Steelers HC Mike Tomlin Doesn't Rule Out Giving Jaylen Warren More Snaps After Impressive Week 2 Performance

Two weeks into the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2023 season, and it seems to be more of the same for the offense. The defense carried the squad to a 26-22 victory on Monday night, led by one touchdown each from Alex Highsmith and TJ Watt. As a result, "Fire [Matt] Canada" chants circulated Acrisure Stadium. The running game wasn't effective in Week 1, particularly due to the fact that they were down against the San Francisco 49ers all game long.

Due to that, they were never able to establish a rhythm. Against another stout defensive front in the Cleveland Browns, the running game failed its second test of the season. This time around, the game was close throughout. Both Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris failed to get anything going, as the offensive line didn't provide much help either. In his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin addressed the possibility of giving Warren more snaps moving forward.

"We'll see what this week holds for us in terms of our planning. We acknowledge that Jaylen is a significant player and a guy that's capable of being a significant component of what we do, as is Naj. We'll do what we do every week. We'll make decisions about how we divvy up the labor based on what's most advantageous in an effort to create victory this week," Tomlin said on Tuesday.

It's a typical Tomlin-style answer, but he's certainly not ruling anything out. At times, Harris failed to hit holes with a purpose in the Week 2 victory. He finished with 10 carries for 43 yards, which was largely aided by a 21-yard scamper. Harris also had another run of 17 yards, so it's encouraging that the offense was able to generate a few "splash plays" in the running game.

Still, there was a large part of the contest where the running game was nonexistent. As Tomlin put it, there was too much "negativity" in the running game. Warren's numbers weren't much better either, as he ran it six times for 20 yards. The Oklahoma State product really shined in the passing game though, as he had four catches for 66 yards. He was by far the team's second-most productive receiver on the night behind George Pickens.

Should The Steelers Place More Blame On The Offensive Line Or Running Backs?

Along with Pickens, no one else on the team had more than two catches or 12 receiving yards on the night. For reference, Harris caught a pass that didn't end up going anywhere. While we're just two games into the season, we could be headed for a true 50-50 split in Pittsburgh's backfield. After starting his career with back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns, that streak may be in jeopardy for Harris.

Through two games, the Alabama product has just 16 carries for 74 yards. He's been largely ineffective in the passing game too, as he has a total of three catches for two receiving yards. While Warren is averaging just under three yards per carry thus far, he has nine catches for 78 yards in two games. At this point, it seems like he's an obvious upgrade over Harris in the passing game.

Warren has played 48 offensive snaps this season, which is 41% of the offense's time on the field. Harris has played 64 snaps (55%), but that's a number that could change moving forward. Albeit a bit flawed at times, Pro Football Focus' grading system has Warren as the better running back over Harris. This has been an ongoing discussion and debate for some time now, and it will only continue if the second-year back continues to outshine the former first-round draft pick. 

Do you think the Steelers should/will give more snaps to Warren moving forward? Is Harris just an average NFL running back at this point? How much of the blame do you place on the offensive line? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

#SteelerNation