Following each game in the 2025 Pittsburgh Steelers season, I will highlight the event, or string of events, in the game that was the turning point. Not all turning points will be earth-shattering but are meant to give a unique look at how we arrived at the outcome of the game, one that may be hard to see during the live watch.
The Pittsburgh Steelers sometimes struggle to score 14 points in a half — or even a full game. On Sunday, they needed just 50 seconds of game time. Two lightning-fast touchdowns flipped the script against the New York Jets, with Steelers newcomer Kenneth Gainwell making it all possible.
We knew his versatility as a runner and a receiver out of the backfield. But he is already proving to be an invaluable special teamer as well. That’s where he made his biggest impact on Sunday with a forced fumble on the kickoff coverage unit.
The Steelers signed him to be a nightmare for defenders with the ball in his hands out in space. It turns out he’s a problem in the open field as a tackler, as well. He looped around the blocker almost untouched and burst towards the return man with a dive to punch the ball out.
Xavier Gipson likely didn’t think he would get touched by Gainwell given the angle advantage he appeared to have. Gainwell’s burst caught him off guard and popped the ball loose for Ben Skowronek to recover. The Steelers scored two plays later.
Sticking with the theme of this post, Gainwell was used in a unique way on the first of the two scoring drives. They motioned him out as a wide receiver for their only 21 personnel play of the game. Jaylen Warren caught a pass the other way for 17 yards.
Gainwell can pass block, he can run, he can be a receiver, and he played on both the kick return and kick coverage units. He even had one snap on punt return. The way he most impacted Sunday’s game was on special teams.
What can’t Kenneth Gainwell do?
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