Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers smashed the run in Sunday’s 29-24 win over the Detroit Lions, allowing only 15 yards on the ground. The Lions came into Sunday’s game with the fifth-best rushing offense.
Head coach Mike Tomlin credited rookie defensive tackle Derrick Harmon for playing a big role in shutting down the Lions’ rushing attack.
“I read some of the narrative about Derrick Harmon and his run game exploits, so I’m not going to do anything to diminish that. Maybe he is just the monster that the narrative says he is,” Tomlin said.
Heading into Sunday’s game, the Steelers allowed 165.6 yards per game in the five games that Harmon missed this year. In the nine games that Harmon had played, they’ve allowed 96 yards per game. That number is now at 87.9 after allowing 15 yards rushing to the Lions.
Harmon, the team’s first-round pick in this past draft, has recorded 24 combined tackles, two sacks, four quarterback hits, a fumble recovery and a pass defended so far in his rookie campaign.
Harmon certainly balled out in his hometown of Detroit. He was going up against All-Pro right tackle Penei Sewell, too.
Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated raved about Harmon’s banner day.
“This was another huge Derrick Harmon game,” Orr said on the Heed The Call podcast. “He has been an ass-kicker for the Steelers’ run defense. And, just look at this. They allowed 33 yards to Josh Jacobs, 45 yards to Jonathan Taylor, 60 yards [De’Vonne] Achane. They are just demolishing elite running backs in the NFL. And a lot that has to do with Harmon healthy, when he’s not healthy. But they are like, shutting down the key nerve center to some of the biggest offenses in football.”
The Steelers were without two of their top three outside linebackers on Sunday. Nick Herbig and All-Pro T.J. Watt (lung) were both inactive. That makes Sunday’s standout performance against the run even more impressive.
Rookie Jack Sawyer and Alex Highsmith stepped up in Watt and Herbig’s absence. Highsmith had two tackles for losses, while Sawyer had five total tackles.
Alan Saunders provided reporting from Pittsburgh.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Mike Tomlin Credits Derrick Harmon for Smashing Lions’ Run Game
