Let it be known. Jaylen Warren does not like to be tackled. He proves that every Sunday.
The king of the “Angry Runs,” with the scepter to prove it, Warren joined NFL Network’s Kyle Brandt to discuss his breakout performance in last Sunday’s loss to the Cleveland Browns, finishing the game with 129 yards on just nine carries, highlighted by a 74-yard touchdown. But Warren made more than just one big play. He ran with incredible power, stiff-arming Browns’ defenders, and breaking tackles along the way.
“My biggest pet peeve is letting one dude tackle me,” Warren told Brandt via NFL+. “So I was trying to just push him away…I’m trying to get yards. Just my mentality. I just don’t let one guy tackle me.”
If the Browns weren’t aware of that fact, they sure are now. CB Denzel Ward found that out about five times with Warren popping him over and over as he muscled his way forward for every extra yard he could grab.
And Rodney McLeod got thrown out of the club later in the game, tossed aside by Warren, who required a couple players to take him to the ground.
“That’s why I played this sport,” Warren said. “I love the contact.”
Warren even admitted he’d never been the type of player to run people over until he got into the NFL, telling Brandt he’s “just as surprised as you are” about his sudden power.
According to Pro Football Reference, Warren has broken 15 tackles this season. That’s third in the NFL only trailing Travis Etienne (19) and teammate Najee Harris (17), the top two backs selected in the 2021 NFL Draft. But Warren’s producing on far fewer carries. Etienne has 174, Harris has 128, while Warren only has 80.
Putting broken tackles on an even playing field, Warren’s breaking loose once every 5.3 attempts. That’s the highest mark of any running back in football by a wide margin. Harris is the next closest back at 7.5, a reminder that he isn’t having a bad season but that Warren is having a big one. If Warren’s 5.3 figure holds, it’ll be the second-best broken tackle rate of any player in a season (minimum 50 attempts) since the stat was tracked in 2018. Only Buffalo’s Marcus Murphy posted a better mark, 4.7 in 2018, and he only finished the year with 52 carries.
All those numbers say the obvious, what’s plain to see on tape. Warren is a bowling ball in cleats. When he’s running your way, you better hope there’s help. Because he’s not going down without a fight.
