With Jaylen Warren out last Sunday, Kenneth Gainwell provided the Steelers with their best rushing game of the season thus far. While Warren’s absence certainly didn’t strengthen the run game, Chris Hoke believes Gainwell earned a lot of respect where it matters most. The Steelers were already playing him a decent bit, but he showed he could shoulder the load. That’s something he’d never done before in his NFL career.
“I think his vision was really, really good. He made some great cutbacks, he made guys miss, he was really elusive with some of his jump cuts and acceleration,” Chris Hoke said of Gainwell on 93.7 The Fan. “I thought he played, I would guess, the best game of his career. Not only running the ball but out of the backfield.”
One can debate the merits of one game or another over Gainwell’s career, particularly Philly fans. What we do know is that the game marked several firsts in his career. The first time he rushed 15-plus times, the first 80-plus-yard rushing game, the first multi-touchdown game. With 99 rushing yards and 36 receiving, it marked his first game with 100-plus yards from scrimmage. He also recorded a high success rate, with 15 positive rushing plays on 19 attempts.
“The reality is that Kenneth Gainwell really earned some respect [not only] among Steeler Nation, but [also] in that locker room and in the coaching room,” Hoke insisted. “They know they can rely on him if they need to. A positive step forward for him and this rushing offense.”
Gainwell had already played 70 snaps through three games before Warren’s injury, so it’s not as though they weren’t using him. He did play less in the game just before last, and the tide seemed to be turning to Warren. But he was already contributing in the passing game, and they also set him up for a goal-line score in the previous game.
The Steelers identified Kenneth Gainwell early this offseason as a player who could help the offense. Although he didn’t do anything spectacular through three games, nobody can deny his most recent performance. But his next task is to prove that that level of play is repeatable. Even if he doesn’t see that kind of volume, he has to produce when he does touch the ball. He showed that he can against a good Vikings defense, so there are no excuses.
