Steelers' Rico Dowdle Was A Massive Disappointment In Team Debut

The Pittsburgh Steelers' Week 1 win was a nice start to the Mike McCarthy era in the Steel City this past Sunday. There were many encouraging signs for the team against the Atlanta Falcons, however, there was also a lot that they left on the table. One of the biggest differences with this new staff is that the Steelers are bringing in an offensive-minded coach, which is the exact opposite of McCarthy's predecessor, Mike Tomlin. This new offense however, only managed to put up one touchdown against Atlanta. The other touchdown came off an impressive TJ Watt pick-six off Cooper Rush.

Now the Black and Gold look to turn the page and work on improving that offensive output. They are going to have to do so on the road against a heated rival, the New England Patriots, in Week 2. On a recent episode of Steelers Breakdown on Tuesday, team insider Nick Farabaugh discussed some things he liked in the season debut, as well was what needs to be improved if the Steelers want to start off 2-0. During the episode, he mentioned veteran running back Rico Dowdle, who the team signed this past offseason via free agency. Despite having played for McCarthy in the past, his debut with Pittsburgh did not go too well.

“It seems like from the stats, you would think that Rico Dowdle was running back one,” Farabaugh said. “He played 58% of the snaps I believe in this compared to [Jaylen] Warren’s 36%. They put Rico in as the pass pro guy. I don’t think he was very good at the pass pro. I don’t think Rico Dowdle played very well in this game at all.”

While Farabaugh mentions the pass protection not being up to par for the veteran newcomer, he also had just 15 yards on eight carries in the contest. He was not much of a threat in the passing game either, as he had just two receptions for six yards. One thing the insider did mention on Tuesday about Dowdle is that he is not suggesting he will not have a good year, but surely had a rough opener in his debut with the team.

The veteran tailback is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers. With this year being his third season with a third different team, his career performances suggest it could simply just be that sluggish start that Farabaugh alluded to. He will need to quickly put his Week 1 behind him to help provide Pittsburgh with a more dangerous offense. It would also be a huge boost as McCarthy wants to be able to throw the football all season long. Fans should continue to keep an eye on who McCarthy decides to feed more in Week 2 at the running back position.

Steelers Have No Choice But To Establish A Stronger Run Game

Despite the philosophy of wanting to throw the ball deep into the season, the Steelers must improve in the rushing department. It not only can help create a more balanced offensive attack, but can also help to open up the play-action passing game. Given Dowdle's rough debut, it now paves the way for Jaylen Warren to see an increased role in Week 2. Even if that does happen, it would be a big boost if both really get the wheels going after Week 1. Warren lost a fumble against Atlanta and that could also be weighing on McCarthy's decision moving forward. 

When Dowdle was signed this offseason, the expectations were huge given what he was able to do in the last two seasons. Week 1 could be a humbling moment for him while also serving the purpose of motivating him for Week 2 and beyond in the 2026 NFL season. He and his counterpart Warren can make for a dominant one-two punch in the Pittsburgh backfield, but they'll need to be more consistent in the coming weeks. They will need to have a better showing against the Patriots specifically compared to their 61 combined yards on the ground against Atlanta.

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