The Pittsburgh Steelers were expected to have a punishing run game for the 2024 season under the guidance of Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith. Unfortunately, that hasn't come to fruition. Part of the reason they have been struggling so much is because of injuries to running backs Jaylen Warren and Cordarrelle Patterson.
Warren started the season with a nagging hamstring injury that seemed to be impacting him. During the Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Head Coach Mike Tomlin pulled Warren from the game with a knee injury. Tomlin admitted after the game that Warren, a fierce competitor, tried to play through the injury, but his coach saw that he wasn't himself and needed to come out.
Soft tissue injuries like hamstrings can be tricky, and coupled with his knee, many are concerned that Warren won't return anytime soon. The Steelers and their fans are definitely missing him, but Tomlin said during his weekly Tuesday press conference that Warren was "doubtful" for the Week 6 game against the Las Vegas Raiders. However, Mike Prisuta, from WDVE, posted on Wednesday that Warren indicated he is ready to go.
"Mike Tomlin assessed Jaylen Warren as 'doubtful' on Tuesday, but Warren didn't look or sound doubtful today: 'I feel great. I don't know, that's their decision, whatever they decide. But I feel good, I could play. If they let me out there, I'll play. It's their call,' tweeted Prisuta."
The Steelers are currently 3-2 and tied for first place in the AFC North after dropping two winnable games in a row. This isn't even the difficult part of their schedule. After the bye week, they enter a gauntlet of their division games, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. They will need Warren healthy if they are to succeed in those games.
Fortunately, the team still has Najee Harris, whose best ability is availability. He has never missed a game since being drafted in the first round in 2021. Warren joined forces with Harris to present a challenging one-two punch to defenses when Pittsburgh nabbed him as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2022.
Pittsburgh decided to add Patterson, with his unique hybrid receiver-running back skill set, during the 2024 offseason in part to help with the new kickoff scheme, but he has been more valuable than just special teams. Unfortunately, he injured his ankle during the Week 4 game against the Indianapolis Colts after having a major impact early in the game. He had six carries for 43 yards, with his longest being 12 yards. Both he and Warren offer a refreshing complement to Harris' more bruising style.
Steelers' Najee Harris Just Isn't Getting It Done Alone
Harris is in an elite category as a running back whose amassed 1,000 yards or more in his first three seasons. Unfortunately, he isn't on track to repeat that unless something changes. Through the first five games of the season, Harris hasn't accrued more than 70 rushing yards in a game.
Despite dealing with offensive line, quarterback, and offensive coordinator issues, Harris has always found a way to get it done. It isn't clear exactly why he is struggling this year, but he did appear to be better when partnered with Warren.
In the Dallas Cowboys matchup, Harris was expected to have a breakout game finally. Dallas has one of the worst run defenses in the league and was missing two of its best defensive linemen. However, he had a disappointing night, rushing for just 42 yards on 14 carries; his longest rush was only six yards. With Warren being out at least one more week, the Steelers must find a way to get Harris in motion.
