Steelers running back Jaylen Warren celebrates after a game against the New Orleans Saints in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026.
Steelers running back Jaylen Warren celebrates after a game against the New Orleans Saints in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026.
When the Steelers signed Rico Dowdle in the offseason, reuniting the two-time 1,000-yard rusher with coach Mike McCarthy, the chatter throughout the spring and training camp centered on his potential share of touches with Jaylen Warren.
“We really got a dynamic one-two punch, in my opinion,” McCarthy said in early August.
But when Dowdle missed three games with a toe injury, Warren shined as the feature back.
Through seven games, Warren ranks seventh in the NFL in rushing yards with 561 and third in yards per carry at 5.5. In the Steelers’ win against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday in Paris, Warren ran for 101 yards on 18 carries.
[Steelers running back Jaylen Warren runs with the ball past Saints cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. during a game in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026.
Steelers running back Jaylen Warren runs with the ball past Saints cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. during a game in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026.](https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2026/10/26/steelers-week-7-analysis-nfl-afc-north/stories/202610250086)
“Jaylen, he’s hot as a firecracker,” McCarthy said in a press conference back stateside on Monday.
But with a healthy Dowdle back in the fold, McCarthy didn’t indicate any plans for increasing Warren’s workload. Dowdle rushed nine times for 41 yards and added six catches for 45 yards, a split McCarthy indicated is what “it’s supposed to look like.”
“I felt really good about their distribution yesterday,” McCarthy said. “They’re two of our best players on the football team, so it’s important for us as coaches to continue to create opportunities for them.”
Offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio was especially pleased with the offense’s balance in general — they totaled 30 rushes and 30 passes — but echoed McCarthy’s comments about the running back split.
“I think it was a good balance,” Angelichio said. “ ... Both of them, I thought, did a great job of getting north, getting downhill.”
Warren’s 18 carries Sunday marked his season high, eclipsing the 17 he tallied against the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns in Weeks 3 and 4, respectively.
He’s now rushed for at least 100 yards in three of the Steelers’ last five games while also serving as one of the most threatening receiving backs across the league.
[Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen (6) sacks on New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough (6) during an NFL football game in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026.
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen (6) sacks on New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough (6) during an NFL football game in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026.](https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2026/10/26/steelers-defense-nfl-paris-game/stories/202610260024)
Still, with Warren in the midst of a career season, Angelichio said Sunday’s distribution on the ground could be a blueprint for the future.
“I think we kept them both fresh,” Angelichio said, “so hopefully we can keep that moving forward.”
Anderson’s ‘flexibility’
With Spencer Anderson starting at right guard throughout training camp and the first two weeks of the season, the Steelers offense didn’t show many looks in the jumbo package with an extra lineman.
But they broke it out Sunday with the 6-foot-5, 305-pound Anderson playing 13 snaps. The Steelers ran on 12 of those plays — including on seven plays of their final drive — and ultimately rushed for a season-high 148 yards.
“It gives us some flexibility,” Angelichio said. “I think what makes it come to life is Spence’s ability to be viable in the pass game and to do some of the tight end stuff, which you saw last year.”
The offensive line has paved plenty of holes on the ground, as the Steelers rank seventh in the NFL in expected points added per rush.
And adding in the versatility of Anderson, coupled with the blocking ability of tight end Darnell Washington, the Steelers have shown the ability to incorporate some added power and athleticism to the run game.
“When you have someone like Spencer and his unique talents, it gives you such great versatility,” McCarthy said. “ ... He carries a lot of value on our football team, especially up front. It’s important for us to continue to create opportunities for him.”
‘Thunder’ field goal a success
Some teams call it “toro.” Others call it “hurricane.”
The Steelers call their fire-drill field goal “thunder” — and they executed it to perfection on Sunday.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers took an inopportune sack on third down with 18 seconds left in the first half and no timeouts. The Steelers’ kicking unit hurried onto the field, and kicker Chris Boswell nailed a 47-yard attempt as the final seconds ticked off the clock.
“It’s nice,” special teams coordinator Danny Crossman said. “That’s one of those situations that you practice a whole bunch. We’ve had years where I’ve had several of them, and then you may go eight or nine years without having them. It’s something that you rep constantly, that you talk about constantly.
“They were dialed in, and it went very, very smoothly.”
Aside from the rushed procedure, the kick was made more difficult by the lack of a “K-ball” — the preferred ball used by kickers in the NFL. The Steelers didn’t have time to swap out the regular game ball, which Crossman said Boswell “doesn’t want to kick.”
Regardless, Boswell’s boot gave the Steelers a halftime lead they ultimately wouldn’t relinquish.
First Published: October 26, 2026, 2:27 p.m.
Matt Press is a sports enterprise writer for the Post-Gazette. He is a graduate of Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind.