The Steelers are heading into their Week 7 trip to Paris with a clear offensive path, and it runs straight through Jaylen Warren.
Pittsburgh’s matchup with the New Orleans Saints comes Sunday morning in an inter-conference showdown, and despite the unusual travel and prep, the Steelers appear set up to take advantage of one glaring weakness. If they stick with Warren, they may have the cleanest route to control the game.
Warren has been the engine lately. Entering Week 7, he sits seventh in the NFL in rushing yards with 460 and leads all NFL tailbacks in receiving yards with 258. That combination has made him a constant problem for defenses: a dependable outlet for Aaron Rodgers, a runner who can survive between the tackles, and a player who keeps drives moving.
The production isn’t a one-week spike either. Over his last three games, Warren has averaged 130.7 scrimmage yards and 5.3 yards per carry, while adding two touchdowns. He’s kept the Steelers on schedule and given the offense the kind of stability it has needed.
That matters even more against a Saints defense that has struggled badly. Brandon Staley’s group ranks 30th in rushing yards allowed per game and is giving up 29.7 points per game this season. For Pittsburgh, that should be an invitation to lean hard on the ground game.
The Steelers have already started to find a rhythm on offense. Since Week 4, they have averaged 28 points per game, and a few offensive line tweaks paired with a heavier dose of Warren have helped spark that rise. Rodgers and the offense now get a chance to keep that momentum going against a defense that has had trouble slowing anyone down.
Pittsburgh will be doing it without some pieces. Michael Pittman Jr. (foot) and Roman Wilson (hand) are both on injured reserve and are not expected to return for a few weeks. Even so, the offense has kept moving.
If the Steelers want that to continue in Paris, Warren needs to stay at the center of the plan. New Orleans has shown it can be attacked on the ground, and Warren has already made the case that fewer touches would be a mistake. Rico Dowdle should get some work too, but not nearly as much as he did last week.
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For Steelers fans, the validation stings because it points back to a theme they know well from Pickens time here: the flashes were obvious, but so were the stretches that left everyone wanting more. Pittsburgh saw enough of those uneven days to understand why the discussion keeps circling back to effort, and Schottenheimers public comments only reopen the question of whether the same issues will keep following Pickens wherever he goes. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Backfield Suddenly Puts More On Jaylen Warren In Paris
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The bigger offensive wrinkle is in the backfield, where Rico Dowdle is listed as questionable because of a knee injury after already missing time with a toe issue. If he cannot go or is only part of the plan, the burden figures to land on Jaylen Warren, who would be asked to handle a much larger share of the work than usual in a game that could demand a lot from Pittsburghs run game. [Read more 🡒]