It has been a rough season thus far for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team is 1-4 and has a point differential of -51. One of the keys to success this year was to have a strong running game with a reshaped offensive line. That has been far from the case as the offense ranks 29th in the NFL and has just 443 rushing yards and 88.6 yards per game on the ground. The big men up front have been improving each week, but it has been the questionable vision and lack of explosiveness from former first-round pick, Najee Harris that has fans concerned. That paired with the hard running of the undrafted rookie, Jaylen Warren should strike up a conversation.
Steelers running back, Jaylen Warren (#30) warms up prior to a 2022 preseason game at Acrisure Stadium. | Credit: Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Harris admitted that he was dealing with a Lisfranc injury which kept him out for the majority of training camp and the preseason. It sure seems like he is being hesitant with his decision-making. He is averaging a horrible 3.2 yards per carry. For the math gurus out there, the offense could run the ball three straight times and Harris still wouldn't be able to pick up a first down.
His backup in Warren has been a different story and a breath of fresh air. The rookie has carried the ball 19 times for 94 yards this season and was clearly the best running back on the field for the Steelers on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. He rushed five times for 24 yards and also was effective in the passing game hauling in four catches that went for 39 yards.
Harris, who was second on the team a year ago with 74 receptions, has been nonexistent in the passing game in 2022. The lead back has just 13 catches this year for 64 yards and while Warren isn't ahead of him in either category, the newcomer is averaging 6.6 yards per reception to Harris' 4.9. Warren has visibly outplayed Harris this year and he deserves more of a chance to prove himself.
Pittsburgh Steelers running back, Najee Harris (#22) warms up at Acrisure Stadium in a preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks on August 13, 2022, in Pittsburgh, PA. | Credit: Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Harris has not performed up to expectations in his second season. Whether it is injury related or simply because he doesn't trust his offensive line, Warren has not displayed the kind of questionable decision-making that has come from the guy in front of him. Sunday was not the first game of the year that Warren outplayed Harris, either. It happened in the Steelers' Week 3 matchup versus the Cleveland Browns.
Warren only had four carries in that game, but they went for 30 yards and he averaged 7.5 yards per rush. Harris, on the other hand, was only able to average 3.7 yards per carry in the 29-17 loss. When the Oklahoma State product is getting chances with the ball, he has been much more effective than the former first-round pick. Politics aside, Warren should realistically be getting just as many opportunities in-game as Harris.
After the beatdown from Buffalo on Sunday afternoon, Head Coach Mike Tomlin did not rule out changes in every phase of the game. It should not come as a surprise if Warren gets a larger workload. The team is starting down a historically bad season if things don't turn around soon and anything to improve the quality of play needs to be considered.
Steelers running backs, Najee Harris (#22) and Jaylen Warren (#30) warm up at Acrisure Stadium prior to a 2022 regular season game against the New York Jets. | Credit: Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Additionally, Warren is much better at pass protection than Harris. Any extra protection for the rookie starting quarterback, Kenny Pickett, is only going to help the development process for the young signal-caller. Both running backs are playing behind the same offensive line so there shouldn't be excuses for Harris' poor play thus far. A strong running game could really help the offense get to a more consistent level and at this point, Warren is putting out a much better product on the field.
Do you think there needs to be a change in the running backs' room regarding the distribution of playing time? Let us know in the comments below!
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