Pittsburgh Steelers RB Kenneth Gainwell got the start in Dublin, Ireland against the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday. He may have been preparing for it, but it wasn’t made official until less than two hours before the game when the Steelers ruled RB Jaylen Warren out. And boy, did Gainwell respond. He helped lead the Steelers’ run game to their first 100-plus yard day in 2025 with 19 carries for 99 yards and two touchdowns. He even chipped in six catches for 35 yards.
It was a career day for Gainwell. QB Aaron Rodgers called him “an absolute baller” after the game. But insider Mark Kaboly thinks the Steelers’ offensive line should be getting plenty of applause for their performance, too.
“We’re giving Kenny Gainwell a lot of credit here, and I don’t want to sit here and poo-poo on his parade,” Kaboly said Friday on The PM Team on 93.7 The Fan. “But for the first time in a while, that offensive line was moving people. They were pushing people out of the way. I think that pretty much shows that if you have not even a dominant offensive line, but one that can get movement, that pretty much anyone can run… For the first time, it really, really looks like there’s a little bit of cohesion on that offensive line.”
The Steelers averaged 4.5 yards per carry against the Vikings. It’s by far the best rushing day the Steelers have had this season. And yes, Kenneth Gainwell had a great day. Kaboly isn’t knocking his performance. But he thinks it’s more of Gainwell taking full advantage of the Steelers’ blocking than him suddenly being a dominant running back.
Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith designed a game plan that focused on using big bodies up front in the run game. TE Darnell Washington and OT Spencer Anderson helped bulldoze paths through the Vikings’ defense. Want proof? Per Pro Football Reference, 48 of Gainwell’s 99 yards came before contact. The Steelers’ offensive line gave Gainwell a clear path, and he gladly took it. He was no slouch after contact, either. He averaged 2.7 yards per carry after contact and broke four tackles, also per PFR.
Another BIG Gainwell run #Steelers pic.twitter.com/jZaJLvmUEW
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) September 28, 2025
Just look at how the left side of the Steelers’ offensive line kept driving the Vikings’ defenders off the line of scrimmage on that run. Did they pancake anyone or send anyone flying? No, but they did a great job getting push up front and opening a nice hole for Gainwell.
Kaboly isn’t the only one praising the Steelers’ offensive line, either. Analyst Derrik Klassen had plenty of positives to say about how the front “beat the bricks” out of the Vikings’ defense. That one clip wasn’t an exception to how the offensive line played. It was the rule last Sunday.
If the Steelers’ offensive line can continue to build on its performance against the Vikings, the Steelers might just get that run game going. Kenneth Gainwell took advantage of it. Kaboly can’t wait to see Jaylen Warren behind a line like that.
A quality running game could open up a lot more opportunities for QB Aaron Rodgers and the passing attack.
