The Pittsburgh Steelers’ designed run game largely sputtered in the team’s Week 4 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, as the offensive line struggled, and RB Najee Harris just couldn’t get it going on the ground. With Jaylen Warren out with a knee injury and Cordarrelle Patterson leaving early due to an ankle injury, the Steelers only had Harris and practice-squad elevation Aaron Shampklin healthy for the second half, and Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show anticipates Harris getting the bulk of the carries yet again in Week 5.
“I don’t think Jaylen Warren is gonna be back any time soon. I’d be stunned if he comes back this week. And even if he does, he’s probably not gonna get a lot of reps, so it’s gonna have to be Najee,” Kaboly said Monday on The Fan Morning Show on 93.7 The Fan. “He’s gonna have to take that bell-cow role, and I just don’t know if that’s his best attribute right now.”
Warren suffered the knee injury late in Pittsburgh’s Week 3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, and he wasn’t immediately ruled out of the Week 4 game by Mike Tomlin in his Tuesday press conference. Gerry Dulac reported that he would be week to week, but Kaboly seems to think that the injury might be more severe.
If Warren does return this week, it makes sense that the team wouldn’t give him a big load, especially because it’s now the second injury he’s suffered this season after injuring his hamstring in the preseason. It would make sense to be more cautious with Warren when he returns, but the big question now is when that will be.
Kaboly didn’t have an update on Patterson’s ankle injury, but if he misses time, then the Steelers might look to make an outside addition to their running back room. They also have Jonathan Ward on their practice squad, and he could be a candidate to be elevated or signed off the practice squad if neither Warren nor Patterson can play against the Cowboys in Week 5.
But it’s not good news for an injury-plagued Steelers offense that Warren may not be back any time soon, especially for a team that wants to rely on its run game this season. Warren is also a good pass protector out of the backfield and third-down back who can make plays in the passing game, and Pittsburgh’s offense is worse without him.
It’ll be a big test for Harris, who struggled against a Colts team that loaded the box and routinely had free hitters who were able to make plays. If he can’t pick it up as the bell-cow back, it might trend toward being even more of a committee in Pittsburgh’s backfield whenever guys do end up getting healthy. Harris will need to show he can have a big game against a Cowboys team that’s allowed 583 yards on the ground through four games.
