carries and 174 receptions. He has attempted one pass bringing his total touches to 1,238. He has fumbled the ball 5 times. In my memory I do not recall any of those fumbles being without contact, until Sunday. This fumble was a fluke. I feel bad for Najee. I know Najee will let this fuel him. I am not worried that this will happen again or again soon. This is not one of those “come back to haunt you” items the Steelers have to worry about.
Don’t fall for it.
Many narratives in 2024 are dominated by recency bias. The NFL may be dominated the most by it. Pittsburgh Steeler fans, do not fall for it. I will state the reality clearly: The Pittsburgh Steelers (and the fanbase) set out on this journey with a few goals, 1. Make the playoffs. 2. Win the Division. 3. Win a playoff game. 4. Win the Championship. These goals have to be achieved in an order. The Steelers lost yesterday in Philadelphia to a really good team. Despite the recency of that hurt, that disappointment, that reality, which of the four goals above is rendered impossible with that loss? None of them. They actually achieved the first goal by virtue of their record and wins (not just that the Dolphins and Colts lost). This week will be a short week for the Steelers; however, it will be a long week for those of us forced to read narrative after narrative that the Steelers are pretenders, the Steelers are faltering, the Steelers are limping into the playoffs. The recency of losing a game that truly turned on 2 plays will feed the narrative. The recency of having a bad game that does not mean much toward the above goals will sit heavy if we let it. The Steelers losing a game that had no impact on their Division title path, their current AFC seeding, or ability to achieve any of the four primary goals above should not overwhelm you. Last week the Buffalo Bills were “in trouble” as they lost to the Rams. This Monday morning everyone is ready to put a gold jacket on Josh Allen. Recency bias is a powerful thing. Don’t fall for it.
Stay tuned for several more articles this week. As the road gets narrow there will be plenty of opporturnity to remember the positives.