4 catastrophes Steelers must avoid during the 2023 season

Catastrophe #2: Steelers running backs get injured

As I stated before, saying any one particular player getting injured is an easy catastrophe to list, but the Steelers really need their running backs to remain healthy. The team has made it clear that they desire to be a run-heavy offense, even if that means sacrificing a lot of points. They have built a stronger offensive line to help with this.

Behind that line are two capable running backs. Najee Harris is a powerful runner that is set up for his best season as a professional. Despite my disdain for using a first-round pick on Harris, he should be set up for a productive season. Behind him is Jaylen Warren, who was a productive player last season and can serve in multiple roles.

While having two capable starting running backs is a good thing, this offense really needs to have a more capable third option. No, this player doesn’t have to be an established starter, but he needs to be someone with more experience than what is currently on the roster. I wouldn’t trust the current third crop of backs to handle any sort of a heavy workload.

If either Harris or Warren were to miss significant time because of an injury, this offense would be in peril. This team is going t succeed by keeping both running backs healthy with a rotation. A game or two featuring just one of them is fine, but a multi-week stretch without one will hamper this offense.

If this was a traditional top offense built around a good passing attack, keeping the running backs healthy would be less important. Those backs won’t take the punishment that the Steelers will put their backs through. If either player were to miss significant time, this offense can deteriorate quickly.