The Pittsburgh Steelers crushed the Cleveland Browns 23-9 on Sunday, further increasing their commanding lead in the AFC North standings. While there are plenty of positives to take away from this week's win, one under-the-radar storyline is the surprise usage of one of their maligned rookies.
Rookie running back Kaleb Johnson hasn't been the player fans were hoping for when he was drafted in the third round this year, and he even failed to appear in the Steelers' Week 3 win over the Patriots. An injury to Jaylen Warren gave him the chance to see a few snaps against the Vikings in Dublin, but his role seemed likely to vanish again with Warren returning this week.
Instead, he earned the most carries (six) of his young career. He only managed 15 yards on those opportunities, but the fact that he got them at all is a sign that he is trending in the right direction.
Rookie Kaleb Johnson may finally be earning a role for the Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers' rushing attack has been brutally bad so far this season, but it has trended upward over the past two games. The efficiency wasn't there against Cleveland, but they did cross the 100-yard mark for the second consecutive week.
Johnson getting more opportunities is the best way to potentially jump-start the run game, as the coaching staff already knows what they are getting from Warren and Kenneth Gainwell. It didn't lead to much this week, but it was unlikely to happen given the Browns' league-best run defense.
With the struggling Cincinnati Bengals up next for Pittsburgh this coming Thursday night, Johnson could have his best game by far if he gets the same chances he did in Week 6. It's hard to say if that will be the case, but coach Mike Tomlin seems to at least be letting him out of the doghouse a bit after taking away his role as the team's kick returner.
Fans have wanted to see the talented rookie be a bigger factor this season, and this week was the first sign of that potentially happening. Only time will tell if this is the start of his ascension to the lead runner for Pittsburgh, but it is promising nonetheless.