Though RB Najee Harris remains as durable as anyone and Jaylen Warren is back after missing two full games with a knee injury, it likely won’t be until Week 8 that the Pittsburgh Steelers’ backfield is fully healthy. Discussing the run game on the Steelers Nation Radio pregame show Sunday, the PPG’s Gerry Dulac mentioned that RB/KR Cordarrelle Patterson is likely to miss one more week, putting him out of action for the team’s Week 7 game against the New York Jets.
“And now, of course, Cordarrelle Patterson is probably going to be out at least one more game,” Dulac said on the broadcast.
Patterson injured his ankle during the team’s Week 4 loss against the Indianapolis Colts, exiting in the first half after a hot start to the game. Dulac’s belief tracks with Patterson’s participation, failing to practice in even a limited capacity since his injury. It sounds like a Week 8 return against the New York Giants is the most likely scenario though with a Week 9 bye, the team could hold him out even longer to ensure he’s ready for the home stretch.
Pittsburgh’s running game has struggled more than the Steelers had hoped coming into the year, building their offense around the ground game and o-line. But injuries have hindered both elements while the execution from those healthy has been poor.
Entering Week 6, the Steelers rank third in rushing attempts but 13th in yards, 20th in touchdowns, and 29th in yards per carry. Harris is averaging a paltry 3.3 yards on 82 carries and a 43.9-percent run-success rate, sharp decreases compared to a season ago (4.1 yards per carry, 48.2-percent run success rate). On the year, Patterson is averaging 5.8 yards per carry on 16 rushing attempts and a 56.3-percent run success rate.
They’ll get a crack at a Las Vegas Raiders defense that statistically hasn’t stopped the run well this season and has given up at least 100 yards in four of their five games this year. They’ll also play this one without star DT Christian Wilkins, who is likely out for the rest of the season with a foot injury. Still, the Steelers failed to make inroads against the Colts or Dallas Cowboys and the Raiders’ 5-2 defensive front could make Pittsburgh’s run game struggle to get going.
If the backfield can stay healthy once Patterson returns, it will be interesting to see how the Steelers divide the workload. Harris has been the starter since drafted in 2021 but Warren and Patterson bring burst and talent to the backfield. It could become a messy committee approach that was common during Arthur Smith’s time in Atlanta.
