PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have seen running back Jaylen Warren perform like a star when he got the football, but he was outsnapped by running back Kenneth Gainwell against the Chargers. On top of that, he played on zero third downs.
Head coach Mike Tomlin said that Warren is the designated early down back, while Gainwell is the third down back, and they do not want to ride Warren until his wheels fall off.
“We win more third downs, we’ll get Jaylen more touches. It’s as simple as that. Jaylen was having the trajectory of a really, really good day in LA, but we didn’t convert enough third downs for you to really feel it...I’m comfortable with both backs on possession down ball. Not taking anything away from Jaylen. He plays a lot on first and second down; you got to give him an opportunity to catch a break… He just simply cannot play every down," Tomlin said.
Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith had a similar answer, stating the team simply did not convert enough third downs. They were two of 11 on the day, but started out of 0 of 9. By the end of the day, Warren had received zero snaps on third downs, a baffling stat considering the struggles the team has put together in those areas.
“Every game you only have that few number of plays, no matter what your intent is. Then you get behind. You do it to yourself. I don’t want to take anything away from the Chargers, because they had a say in it, as well. We have to sustain more drives and score more points. I think the number is always going to be skewed when you get into a game like that,” Smith said.
Warren had 14 carries for 70 yards, and before this season, was the team’s third down back. He had been a standout player in that capacity. While Gainwell is a fine player, the Steelers’ inability to fully utilize Warren has hurt their offense for the worse.
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