Steelers' plan without George Pickens must include a heavy dose of an explosive RB

When we learned that George Pickens was dealing with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, it instantly became time to start planning to play without him in Week 14. The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting set to take on a talented Eagles team which will mark the first of three games in an 11-day stretch that concludes on Christmas Day against the Chiefs.

Pickens' prognosis is worse than we initially feared, and the Steelers must find a way to make the offense run without him for the time being. This is easier said than done.

In Week 13 against the Browns, Pittsburgh managed just three points in the first quarter and went scoreless in the fourth quarter after earning a comfortable lead. Despite 27 points scored in this contest, Russell Wilson completed just 15 of 26 passes for 158 yards (though his offense did cap off three scoring drives with touchdowns).

Unfortunately, nearly every skill player was highly ineffective. Running back Najee Harris carried the ball 16 times for 53 yards — earning a forgettable 3.3 yards per carry. In the passing game, Pat Freiermuth led all receivers with 48 yards, while Mike Williams, Calvin Austin III, and Van Jefferson combined for 50 receiving yards on nine targets (5.5 yards per target).

Without Pickens, the Steelers don't have a deep enough wide receiver room or another player who can step up and carry the load. That's why backup Scotty Miller led all wide receivers in yards (36) and receptions (three) against the Browns.

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For this reason, the Steelers can't turn to an underwhelming receiver to bail them out against the Eagles; they need to rely on their most explosive running back for a much-needed offensive spark.

Steelers must lean heavily on RB Jaylen Warren vs. Eagles

George Pickens is the most threatening player on the Steelers' offense this year; there's really no debate about it. But if Pickens is unable to go in Philadelphia this week, Pittsburgh needs to let Jaylen Warren crack the Eagles' defense wide-open.

Though Warren dealt with knee and hamstring ailments during the preseason and early in the regular season, it's clear that he's finally up to speed.

Warren played just five of the Steelers' first seven games of the year. In these contests, the banged-up RB managed 32 carries for 105 yards (3.28 yards per carry). Since facing the Giants in Week 8, however, Warren has managed 55 carries for 254 yards (4.6 yards per carry) and a touchdown.

Though Warren has yet to see more than 16 total touches in a game this year, he's coming off arguably his best performance of the season against the Cleveland Browns in Week 13.

The Eagles have a stout run defense that only allows 105.8 rushing yards per game to their opponent, but Philly allows 4.3 yards per attempt on the ground and 6.4 runs for first downs per game. But Jaylen Warren isn't a one-dimensional player. He can beat defenses on the ground or in the receiving game thanks to his remarkable burst and contact balance.

Without Pickens, the Steelers simply don't have many explosive options they can turn to on offense. Calvin Austin, the fastest player on the team, isn't reliable enough on a game-to-game basis while players like Mike Williams, Pat Freiermuth, and Van Jefferson don't offer much burst before or after the catch.

Funneling the offense through Jaylen Warren this week is the right way to go. It's going to take a handful of explosive plays to even put up a fight with the Eagles in Philadelphia this week, and an increased workload for Warren could give the Pittsburgh Steelers the spark they need in Week 14.