Jaylen Warren delivered one of the most explosive performances in Steelers history Sunday, turning two long touchdowns into the backbone of Pittsburgh’s 34-22 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.
Warren accounted for 188 of Pittsburgh’s 352 yards from scrimmage and produced 130 yards on two game-changing plays. The running back finished with 15 carries for 101 yards and a touchdown, while adding six catches on six targets for a team-leading 87 yards and another score.
Warren’s big plays put Pittsburgh in control
- Midway through the opening quarter, Warren caught a short Aaron Rodgers throw and broke free for an 80-yard touchdown. The score gave Pittsburgh the lead, and the Steelers stayed ahead for the rest of the afternoon.
- Indianapolis pulled within one point during the third quarter, but Warren answered immediately with a 50-yard rushing touchdown to restore Pittsburgh’s cushion.
- The Steelers went on to close out a 34-22 win, with Warren’s two breakaway scores accounting for the decisive momentum swings.
Warren became the first player in franchise history to record a rushing touchdown of at least 50 yards and a receiving touchdown of at least 80 yards in the same game. He is also the first NFL player to accomplish that combination since Herschel Walker did it for the Dallas Cowboys in Week 15 of the 1986 season.
Rodgers called the achievement remarkable, noting that nearly four decades had passed since the previous occurrence.
The most recent player to post a 50-yard rushing touchdown and an 80-yard receiving touchdown during the same season was Todd Gurley in 2017, the year he earned NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Production after contact
Warren’s stat line reflected more than his long touchdowns. He collected 82 rushing yards after contact, forced five missed tackles across 21 touches and set a career high with 130 yards gained after missed tackles.
“I’m just not really surprised,” Rodgers said of Warren. “He’s just such a slippery player. The first guy rarely brings him down. He’s good inside the tackle. He’s good outside the tackle.”
Tight end Pat Freiermuth said Warren’s ability to create in space has been evident for a long time.
“Anytime we can get him in space with the ball or just get him the ball in general, he’s going to make big plays,” Freiermuth said. “He’s been very underrated in this league for a long time.”
Backfield picture changes
Pittsburgh entered the season expecting Warren and Rico Dowdle to share the workload, with Dowdle viewed as a possible fit for the style coach Mike McCarthy wanted from the offense. But through five games, and particularly with Dowdle unavailable, Warren has emerged as the Steelers’ most dangerous playmaker.
McCarthy praised Warren’s recent form and said the intended one-two combination with Dowdle remains part of the offensive vision.
“He’s the man,” McCarthy said. “He’s hauling it for us right now. Having Rico Dowdle as a 1-2 punch was the vision for this offense, but Jaylen’s crushing it right now. He’s been awesome for us.”
