The Pittsburgh Steelers offense hasn’t been precisely great. Well, more troubles arise as their running backs are all banged up. Rico Dowdle has been downgraded to out for Week 3’s game vs. Cincinnati Bengals, while Jaylen Warren is dealing with a shoulder injury.
Dowdle won’t be playing vs Bengals due to a toe injury that happened early in the Steelers game against the Patriots. He briefly returned before going out again, and now, he’ll miss a game.
As for Warren, his shoulder injury should not be an impediment for him to play. In fact, Steelers RB coach Ramon Chinyoung claimed Warren will be a workhorse vs. Bengals. “With Rico being in the position he is now, Jaylen (Warren) is going to go out, he’s going lead the group and when he needs a breather, we’ll make sure he can receive that so he can perform and be as fresh as possible.”
The Steelers running game is in big debt
The Steelers rushing offense has been practically nonexistent through the first two weeks of the 2026 NFL season. Under new head coach Mike McCarthy and offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio, the team’s commitment to a new West Coast scheme has completely stalled on the ground.
In Week 1, the Steelers had just 58 rushing yards. The very next week, they ran for 91 yards. The team is literally ranked 29th in rushing yards gained. The playcalling and scheme is not going according to plan.
Warren is a very good RB, but the O-line isn’t helping
Through the early part of the 2026 season, Warren has averaged over four yards per carry despite the limited running lanes. Usually thrown into a rushing game by committee, he’s proven to be serviceable enough to get his yards.
The Steelers offensive line ranks second lowest in the league for run-block win rate at 68.4%, according to ESPN Analytics and NFL Next Gen Stats. It’s actually amazing to see Warren going for over four yards a carry.
Key takeaways
- Running back Rico Dowdle has been ruled out of Week 3 due to a toe injury.
- Pittsburgh ranks 29th in rushing yards after producing only 58 and 91 yards in two games.
- The Steelers offensive line ranks second-lowest in the league with a 68.4% run-block win rate.
