When the Pittsburgh Steelers came into this season, one thing Arthur Smith wanted to do above all else was run the ball. If the Steelers could establish the run, it would make life much easier for Aaron Rodgers and help the Steelers control the clock.
Through the first couple of games, the Steelers struggled to do anything on the ground. They were one-dimensional against both New York and Seattle to open the season, and it took all the way until Week 4, when Kenneth Gainwell nearly picked up 100 yards on the ground himself, to establish any sort of identity with the run.
However, ESPN’s Mina Kimes thinks the Steelers have gotten significantly better in that area.
“I think [Smith’s] gonna stick with the formula that’s been working with them,” Kimes said of the Steelers Friday on SportsCenter. “You know, that quick passing game, play-action shots, and leading with the run. The Steelers’ run game has quietly been improving every week, and now it’s one of the top-10 rushing attacks in football. That is a vulnerability of a Chargers defense that wants to play with light boxes.”
If the Steelers do have a top-10 rushing attack, they sure didn’t show it last week. Jaylen Warren ran 16 times for just 31 yards, although he did score twice against Indianapolis. Kaleb Johnson and Connor Heyward each ran the ball once for four yards. And then there was Gainwell running for a net loss of a yard on three carries.
While the Steelers’ run game has progressed, it’s certainly not up there with the top teams in the league. The Steelers have just 698 total rushing yards on the season. They’re mostly inefficient at 3.8 yards per carry. Their leading rusher, Jaylen Warren, just eclipsed 400 yards on the season last week. And Kaleb Johnson, this year’s third-round pick, has just 40 on the season.
However, a full slate of stats doesn’t necessarily paint a perfect picture of what the Steelers’ run game is right now. Last week wasn’t especially productive. But the Steelers have strung some nice plays together on the ground over the last couple of weeks. Against Green Bay, Cincinnati and Cleveland the Steelers seemed to show some improvement.
They’ll have to roll that momentum into Week 10. Los Angeles isn’t especially dominant against the run. That makes Sunday night an excellent time for the Steelers to get back on track.
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