The Steelers haven’t exactly lit up the scoreboard this season, but they’ve found a way to keep winning anyway. At 6-2, Pittsburgh is sitting on a record that doesn’t match its modest 22.5 points per game, a number that ranks 18th in the NFL. The difference has been clear: this offense is leaning hard on the run and making it work.
That ground attack has become the engine of the team, piling up 117.9 rushing yards per game behind Jaylen Warren’s best season yet and a physical offensive line that’s doing its part. Former Steelers running back Merril Hoge believes that formula has given Pittsburgh something bigger than production. It’s given the offense a personality.
“I think that they found themselves an identity, and I know that they have been looking for that the entire season,” he said on The OG Football Show. “But now, in a couple weeks, you know who you are, and you know what you expect to play like, and that’s a scary thing for the opponent, because I didn’t think they were gonna find it like that.”
Hoge’s point is simple: the Steelers are controlling the line of scrimmage, setting the pace, and playing the kind of football that can wear teams down. If that assessment holds, Pittsburgh’s offense may be more dangerous than its scoring numbers suggest.
Warren has been the centerpiece of it all. Through eight games, he has rushed for 704 yards and two touchdowns on 119 carries, averaging 5.9 yards per attempt. He’s also added 25 catches on 35 targets for 294 yards and another score, giving the Steelers a back who can hurt defenses in more than one way.
Still, Warren isn’t carrying this alone. The offensive line has been a major reason the run game has taken off, and center Zach Frazier has earned the league-wide respect Pittsburgh fans thought he deserved from the start of his rookie season. He’s pushing toward First-Team All-Pro territory.
Guard Mason McCormick has also stood out as the tone-setter up front. He brings the kind of force that shows up on every snap, and he’s been a brick wall in the run game. Since the team changed its starting guard and tackle, the right side of the line has steadied, and the whole unit has followed.
That combination is what Hoge is pointing to when he talks about identity. The Steelers have something they can lean on now. If the rest of the offense can catch up and match the run game’s level, Pittsburgh could be built for a much bigger finish in 2026.
In Other News...
Steelers Trade Chatter Now Involves A Veteran Defender
The Steelers inside linebacker group has been one of the steadier parts of the roster this season, but the trade market may still bring a surprise before the NFLs Nov. 10 deadline. According to Sports Illustrateds Albert Breer, Pittsburgh is at least considering moving a veteran defender who has had only a limited role this year after joining the team in 2023.
The name in the chatter is Cole Holcomb, whose Steelers tenure has already been shaped by a lost 2024 season because of a knee injury. Even with the position playing well, the possibility of shifting a veteran with experience in the room suggests Pittsburgh is still weighing how to balance depth, health and future roster flexibility as deadline season approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Get A Huge AFC North Test After Steelers Bye Week
The Steelers head into their bye week with a little momentum after a 27-6 win over the Browns on Nov. 1, a game that showcased both sides of the ball in a way Mike Tomlins team will want to carry forward. Jaylen Warren powered the offense with 143 rushing yards and a touchdown, while the defense piled up eight sacks and forced two turnovers in one of Pittsburghs most complete outings of the season.
When the Steelers return, the schedule tightens quickly with an AFC North trip that always comes with extra weight. Pittsburgh will be back in prime time on Nov. 15 at Paycor Stadium, where the matchup with Cincinnati arrives as an early measuring stick for a team trying to keep its footing in a division that rarely gives anyone much breathing room. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Trade Buzz Puts Two Roster Needs Front And Center
The Steelers are already being linked to the kind of trade chatter that tends to follow a team with clear roster questions and enough season left for the front office to keep its options open. Ahead of the 2027 NFL trade deadline, Pittsburgh has been mentioned in speculative talks around wide receivers and defensive backs, a sign that the club is at least surveying ways to strengthen both sides of the ball if the right deal surfaces.
Among the names floating around are Josh Downs, Hollywood Brown, Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston at receiver, along with Riq Woolen, Donte Jackson, Cam Hart and Amani Hooker in the secondary. Nothing has been confirmed, and for now it is all about possibility rather than movement, but the variety of targets suggests the Steelers are keeping a close eye on more than one path as the deadline approaches. [Read more 🡒]