Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy may be looking to tilt his offense toward the ground game after a wild comeback win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“I’d like to run the ball more,” McCarthy said, as reported by Mike DeFabo.
That line matters because the Steelers have been efficient running the football without making it a central part of the plan. Pittsburgh sits in the NFL’s top 10 in yards per carry, but the team is also near the bottom five in rushing attempts.
Two clubs below the Steelers have played fewer games, which adds some context to those rankings. Even so, the numbers point in the same direction: Pittsburgh could stand to give its backs more work.
Rodgers just authored another escape act against Tampa Bay, helping Pittsburgh erase a 16-3 fourth-quarter deficit and pull out a 26-19 overtime win. He completed 33 of 49 passes for 253 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
That kind of comeback can obscure the bigger picture, and the bigger picture here is that the Steelers may not need Rodgers to carry the passing game quite so often. More rushes would force defenses to account for another threat, which could open things up when Pittsburgh does go to the air.
Jaylen Warren looks like the most obvious beneficiary if that shift happens. More carries for Warren would give the Steelers a steadier identity on offense instead of asking Rodgers to keep dragging them through. It would also help Pittsburgh control the pace and create a more balanced attack.
There is also another moving part to watch in the backfield. With Rico Dowdle back in the mix, the Steelers have a second runner who can share the load. Dowdle carried seven times for 40 yards against Tampa Bay and averaged 5.7 yards per carry.
A deeper rotation could keep Warren fresher and let McCarthy raise the team’s rushing volume without overworking one back. It would also make life harder for defenses trying to key on Rodgers and the passing game.
Still, McCarthy’s comments do not automatically mean Rodgers is headed for a smaller role. What they do suggest is a possible change in approach - one that could make Pittsburgh harder to read. If the Steelers turn their rushing efficiency into more volume, Warren may see more touches while Rodgers shoulders less of the passing burden.
In Other News...
Buccaneers Face Growing NFC South Pressure With Quarterback Questions Looming
The Buccaneers head to Bank of America Stadium on Sunday needing to steady themselves after a rough stretch that has left their margin for error thin in the NFC South. Tampa Bay is coming off an overtime loss and will walk into Carolina as an underdog, while the Panthers have found some momentum with three wins in their last four games.
For the Bucs, the bigger concern is the uncertainty under center, which only adds to the pressure of trying to keep pace in the division. Carolina has taken advantage of its recent run at home, and Tampa Bay has to sort out its quarterback situation quickly if it wants this trip to feel like a turning point instead of another step backward. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Loss Exposed One Frustrating Problem Fans Can't Ignore
The Buccaneers left Pittsburgh with a familiar kind of frustration, one that had little to do with effort on the defensive side of the ball. Tampa Bays defense did enough early to keep the Steelers under control, but the offense spent too much of the afternoon going backward, stacking up three-and-outs and leaving the rest of the roster to absorb the pressure of a game that never felt settled.
Riley Dixons punting became part of the conversation because field position mattered so much in a tight, ugly game, and the Bucs could not afford wasted chances once things got wobbly. There was at least one encouraging development in Walker, who kept flashing as a disruptive pass rusher with multiple sacks and pressures, but the bigger issue remains the same for a team sitting at 1-5: the defense can help set a tone, but the offense has to do more than survive. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Rodgers Just Added To The Buccaneers Ugly 1-5 Storyline
The aftermath of Tampa Bays overtime loss to Pittsburgh carried more than just another mark in the standings, because Raymond James Stadium became part of the conversation again. The Buccaneers fell 26-19 and slipped to 1-5, and the matchup offered another reminder that home-field issues have followed this team for a while, with the surface drawing scrutiny beyond what happened on the scoreboard.
Aaron Rodgers was the latest to point it out after the game, adding an unwanted layer to a season already full of frustration for Tampa Bay. The field has drawn poor reviews in the past, in part because of the extra wear from other teams and events, and every new complaint only keeps that storyline alive for a club trying to steady itself on and off the grass. [Read more 🡒]