Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy is eyeing a shake-up for his offense, even after a dramatic 26-19 overtime comeback win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Steelers dug out of a 16-3 fourth-quarter hole, with quarterback Aaron Rodgers leading the charge. But despite that clutch performance, McCarthy seems to be thinking about a different kind of balance moving forward.
McCarthy’s Shocking Five Words About the Steelers’ Offense
“I’d like to run the ball more,” McCarthy stated, a comment reported by Mike DeFabo. This isn’t just some casual sideline chatter, either. It’s a statement worth watching because, while the Steelers are actually pretty efficient on the ground, they haven’t made their rushing attack a centerpiece of the game plan. Pittsburgh ranks in the NFL’s top 10 for yards per carry, which is awesome, but they’re also sitting near the bottom five in rushing attempts. Sure, a couple of teams below them have played fewer games, which adds a bit of context, but the contrast is still glaring. It really suggests the Steelers could be leaving opportunities on the table for their running backs.
Jaylen Warren’s Workload and Rodgers’ Changing Role
Rodgers delivered the goods against Tampa Bay, finishing with 253 passing yards, two touchdowns, and an interception on 33-of-49 passing. He showed he can absolutely lead this offense under pressure. Yet, the idea here is that Pittsburgh might actually benefit from asking him to throw less often. Think about it: more rushing attempts would force opposing defenses to respect another threat, potentially opening up better passing lanes for Rodgers when he *does* put the ball in the air. Jaylen Warren looks like he could be a huge part of this adjustment. Giving Warren more carries could help the Steelers establish a steadier ground game, instead of just leaning so heavily on Rodgers to move the chains. A more consistent run game could also help control the tempo and keep the offense balanced. Warren’s workload will be key to watch, especially with Rico Dowdle back in the mix. Dowdle rushed seven times for 40 yards against Tampa Bay, averaging a solid 5.7 yards per carry. A stronger rotation in the backfield could keep Warren fresh while letting McCarthy really crank up the team’s rushing volume. It would also give defenses a lot more to think about before they just key in on Rodgers and the passing game.
McCarthy’s comments aren’t necessarily about cutting Rodgers’ role completely. Instead, it’s a big hint that Pittsburgh wants to make its offense less predictable. If the Steelers can truly turn their rushing efficiency into consistent volume, you’ve got to believe Warren is going to see more opportunities, and Rodgers might just get a little relief from carrying the entire passing burden.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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