The Pittsburgh Steelers were already snakebitten by the sudden absence of star pass rusher T.J. Watt due to a partially collapsed lung. They've been dealt yet another potential blow before a pivotal Monday Night Football showdown with the Miami Dolphins, this time with running back Jaylen Warren.
Warren is a late addition to the Steelers' injury report and has officially been downgraded to questionable due to an illness. Whatever his symptoms are could force him to miss a game that has a massive impact on their postseason outlook.
Considering Warren is feeling sick just hours before facing the Dolphins, this certainly affects the Steelers' game plan. Even if he manages to suit up, it won't be at 100 percent, which may (and probably should) mean we see more of his backup, Kenneth Gainwell.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could unleash Kenneth Gainwell vs. Dolphins after Jaylen Warren's late injury report addition
Warren has operated as Pittsburgh's primary early-down runner, accounting for 58.7 percent of their rush attempts to Gainwell's 26.7 percent (h/t Fantasy Points' data suite [$]). That gap figures to shrink against the Dolphins with the former feeling under the weather. The latter notably has a considerable grip on the receiving work when both are at full strength, suggesting he may (temporarily) take over the backfield.
We saw a similar scenario play out earlier this season, giving us a blueprint of what to expect if Warren is out or compromised. He was a surprise inactive in Week 4, and the Steelers leaned on Gainwell to propel them to a 24-21 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
Gainwell turned a career-high 19 carries and six catches into a personal best 134 scrimmage yards versus Minnesota. He also recorded his second multi-touchdown NFL game, hitting pay dirt twice.
One spot start was all Gainwell needed to prove capable of assuming a workhorse role if/when needed, and this might be one of those times. The Steelers have little margin for error at this point in the NFL calendar. Their odds of making the playoffs increase to 61 percent if they beat the Dolphins and fall to 45 percent with a loss.
Why not trust the healthier back who's also been the more productive choice by some key metrics? In addition to being the preferred pass-catching option, Gainwell has a higher success rate and is averaging more yards per carry than Warren.