For the first time in a decade, the Pittsburgh Steelers enter the offseason with an opportunity to truly advance the run game. And to do it, they just need to look back 22 years.
Prior to last season, head coach Mike Tomlin had stuck to a strict philosophy to having a single workhorse running back who took the vast majority of the carries. This was the case with Le’Veon Bell, James Conner, Najee Harris and even DeAngelo Williams. The starting back got all the touches.
But in 2022, we saw Tomlin show real growth in his approach to the run game when he not only gave backup running back Jaylen Warren important carries in place of Harris but allowed quarterback Kenny Pickett to run the ball and even had sets with Warren and Harris on the field at the same time. For fans who have watched this team for a long time, it was something of a revelation.
If Tomlin wants to keep up the momentum and expand the run game even more, he needs to look back to the 2001 season when then-head coach Bill Cowher utilized a four-headed rushing attack that included quarterback Kordell Stewart.
In 2001, running back Jerome Bettis led the team with 1,072 rushing yards. The Steelers also have three more players, Stewart, fullback Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala and running back Amos Zeroue all had at least 440 rushing yards. The team was 13-3, made it to the conference championship game and was third in points scored and seventh in yards. Teams never knew where the run would come from but no matter what the team was unified in the idea that this team would be successful running the football.
With Harris, Warren and Pickett Pittsburgh has all the makings of a three-headed rushing monster that can put Pittsburgh back into the hunt for an AFC North title. In 2022, Harris had 1,037 rushing yards, Warren had 379 and Pickett finished with 237 rushing yards. The next three players each had more than 55 yards rushing.
The Steelers showed they want to be a power run team in the second half of the season and if they take that 2001 blueprint, they can be even better in 2023.
More Steelers Wire News!
Steelers CB William Jackson III prepares for life after the NFL
Who will be the Steelers leading receiver in 2023?
Steelers DT Larry Ogunjobi credits teammates for turnaround in 2022
Email
Sign up
Like this article?
Sign up for the Steelers Wire email newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning
An error has occured
Please re-enter your email address.
Thanks for signing up!
You'll now receive the top Steelers Wire stories each day directly in your inbox.
http://dlvr.it/Sjl50y
Comments
Post a Comment