While the last three games have been a bit of a disaster for the Pittsburgh Steelers, there is at least one bright spot amidst their three-game losing streak: the emergence of Jaylen Warren. He is back to full health and looking like the impact running back the Steelers have come to know the last few years.
In his last three games, Warren has accumulated 131 rushing yards on 27 carries, and another 11 receptions for 88 yards. Warren is putting up 5.76 yards per touch during the three-game losing streak and has provided real juice and burst for the Steelers’ offense.
He’s starting to see more snaps in the process, too.
Over the last three weeks, Warren is out-snapping running back Najee Harris by a count of 103 to 65. There’s seemingly been a bit of a shift from a pecking order standpoint, though Warren’s snap counts have come with the Steelers in catch-up mode, which could play a factor.
For Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, who spoke to reporters Monday, he is not surprised how Warren has played recently now that he is healthy.
“He is a good player. He missed some time due to injury in the early portions of the season that probably slowed the overall trajectory of his game in 2024. But when he is available, he’s significant,” Tomlin said of Warren, according to video via the Steelers’ YouTube channel. “He’s significant in the running game. He is significant in the flat passing game and in space.
“He’s just got a nice skill set, particularly as it pertains to winning one-on-ones.”
Warren dealt with a knee and hamstring issue early in the season, which slowed the former undrafted free agent down some. At the same time, Harris started to get into a groove for the Steelers, putting together three straight 100-yard rushing games leading into to the Week 9 bye week.
Though Harris recorded his fourth straight 1,000-yard season on the ground in the Christmas Day loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Warren was the better running back once again and continues to string strong games together.
He’s noticeably more explosive with the football in his hands, running downhill hard and in a hurry. That’s allowed him to hit some gaps the offensive line has created, shooting him into the second level, like he did on a 22-yard run against the Chiefs.
Warren is also dangerous in space as a receiver, and oftentimes in recent weeks has been the biggest weapon for the Steelers in the passing game, creating chunk plays on simple swing passes and check downs.
It remains to be seen if the shift to Warren as RB1 has truly occurred. Tomlin downplayed it last week, stating that game situation and game flow has had to do with Warren’s high snap counts compared to Harris, but there is no denying who the better, more effective player is at the moment, and that’s Warren.
He needs to be leaned on a bit more, especially early in games. Maybe that’s the boost the Steelers’ offense needs.
