The Pittsburgh Steelers came away with a Week 5 win over the Indianapolis Colts, and the player of the game couldn't have been any more obvious: Jaylen Warren. The Steelers' veteran running back carried the team on his shoulders with a spectacular showing on the ground and through the air.
After a quick three-and-out by the Steelers' offense to start the game, Warren exploded in the first quarter with an 80-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown. But that was just the beginning. In the second half, Warren busted off a 50-yard touchdown run.
The Colts simply had no answer for the Steelers' all-purpose running back. By the end of the game, Warren rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries (6.7 yards per carry), while leading the team in receiving with 6 catches for 87 yards on 6 targets.
With 188 scrimmage yards and a pair of touchdowns, Warren accounted for over half of the team's total offensive yardage (352 total). Warren not only carried the Steelers in this performance, but after a remarkable three-week stretch, the impressive running back should enter the Offensive Player of the Year conversation.
Pittsburgh Steelers' Jaylen Warren has quietly one of the best running backs in the NFL
Even before his dominant showing against the Colts in Week 5, Jaylen Warren already ranked inside the top 10 in overall grades among NFL running backs, per Pro Football Focus. You better believe his grade is only going to skyrocket from here.
In just five games to begin the season, Warren has rushed for 410 yards while chipping in 230 receiving yards. With nearly 640 scrimmage yards in just five games, Warren has been one of the most productive running backs in the league.
And it's not just because he's had loads of opportunity.
Warren has been one of the most efficient offensive players in the entire NFL this season, and on a per-touch basis, almost no running back has been more efficient.
Through the first four weeks of the season, Warren ranked inside the top 10 in EPA per play among running backs with at least 20 carries on the season, per SumerSports. And after a showing like that, Offensive Player of the Year consideration could be on the horizon.
The Steelers currently sit at a 3-2 record following their Week 5 win over the Colts. And if Warren keeps trending in this direction, it will be hard not to include him in the conversation about the best running backs in the league.
When asked to carry the load, Jaylen Warren has gone above and beyond expectations and has proven to be one of the most efficient and most well-rounded backs in the NFL. Steelers fans should be sending him thank-you cards for making the Steelers' win over the Colts look easy.
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