The Pittsburgh Steelers were counting on the duo of Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle to give them a strong running game in 2026, but things got off to a bumpy start. Through their first two games, the two backs managed just 126 yards on 36 combined attempts, with Dowdle, in particular, struggling to get anything going.
With Dowdle out for Week 3's contest against the Bengals, the Steelers would have to rely on Warren to handle the majority of snaps. He responded with a career-high 176 yards from scrimmage, including a 17-carry, 127-yard performance on the ground.
Not only did his big day help lead the Steelers to a 30-27 victory, but it further proved what anybody who has watched Warren over the years already knew. Despite Pittsburgh's hesitancy to do so, he should be getting a heavy chunk of the touches out of the backfield, even after Dowdle is back from his toe injury.
Jaylen Warren proved to the Pittsburgh Steelers that he can be their bell cow back when called upon
My enthusiasm surrounding Warren is not meant to be a slight towards Dowdle. He is a quality back who deserves to see the field once he is healthy enough to do so. But the idea that this should be a true 50-50 split should be put to bed after Sunday's win.
First and foremost, Warren is the more dynamic player in space by a significant margin. For example, Dowdle was credited with 34 missed tackles forced on 236 carries last season, according to Pro Football Focus ($). Warren had nearly 20 more, with 53, ranking eighth among all runners despite finishing 21st in rush attempts.
Simply put, Warren is much better at creating yards for himself. For an offense that is in desperate need of explosive plays, that skill set is exactly what they need. He already has 12 missed tackles forced this year on just 38 carries, so that part of his game is as good as ever.
Dowdle is much more of a no-nonsense, north and south runner, which offers a great complement to Warren's shifty, explosive play style. The key word there is complement, though. Dowdle can help grind out games and spell Warren when the Steelers need tough yards, but he should be getting no more than 30% of the touches. That isn't what he and the Steelers had in mind when he signed here, at least I assume so, but it's what would be best for the offense.
Head coach Mike McCarthy has his faults, but he isn't dumb. He saw the same thing the rest of us saw against the Bengals: a tireless runner who can be the difference-maker the offense needs. Hopefully, he continues to treat him as such moving forward.
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