The Pittsburgh Steelers struggled to run the ball throughout Sunday’s win against the New York Jets. However, Kenneth Gainwell still managed to find a way to make an impact in perhaps the most unexpected way. Gainwell had a huge strip on a kick return in the second half, which ended up being a pivotal turning point in the game.
According to Cam Heyward, Gainwell couldn’t have made a sweeter introduction in his Steelers debut.
“Kenneth Gainwell getting the first freakin’ turnover,” Heyward said after the game via Post-Gazette – Steelers on YouTube. “We talk so much about white shirts delivering on special teams. To introduce yourself to this team, and the fans, and the NFL as part of this team, it’s pretty special.”
The Steelers might not win this game without Gainwell making that play. Pittsburgh had just scored, but were still trailing 26-24. On the kickoff, he flew down the field and stripped the ball from Xavier Gipson.
Ben Skowronek ended up recovering the fumble, giving the Steelers some excellent field position. Moments later, they took advantage of it, as Aaron Rodgers rolled to his right and found Calvin Austin III wide open in the end zone. That ended up giving the Steelers a 31-26 lead.
With how well the Jets’ offense was running the ball, who knows what might have happened if Kenneth Gainwell wasn’t able to force that fumble. New York was marching down the field with ease, and they moved the ball well on their next possession and scored. Being able to steal a touchdown in that scenario was massive, and it’s the exact type of special teams impact the Steelers look for.
Running the ball, things will have to be better moving forward. Gainwell got a decent workload on the ground, running the ball seven times. However, he only picked up 19 yards in the process, an average of just 2.7 yards. He also caught three balls out of the backfield for four yards.
There certainly are some things to iron out offensively, and Kenneth Gainwell did have his struggles there. However, winning games in the NFL usually comes down to a couple of key plays. Gainwell made one today, and the locker room knows how valuable it was.
