The Pittsburgh Steelers took down the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1 of the 2026 season, but the team left a lot to be desired. Pittsburgh was playing an inferior opponent that was being led by a third-string quarterback, and the Steelers were only able to win the game by a score of 20-13. It would have been nice to see the group come out and deliver a more convincing performance, but it is important to remember that it is early in the season and a lot of the starters did not take the field in the preseason. The offense still needs to find its groove.
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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) and Head Coach Mike McCarthy (right) during 2026 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
New head coach Mike McCarthy is the play caller for the Steelers during the 2026 season, and he took some ownership for the poor offensive performance after the game and during his press conference on Monday. He mentioned that he struggled to get his offense into a flow, and that was evident. It seemed like the passing game was the focus going into the matchup with Atlanta as Aaron Rodgers threw the ball 40 times and yards were hard to come by on the ground. The Steelers averaged under three yards per carry in the game.
Both Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle struggled to get going against the Falcons, with Dowdle particularly having trouble. Despite the obvious struggles, beat writer Mike DeFabo believes it would be an overreaction to worry about the running game at this point in the season. He mentioned this in a recent article for The Athletic.
"The Steelers didn’t run the ball very often (18 attempts)," DeFabo wrote. "They also ran it inefficiently, averaging a league-low 2.8 yards per carry. However, it would be an overreaction to think the running game will be this bad all year. Pittsburgh has made repeated investments in the offensive line. The Steelers have a proven offensive line coach in James Campen. And the two lead backs (Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle) have enough juice to be dynamic. If the Steelers take a more balanced approach on offense, the results should show on the ground."
DeFabo cites the improvements the organization has made when it comes to the pieces that are involved with running the football. James Campen is highly respected as an offensive line coach, and Jahri Evans is a potential future Hall of Famer that was brought in as the assistant offensive line coach.
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Pittsburgh Steelers running backs Rico Dowdle (13) and Jaylen Warren (30) during 2026 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
The struggles on the ground do not just fall on the running backs. There has been a ton of change on the offensive line that could be attributed to the problems. Both Troy Fautanu and Mason McCormick switched to the left side of the line, while Spencer Anderson and Dylan Cook are the two starters on the right side. Both Anderson and Cook are shaky starters, and there is a chance they will each be out of a job within a month. The only constant on the offensive line from the 2025 season is Zach Frazier at center.
Steelers Have A Huge Challenge On The Ground In Week 2
The Steelers are traveling to Massachusetts to take on the New England Patriots in Week 2. This is a significant step up in competition as the Patriots are the reigning AFC Champions, and New England is also coming into the matchup with a chip on its shoulder after a difficult Week 1. New England had a top-six rushing defense in 2025 when it came to both yards and touchdowns on the ground, so it isn't going to be easy to get the rushing game on the right track in this game.
Pittsburgh averaged just 2.5 yards per carry against the Patriots in 2025, but hopefully things will go better this time around.
What do you think about the rushing attack for the Steelers? Are you worried? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
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