When you talk about running backs breaking tackles, they are a product of two things. One is a back’s ability to break tackles and grind out yards. The other can be a product of poor offensive line play and players being forced to break tackles early in carries.
In 2023, no team’s running backs broke more tackles than the Pittsburg Steelers tandem of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. They broke 59 tackles in 2023, with the Baltimore Ravens in second with only 46.
But before you want to claim that this was simply a product of poor blocking by the Steelers offensive line, we did a little digging into the numbers.
Harris rushed for 1,035 yards in 2023 with 500 of them coming before contract. Warren rushed for 784 yards and 480 of those came before contact. This tells me the offensive line did its job and these guys just don’t go down without a fight. Harris averaged 4.1 yards per carry and Warren averaged 5.3.
These two are going to flourish with the improvements on the offensive line and Arthur Smith’s run-first offense.
