Steelers' Mike Tomlin Speaks On His Explosive Running Backs Bullying His Defense

The Pittsburgh Steelers have some of the best traditions in all of sports. One of them is the fact that they travel to St. Vincent College every year for their training camp, which has been done since 1966. A part of what makes Pittsburgh's training camp so special is that fans can attend practice nearly every day for free, including a practice titled Friday Night Lights. The entire team goes to Latrobe Memorial Stadium, and puts on a show for fans that includes scrimmages and one-on-ones. 

This is treated as a normal practice, but it is also a spectacle for the fans. This year, the main story from this practice came from the backs on backers drill. This drill is set up to mimic a blitzing linebacker on a running back in pass protection, which is typically pretty physical. Both Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren showed up for the running backs, putting Patrick Queen and Elandon Roberts in the ground multiple times. This led to things getting chippy and small skirmishes. Head Coach Mike Tomlin spoke on this, which was reported by ESPN's Brooke Pryor.

Things got intense when Harris and Queen faced off, and again with Warren and Roberts. Harris destroyed Queen on two reps, and made sure to let him know about it by talking in his face. Warren and Roberts split their matchups, which ended in the two pushing each other. That led to more linebackers and running backs getting involved.

Harris and Warren are both known for their physicality, as they each were praised by Kyle Brandt for their "Angry Runs" during the 2023 season. The way they responded in these drills is no surprise, and clearly Tomlin loves it. His team has seemed more motivated during camp than they were ahead of the 2023 season, which should hopefully lead to better results.

Ahead of the 2023 season, there were no noteworthy training camp fights or skirmishes. Now, just a little over a week and a half into training camp in 2024, there have been several. On Tuesday, Justin Fields got hit a bit late when he ran the ball, which led to his linemen coming to his defense. This sparked a big fight that paused practice, and something similar happened on Thursday when the team wasn't even in pads. 

Fans should see these fights and get more and more excited for the 2024 season. This team has a different attitude about them than in years past, and it should lead to better results. No one on the team will back down from a fight, which will be a necessity as Pittsburgh is set to take on one of the harder schedules in the league.

Steelers' Najee Harris Has A Clear Chip On His Shoulder

Harris is going into the last year of his rookie deal after the organization declined his fifth-year option, and this seems to motivate the running back even more. His energy seems to be at an all-time high, and he has been more vocal than ever during practices. He has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in each of his first three years in the league, and he might have even bigger plans for 2024.

The lead back should be set up to have his best season yet. The offensive line is new and improved, and Pittsburgh now has a proven offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith. Smith was a big reason for Derrick Henry's prime, and Harris could be used in a similar manner. 

What do you think of Harris and Warren setting the tone for the Steelers? Let us know in the comments below!

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