PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers face a mountain of injuries after their Week 5 victory. Despite emerging with the win, the Steelers lost two key players, at least.
During his weekly press conference, head coach Mike McCarthy shared that wide receivers Roman Wilson and Ben Skowronek have already been ruled out for the team’s next contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Steelers will need to adjust their offensive game plan once again, but the one thing that won’t change is the reliance on running back Jaylen Warren. Asked about how he plans to utilize his backfield once Rico Dowdle returns from injury, McCarthy was clear that Warren is the key piece of the Steelers’ offensive puzzle.
”Jaylen’s our featured player right now. Let’s make sure we all recognize that. He’s hot. He’s playing great football for us,” McCarthy stated. “So it’s important for us as an offense, you know, coaches and players alike, to continue to put him in position to make plays. So, that won’t change.”
Dowdle is expected to return to the field this week after missing the last three games.
Can Steelers Keep Feeding Warren?
McCarthy’s comments are the biggest endorsement of Warren so far, and it comes at a time when he has become undeniable. Even if McCarthy had a different product envisioned for his backfield in the offseason, Warren has forced his hand for the better.
Since Dowdle’s injury, Warren has become the best piece of the offense by a wide margin. He’s received at least 15 carries in three straight contests, and he’s posted rushing yard totals of 127, 93 and 101 yards.
The question that gets asked based off of Warren’s history in the NFL, is, can the Steelers keep using him this frequently? Luckily for the offense, Warren is looking even healthier entering Week 6. McCarthy said that compared to the last two weeks, their lead running back “looks better than the last two Mondays.”
Offensive Identity Found With Warren
With Warren as the featured back and lead piece on offense, the Steelers have an identity. The offensive line continues to look better, and their reliance on combo blocks and an aggressive demeanor only helps Warren’s game.
If they keep this going, the Steelers are in a good place offensively. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers looks strong over three straight games, and they’ve posted 30 points in back-to-back home games.
It seems like Mike McCarthy is making the right call with Jaylen Warren.
Add us as a preferred source on Google