Steelers' ground game shows promise but room to grow

For stretches of the first half Thursday, the Pittsburgh Steelers were utilizing an offensive approach that looked like it had been ripped from the Bill Cowher era.

The Steelers were running the ball extensively — and effectively — while building a halftime lead against the Cleveland Browns. Najee Harris and backup Jaylen Warren were getting frequent touches and plenty of yards as the Steelers scored touchdowns on successive drives for the first time this season.

Of course, much like the first two games of the season, the Steelers couldn’t sustain any productivity in the 29-17 loss at FirstEnergy Stadium. Untimely penalties and dropped passes helped short-circuit drives in the second half, leaving the Steelers searching for ways to piece together a complete offensive gameplan when they return from a mini-bye this weekend.

“We have to put two halves together,” quarterback Mitch Trubisky understated after the Steelers lost their second game in a row.

The way the Steelers moved the ball in the opening half — and how they moved it behind an aggressive offensive line — was one reason for optimism. Harris, after totaling 72 yards rushing through the first two games, had 46 yards at halftime, including a 5-yard TD run, and the Steelers actually held a rushing yardage advantage,88-79, over the NFL’s top-ranked run unit.

Warren, the undrafted free-agent backup, chipped in 30 yards on four carries before temporarily finding a seat on the bench after his fumble nearly unraveled the second touchdown drive, which Trubisky finished off with a 1-yard run.

Not only was the offensive line opening holes for the running backs, the Steelers used an extra tight end on occasion to help with the blocking.

“The point of attack, we did well,” tight end Zach Gentry said. “The big guys were able to double team and push their guys up field and get us to the second level. We were more aggressive. We did a good job of controlling their front line and linebackers. We have to continue to do that if we’re going to be successful.”

The Steelers ran the ball four out of seven plays on their first touchdown drive. Their second one, which also covered 75 yards, featured eight runs out of 10 plays, including the final seven. Included was an 11-yard end-around by Chase Claypool, plus five carries by Harris, one by Warren and the Trubisky touchdown.

“That was fun,” Warren said. “You could tell that tires out the defense. When you can catch them off guard, it makes your job easier.”

Even with Trubisky throwing four times on the final possession of the half, the Steelers still had more rushing plays (16) than passing (13). And a 14-13 lead.

“I think we did good on offense,” Harris said. “The offensive line played really well. The last couple of weeks, the O-line has played well. We’re trying to find that rhythm and the groove. Take your hat off to the offensive line. The skill positions have to do better.”

Circumstances changed in the second half as Trubisky attempted 19 passes and the Steelers totaled 16 yards on six carries. Harris had 10 yards on five attempts, and Trubisky had the other 6 yards on a scramble. Warren didn’t get another rushing attempt, but he did have a 35-yard reception to the Browns 15 that was negated because of an ineligible man downfield penalty against tackle Chuks Okorafor.

“We had a little bit of rhythm and didn’t hit on plays we needed,” Trubisky said. “We had crucial plays in the second half that if we hit on those, it might have been a different story.”

The 5-yard penalty against Okorafor came after a swing pass to Harris lost 4 yards. After a 14-yard pass to Diontae Johnson put the Steelers in a third-and-5, Claypool was called for pass interference on an incompletion, and the Steelers punted.

On the next series, Johnson dropped a deep pass on third-and-3 when he had a step on the cornerback. The Browns responded with field goal and touchdown drives after those two series to take a 23-14 lead in the fourth quarter, forcing the Steelers to abandon the running game.

“We weren’t moving the ball, and we weren’t converting third downs,” Johnson said. “That’s a pain in the butt when you can’t convert third downs and you see other teams doing it.”

Still, the way Harris and Warren complemented each other — the rookie’s fumble aside — could be a foundational part of the offense when the Steelers face the New York Jets next Sunday.

After Harris averaged 22.4 touches last season and played 84% of the snaps, the Steelers sought a dependable backup in the offseason. Their search led them to Warren, the former Oklahoma State runner who vaulted past incumbent Benny Snell on the depth chart in training camp.

Harris’ usage this season has dropped to 16.7 touches per game and 70% of the offensive plays.

“He’s been doing good. He’s a good player,” Harris said. “I expect nothing less from him going in there. I played a lot last year. We decided if I want to have a long career, that’s not the way to do things.”

Perhaps the only thing stopping Warren from assuming a larger role in the offense is the occasional fumble. He also had one in the preseason opener against Seattle that, fortunately for him, he also did not lose.

“Just don’t do it,” Warren said of the feedback he received from coaches. “Our culture is ball security. Obviously, you don’t want to put it on the ground. As soon as it happened, I looked at the sideline because I knew that’s where my next play was. I saw Tomlin (pointing his finger). I saw it coming.”

Tomlin, though, trusted Warren enough in the second half to use him on the pass play that could have helped the Steelers pad their one-point lead if not for the penalty on Okorafor.

“We see a lot of confidence in Jaylen,” center Mason Cole said. “He’s a good changeup from Najee. You have Najee, who is a big back. Jaylen comes in, he’s smaller, kind of a quicker pace, maybe a little shiftier. It’s a good 1-2 punch.”