Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (right) runs into the end zone during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Las Vegas. Beat Jones and score. (AP Photo/John Locher)
LAS VEGAS — Najee Harris burst down the left sideline, reached the 5-yard line and dove toward the pylon just as the ball crossed the goal line for a Steelers touchdown.
After shaking off a slow start to the season, Harris didn’t let anything get in his way — even if that meant pushing past a swarm of tacklers for big gains.
Harris led Pittsburgh to a 32-13 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday with 106 yards rushing and a 36-yard touchdown.
“I don’t know what he ate or what he did last night, but he definitely bowled out today,” Steelers quarterback Justin Fields said.
Harris topped 100 yards for the first time since finishing last season with back-to-back performances like that. He averaged 3.3 yards per carry this year after rushing for 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons.
Harris completed a 15-yard run early in the second quarter and was nearly stopped at the line of scrimmage, but he fought off multiple tacklers.
“When a drive doesn’t go well, you need a play to trigger it,” Harris said. “I always try to be a presence that enlivens the play.”
Fields gained 59 yards on the ground and added two TDs, but completed only 145 yards passing. Fields’ retention as a starter was in question due to his recent below-average performance and Russell Wilson’s first start of the season after being sidelined with a calf injury.
Pittsburgh (4-2) ended a two-game slide with its highest-scoring game since beating Cincinnati 34-11 on Dec. 23 of last year. The Steelers averaged 18.4 points, ranking 26th in scoring offense.
Their defense, which gave up 803 yards in losses over the past two weeks, is back to its early-season form as its first three opponents combined for just 687 yards. Pittsburgh held the Raiders to 275 yards (2-4), and four-time All-Pro TJ Watt had two fumbles and two tackles for loss.
Watt, who hasn’t had a sack since entering the game at 4 1/2, knows he’ll have to find another way to make a difference considering the Raiders are determined to move him away from quarterback. He said that he had done so.
“I’ve been doing Punch-Out since I went back to (University of) Wisconsin,” Watt said. “I’ve always had that and that’s what I keep trying to do. When you have defensemen that fly around like this, you take more chances. I always play the football. I don’t understand it, but when I do, it’s big.”
Raiders second-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell, making his first start in place of benched Gardner Minshew, started the game by going 4-for-4 for 55 yards and leading a touchdown drive. Ta. But O’Connell couldn’t put it together, going 27-of-40 for 227 yards and an interception midway through the fourth quarter to build a Pittsburgh TD and a 29-7 lead before waving the towel and rallying. Much to the delight of thousands of fans. This looked like a Steelers home game.
“It was a great first drive to get some downs and get points and a touchdown,” O’Connell said. “We had a lot of momentum, but it took 60 minutes.”
The Raiders played without their top two receivers, Davante Adams (hamstring) and Jacobi Meyers (ankle), as well as running back Zamir White (groin). Adams could be traded this season, but coach Antonio Pierce said Wednesday that he still considers Adams a Raider.
Pittsburgh lost the win a week ago when the Dallas Cowboys scored with 20 seconds left. No such drama will occur this time around, thanks in large part to the Raiders’ mistakes.
“It’s our job to win,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “We weren’t taking care of business, so it’s good to get back to taking care of business. This is normal for us. It has to be that way.”
Late in the second half, a fumble gave the Steelers possession deep in the Raiders’ territory. Las Vegas’ third-down stop was then negated by a roughing the passer penalty, and Fields’ 3-yard touchdown run gave the Steelers a 12-7 lead.
In the third quarter, a blocked punt set up a field goal for the Steelers, followed by a rough call that led to a touchdown by Harris for a 22-7 lead.
O’Connell’s interception in the fourth quarter led to Fields’ second TD run, ending any doubts.
injury
Steelers: C Zack Frazier (ankle) left in the third period.
Raiders: G Dylan Parham (foot) was injured in the first half.
to the next
Steelers: Host the New York Jets on Sunday night.
Raiders: Visit the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
