In 2023, the Pittsburgh Steelers were expected to return to their core principles, particularly with regard to their running game, which has been lacking in previous seasons. It is painfully evident to anyone who has watched the Steelers’ 2023 performances that their improvements haven’t exactly paid off.
The Steelers are 15th in the NFL in terms of rushing heading into Week 15, but that ranking doesn’t fully reflect the difficulties the running game has faced. In 2023, Najee Harris—one of the two running backs that comprise Pittsburgh’s dual backfield—became more outspoken, especially when the team’s performance fell short of expectations.
After the Steelers lost to a two-win football team for the second straight game, Ben Roethlisberger delivered some harsh words for them on his podcast, Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger. The quarterback who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame claims that the 2023 Steelers don’t resemble the teams he played for.
Wearing the black and gold has its own standards and ways of doing things, and Roethlisberger made it very clear that this team is not performing up to the high standards set during his playing career.
In a Wednesday media appearance, Harris discussed Roethlisberger’s remarks. Though he did not entirely agree with Roethlisberger, the former first-round draft pick’s remarks might not be what Steelers supporters are hoping to hear as the team approaches the final stretch of the 2023 campaign.
