“I really need to tackle this mother:” Raiders DE talks about Najee Harris struggles

The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Las Vegas Raiders, but for a while the game looked like it could go either way. In the end, the Raiders simply made more mistakes. Najee Harris also ran like a madman for the Steelers. It was arguably Harris' best NFL game to date, and Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby had a funny message for Harris.

“I won’t lie; I thought I had a clean ass (tackle-for-loss) early and I quietly missed that bitch,” Crosby said on his podcast Tuesday. “I was a little high. He got a little wobbly, but I got his bottom later. So, (Harris), if you're watching, fuck you. That's my type. Big shout out to (Harris). Great guy.”

Just to be clear, Crosby isn't actually mad at Harris, nor is he trying to insult him. He's just letting him know not to get a big head just because he escaped Crosby's grasp once. It's a funny example of how, ultimately, football is still just a game. The NFL is one of the biggest companies in the world, but what happens on the field doesn't always change whether some players are friends or not.

It appears that the play Crosby is talking about missing Harris on came on the Steelers' third play of the day. It wasn't Harris' best work of the day, but it left an impression on Crosby. The play represents only a one-yard gain, but it set the tone. This meant that both Harris and Crosby knew how the day would go.

However, Crosby is right that he eventually got his TFL at Harris. It came much later in the game and the Steelers had basically started to run away with the game, but the Raiders still had a chance. With just over 10 minutes left, Crosby rushes through the line of scrimmage and this time makes sure to trap Harris behind the line of scrimmage.

Against the Raiders, Harris ran for 106 yards on 14 carries and scored his first rushing touchdown of the year. He was dominant throughout and helped the Steelers to their biggest offensive boom of the year so far. He ran like a man possessed, and perhaps part of that motivation was the friendly competition against Crosby.

In the same episode, Crosby explained what makes Harris so difficult to play against.

“He’s a completely different, big-ass back. You really need to tackle this motherfucker. He’s a big boy.”

Harris is a solid running back, standing over 6 feet tall and weighing well over 220 pounds. Tackling it is a task. He's almost like an old school running back. Harris doesn't do anything sweet. He runs right through people. At full power, he's like a runaway train.

Harris has had a few duds this year, but the Steelers' problems in the run game aren't entirely his fault. The offense faced a number of issues and teams were better prepared to stop the run against the Steelers. Hopefully, however, Harris continues to make progress. He's currently in a contract year, and if he wants a big payday next year, he'll need to perform better like he showed against the Raiders.