In recent weeks, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ run game has slowly come along. Against a Los Angeles Chargers’ defense that’s been susceptible at times this year, it would have been the perfect time to get Jaylen Warren rolling.
At times during their loss on Sunday, the Steelers did just that. Warren was efficient, running for five yards per carry and picking up 70 yards on the ground. But he only ran the ball 14 times, which is a problem. Speaking after the loss, Rodgers mentioned some of the most glaring offensive issues.
“We didn’t run the ball as well as we usually do,” Rodgers said, via the Steelers’ YouTube channel. “And then we didn’t get open, and I didn’t play as well as I usually do.”
While he mentions that the offense didn’t run the ball well, Rodgers doesn’t think Warren was the problem.
“Jaylen made some really nice plays,” Rodgers said. “He’s a talented guy. We gotta get him more touches.”
Aside from those 70 rushing yards, Jaylen Warren also picked up 21 through the air on two receptions. The Steelers only had 221 yards of offense on the day, but Warren accounted for 91 of them. Yet again, he was the lone bright spot offensively in an otherwise ugly Steelers loss.
Given the way the game went, it would have been hard to give him a ton of carries. The Steelers trailed for the last two and a half quarters, and although the game wasn’t out of reach until the second half, teams aren’t going to run the ball a ton when they’re losing.
Yet, the argument that the Steelers aren’t utilizing him enough is still a fair one. There are some instances in which the Steelers abandon the run for no apparent reason. Nearing the end zone in the second half on Sunday, the Steelers gave the ball to Warren one time, and then threw three straight incompletions as they turned it over on downs.
This isn’t the first time the idea of Warren needing more touches has surfaced, either. Even in the first couple of weeks of the season, there was some frustration about him not getting enough looks. The same could probably be said of his 14-carry effort today.
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