The Pittsburgh Steelers have plenty of reasons to feel good heading into the season, and the biggest one is obvious: Aaron Rodgers is in the building. He’s back with his coach, too, Mike McCarthy, from his glory Green Bay Packers days.
But if the Steelers are going to turn that buzz into something real, they’ll need more than a big-name quarterback. They’ll need help around him, especially from the ground game. That’s where Rico Dowdle comes in.
On Friday, Ben Solak of ESPN highlighted the X-factor for every NFL team entering the new season, and for Pittsburgh, he pointed straight to Dowdle. Solak made the case that the Steelers’ offense can’t really reach playoff level without a strong rushing attack, especially with 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers operating with what he called a limited style of play in the passing attack.
He also tied Dowdle directly to the backfield’s potential, writing that it’s hard to picture an elite Steelers run game without a big year from him. In Solak’s view, Dowdle and Jaylen Warren could give Pittsburgh “one of the most interesting one-two punch backfields in the league.”
That matters because the Steelers don’t just need competence at running back - they need a group that can actually make life easier for Rodgers. Solak pointed out that if Dowdle does his job behind what could be the best offensive line he has played behind, Pittsburgh would have a real path to wins built on defense and a rushing attack that controls the clock and stays ahead of the sticks.
That’s the formula here. Rodgers brings the name value and the attention, but a young, energetic supporting cast is what could make the whole thing work. Dowdle has a chance to be part of that, and if he plays the way the Steelers need him to, he could end up being a lot more than just a depth piece.
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Aaron Rodgers sits at the center of it all, because the limited preseason action has left Pittsburgh with fewer chances to iron out timing and protection issues around him. Right tackle remains one of the most obvious pressure points, and the broader question is whether the group can come together quickly enough to avoid early-season growing pains. For a team with real expectations, the margin for error on both sides of the ball already looks thinner than it should. [Read more 🡒]