"Didn't know you could tie" - Steelers RB Najee Harris left flummoxed after tie against Lions
Pittsburgh Steelers rookie running back Najee Harris is having an impressive start to his NFL career. He has given the Steelers running game hope again after the team's inability to get a ground game going last season.
With quarterback Ben Roethlisberger testing positive for COVID-19 on Saturday night and the last minute decision to start backup Mason Rudolph, Harris was expected to carry a heavy load once again.
In a cold and wet game at Heinz Field on Sunday afternoon, the Steelers, both offense and defense, had a tough time against a win-less Detroit Lions team. The outcome of the game wasn't what anyone expected, especially the Steelers rookie running back.
Final. @UnibetUS https://t.co/88kyxuJdYa
Rookie RB Najee Harris wasn't aware NFL games could end in a tie
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions finished four quarters of play with a 16-16 score. In overtime, both teams had several possessions and sloppy play, even in wet conditions.
The Steelers' final possession, in which they were inching closer to field goal range, ended when rookie tight end Pat Freiermuth caught the ball and was heading toward the sidelines to stop the clock with eight seconds to go. Instead, Freiermuth lost possession of the ball to a fellow former Penn State player, Lions cornerback Amani Oruwariye. The Lions tried consecutive lateral passes as time expired, with the game ending in a 16-16 tie.
But apparently Harris was on the sidelines, thinking that another quarter of play was yet to come, unaware that NFL games end in a tie after one quarter of overtime.
"I didn't even know you could tie in the NFL," Harris said, via ESPN's Brooke Pryor. "In my mind, I was sitting on the bench saying, 'I've got another quarter to go.' But someone came to me and said, 'That's it.' I've never had a tie in my life before."
It's unclear if any other players on the Steelers sidelines were also unaware of the possibility of a tie. But there was, at least, one player on the Detroit Lions who also didn't know the NFL overtime rules. Running back Godwin Igwebuike said, after the game, that he was also asking how many overtimes there could be, unaware that there was just one.
Najee Harris said he didn’t know the game could end in a tie until the very end. He was ready to keep playing, but someone told him the game was over. https://t.co/KuxCL0GATd
Former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb made headlines when he was unaware that an NFL game could end in a tie back in 2008. Since 2018, there has been, at least, one game each season that has ended in a tie.
Pittsburgh Steelers rookie running back Najee Harris rushed for 105 yards and caught four passes for 28 yards in the Steelers' tie.