There were a lot of ugly outcomes for the Pittsburgh Steelers despite their Week 3 victory over the New England Patriots. One of the more concerning aspects is the rushing attack, which continued to struggle for the third-straight game.
The Steelers ran the ball 26 times for 67 yards, an average of just 2.7 yards per carry. On the bright side, one of the scores came on the ground as Kenneth Gainwell got into the endzone for the first time as a Steeler. Surprisingly enough, however, that was the Steelers' first rushing touchdown of the season.
Gainwell may have scored, but he wasn’t the lead back, of course. Jaylen Warren led the way with 18 carries for 47 yards. The box score certainly doesn’t paint a pretty picture, but it’s tough to watch Warren’s play and come away completely disappointed despite his stat sheet.
Jaylen Warren’s value to Pittsburgh Steelers went beyond the stat sheet vs. New England
True, there’s nothing good about averaging 2.6 yards per carry on the ground. Najee Harris was shipped out after four mediocre years while averaging 3.9 yards per carry, so anyone who is frustrated with the production on the ground is justified in that response.
It’s doubly concerning that the lead back hasn’t gotten into the endzone or even totalled 50 yards in each of his first three starts. But Warren has found other ways to contribute.
Warren actually has more yards as a receiver, 142, on only 11 catches. Of course, 65 of those yards came on one play last week that amounted to nothing as Aaron Rodgers threw an interception just a few plays later. Against New England, Warren had five catches for 34 yards, including a 15-yarder on the game-winning drive.
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The game-winning drive is further proof that Warren was more valuable than his stat sheet would have you believe. Along with the 15-yard reception, he also picked up 14 on the ground on four carries. While that’s only a 3.5-yard per carry average, he created his own opportunities on that drive by breaking tackles and picking up hidden yardage.
Circling back to Gainwell’s touchdown, it was Warren that set up the vulturous touchdown by Gainwell. On that drive alone, Warren picked up 32 yards on seven carries, averaging 4.5 yards on the ground.
Clearly, there’s a lack of consistency with Warren, a problem that is permeating throughout the roster. But that doesn’t deny the fact that Warren was a key player in the Steelers’ victory, both in helping establish an early lead and in helping to close out with a win.
Undoubtedly, though, the Steelers need more consistent production out of Warren, especially in the middle of the game when ground control helps the defense stay fresh and the offense in rhythm.