Very rarely does one person have a drastic impact — good or bad — in team sports. But for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the presence of rookie defensive lineman Derrick Harmon on the field versus off it against the run is rather eye-opening.
When Harmon is on the field, the Steelers are stout against the run. When he isn’t on the field, particularly due to injuries that have caused him to miss five games this season, the Steelers’ run defense tends to get gashed.
It might just be a coincidence, or it might not be. Harmon is a good player, one the Steelers are very high on. He’s a first-round pick for a reason. But it can’t just be as simple as Harmon is out there or he isn’t.
For Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, who spoke to reporters Thursday, when he is on the field, it’s clear the impact Harmon has.
“I think he’s, again, we talked about this, obviously he’s talented. But he’s really good with his hands. He’s an athletic mover. He doesn’t stick on blocks, and so, he can do all the different things you want,” Austin said of Harmon, according to video via the Tribune-Review’s Chris Adamski on X. “He can handle things. He can get off fast. He can close down spaces, and he’s got a good feel. He’s getting a better feel for, again, how the game is here in terms of the blocking schemes. And so he’ll just continue to get better.
“You got a big athletic man that can do a lot of different things in there, and that helps us be more solid, more stout in those type of things.”
Harmon missed Weeks 1 and 2 against the New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks and then Weeks 13-15 featuring matchups against the Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins.
In those matchups, the Steelers allowed 182 rushing yards to the Jets, 117 yards to the Seahawks, 249 yards to the Bills and 217 yards to the Ravens. But they did bounce back against the Dolphins, allowing just 63 rushing yards without Harmon in the lineup.
Without him on the field, the Steelers’ depth has been stretched thin with rookie Yahya Black, Logan Lee, Esezi Otomewo and Brodric Martin-Rhodes seeing snaps opposite Cameron Heyward and alongside Keeanu Benton. Though Black has had some good moments and Lee and Otomewo were good against the Dolphins, that hasn’t always been the case this season without Harmon.
He’s a dominant force in the trenches against the run, that much is certain. He’s big, strong and fast, and can hold up at the point of attack to clog lanes. He can also shed and make plays quickly. Having that ability up front allows the Steelers to do a lot of things defensively, and it’s shown when he’s on the field.
Hopefully Harmon can get back on the field Sunday against the Detroit Lions and help slow down a great rushing attack, giving the Steelers a chance to do enough defensively to win the game at Ford Field.
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