The Pittsburgh Steelers bested the Baltimore Ravens at home in a classic AFC North matchup. The score was 17-10 in the end, but that doesn’t fully encapsulate the insanity that took place in the fourth quarter.
The blocked punt, the Joey Porter Jr. interception, and the bizarre sequence that saw the Ravens get another chance after what should have been a kneel-down to end the game were all part of it. The defense and special teams delivered in this game in a big way, but when it came time to string together a drive to go down the field and take the lead, Jaylen Warren was given a lot of touches and produced.
Mike Tomlin was asked about Warren’s play in the postgame press conference and whether he deserves a greater share of the touches as the season progresses.
“I’m open to all of these guys that play well getting more opportunities, but playing well creates more opportunities for all parties involved,” Tomlin said.
Okay, so it wasn’t outright stating that Warren will continue to grow in his role, but the proof is in the pudding. Following the blocked punt, on the final three drives of the game, Warren touched the ball five times to Najee Harris’ three. Warren gained 54 yards to Harris’ three. The division of labor throughout a game is one thing, but who you turn to in the waning minutes of a tight game seems more telling than Tomlin is letting on.
More than just the final few drives, Warren had a better day overall with nine carries for 40 yards and three catches for 39 yards in the passing game. No play was more impressive than when he leaped one defender and spun away from the next, finishing the run with a great stiff-arm. That drive, he gained 47 net yards to move the Steelers into field goal position to make it a two-point game.
Kenny Pickett had praise for Jaylen in his postgame press conference as well when asked if his play provided a spark for the offense.
“Massive, love Jay. Plays unbelievably hard. Incredibly talented player,” Pickett said. “We want to get him the ball in space as much as we can, whether it’s the running game or the pass game, I feel like he does great things in both areas.”
Despite the victory, the offense did not hold up its end of the bargain once again, so the Steelers will remain hard at work over the bye week to try and fix their problems as a unit. Perhaps a slightly bigger role for Warren could be in order.
