The Pittsburgh Steelers are reportedly kicking around the idea of getting running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren on the field at the same time.
Cue a bunch of tweets: “Just like Franco and Rocky.” (One tweet literally said that. I ridiculed the author.)
This sounds like mindless OTAs talk. Something that won’t come to fruition beyond a couple of meaningless plays.
Harris mostly has been mediocre since he was the Steelers’ first-round pick in 2021. Warren is an undrafted free agent who has shown occasional flashes. Neither is an exceptional receiver.
The shotgun is football’s most-used formation. Not the Power I. (Single back is second.)
But the Steelers do appear to be gearing up to run the ball. They’ve assembled a nasty left side of the offensive line. They drafted a huge tight end.
Running the ball is the Steelers’ traditional preference, outdated as that is.
The NFL isn’t that kind of league. Going against the grain can work, but neither Harris nor Warren is Derrick Henry.
Today’s NFL is about striking quickly and scoring a lot.
If the Steelers do rely on the run more than most teams, it makes you wonder what they think of where Kenny Pickett’s development is.
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The Steelers aren’t likely to win a playoff game in 2023. They could sneak into a wild-card game and get splattered like they did two seasons ago.
The Steelers should see 2023 as a building year. That especially applies to Pickett. He should be used in a way that has him reaching for his ceiling.
If he makes mistakes, so be it. But he shouldn’t, in his second year, be a game manager for a rushing attack.
Pickett won’t ever be Joe Burrow. But let’s see how close he can come. That’s the only way the Steelers will legitimately challenge for more than just scraps.
Pickett has got to play like top quarterbacks do. That begins with the approach and, hopefully, results in the execution.
If that isn’t the approach, how much faith do the Steelers really have in Pickett?
I don’t understand having much faith in Harris.
Harris hasn’t averaged more than 3.9 yards per carry during either of his two pro seasons. He has had just four 100-yard games and only one last season. Harris barely got over 1,000 yards last year.
Harris is OK, no better. Warren is a dime-a-dozen talent.
It would be smarter to lean on Pickett instead of the running game. More upside.
But it goes back to how the Steelers prefer to play.
As Fox’s Colin Cowherd says, some NFL teams just don’t get offense. The Steelers are one of those.
Mike Tomlin is a defensive guy. But nobody on his staff is allowed to know more than him. Offensive coordinator Matt Canada certainly fits that description.
If Pickett is to make the giant strides so many seem to expect, he needs to be given the opportunity to do that. Major talents don’t take baby steps. Is Pickett a major talent or isn’t he?
