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The Steelers’ offense has again been a point of contention this season. Still, we are seeing some improvement in the running game as Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren led the Steelers to another close win on Sunday.
Heading into Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers, the Steelers had a directive offensively from head coach Mike Tomlin — Run. The. Ball. Consider the mission accomplished.
The Steelers ran for a season-high 205 yards on 36 attempts, repeatedly punishing the Packers’ defense. It didn’t matter the situation or down and distance; the Steelers stuck with their rushing attack throughout, with quarterback Kenny Pickett attempting just 23 passes on the day.
Undrafted free agent running back Jaylen Warren had a career-high 101 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Najee Harris, meanwhile, had 82 yards and a touchdown on 16 attempts. The Steelers were consistent as well. They had 100 rushing yards on 20 carries in the first half and 105 yards on 16 attempts in the second half.
Earlier this season, Harris detailed a meeting with the offensive line, talking about what runs they like and what the offensive line wants. That meeting seems to have paid dividends over the past two weeks in particular, as the Steelers have rushed for their season-best totals in each of the past two weeks, gaining 166 yards last week in a win over the Titans before steamrolling the Packers Sunday.
This formula for the Steelers also spurred their 7-2 finish to last season. The Steelers didn’t wait until their final nine games to find their offensive identity as they did a year ago. This time around, they found it in Week 7. And they plan on sticking with that.
The Steelers will have a tougher opponent this week against the Cleveland Browns, holding opposing offenses to just 3.8 yards per carry this season, but with the offensive line playing well and this RB tandem in place, it’s a good place to start. Week 11 kicks off from the Cleveland Browns stadium at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, November 19.
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