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.