The Pittsburgh Steelers have seen their impressive running game come to a screeching halt the last two weeks, having run for 82 yards as a team against the New England Patriots and 74 yards last Saturday against the Indianapolis Colts. Pittsburgh had averaged 165 yards on the ground its previous five games, seeing its productivity slashed by over half due to the poor performance of their offense.
CBS Sports’ Jeff Kerr points to the lack of usage from RB Jaylen Warren as a big reason for Pittsburgh’s struggles last Saturday in Indianapolis, stating that the second-year back isn’t getting used enough in a recent article highlighting Pittsburgh’s 30-13 loss to the Colts.
“The Steelers may have been blown out by the Colts, but it wasn’t like they were down double digits the entire game,” Kerr writes. “Pittsburgh was up 13-0 early and only trailed 21-13 after the Colts’ first possession in the third. Warren — the team’s best running back — finished with just 10 carries for 40 yards and had 15 touches on the day (68 yards from scrimmage). For an offense that’s struggling to move the ball, getting it to a dynamic player in space would be beneficial toward scoring points. The Steelers just look hapless and dazed on offense, not getting the ball to players who can move the chains. Warren included.”
Warren was Pittsburgh’s leading rusher Saturday, outpacing Harris, who had two more carries (12), but seven less yards that Warren (33). Warren was also Pittsburgh’s third-leading receiver, behind Diontae Johnson and George Pickens by catching five of six targets for 28 yards in the contest.
Indianapolis’ defensive front proved difficult to run against for both Warren and Harris. The offensive line struggled mightily throughout the game, putting together one of its worst showings on the season from an individual and collective standpoint. Still, Warren managed to average a healthy 4.0 yards per carry. He also served as a checkdown option in the passing game as well as an option in the screen game, being in position to make some big plays if it wasn’t for linemen missing key blocks.
Warren has been Pittsburgh’s most explosive running back this season, ranking near the top of the league in yards per carry at 5.5. He’s a more dynamic runner than Harris, getting up to full speed quickly while having more elusiveness in the open field than the big, bruising Harris. Warren has 952 total scrimmage yards on 166 touches, leading the team in total yardage. He has seen his role grow more the last two weeks in Pittsburgh’s losses, being the team’s primary pass-catching back. He played 53% of the offensive snaps against the Patriots and played 69% of the snaps last Saturday against the Colts, the highest percentage of the season for him compared to Harris, who only played 35% of the snaps.
It may not be a matter of getting Warren more snaps and touches over Harris but rather maximizing his touches with the play designs and the blocking that he’s getting from his offensive line. Pittsburgh has been at its best as an offense when both Warren and Harris are running effectively with Warren ripping off explosive runs while Harris punishes opposing defenses with his size and power, having been a strong runner himself in the explosives department this season. Sure, Warren could get more touches than he has been, but with Pittsburgh in a hole and the team having to abandon the run to try and catch up, he was already playing a strong snap count as it was on Saturday night.
Warren is Pittsburgh’s most explosive runner and has been its most productive player on offense this season. That being said, increasing Warren’s touches to 20-plus a week may not solve the greater issue that pertains to the scheme/execution of blocks this offense has been struggling with all season. He will get his chance against a Bengals defense this coming Saturday, one that ranks 28th in the league in rushing yards allowed while allowing a second-worst yards per carry average of 4.7.
