The Pittsburgh Steelers have been putrid to watch on the offensive side of the ball through the first two games of the 2026 regular season. Yards on the ground have been hard to come by and the passing game has been inefficient at best. The group has scored just one touchdown through eight quarters of play, which is tied with the defense. The Steelers are coming off of an embarrassing loss against the New England Patriots in Week 2 where the offense could only muster up three points, and the offense has another strong test in front of it with the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3.
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Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike McCarthy stands on the field and looks into the distance with his play sheet in hand as the team works out during a 2026 training camp practice at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
The signs that the offense was struggling were there in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons, but those struggles were put on full display when going against a superior opponent like the Patriots in Week 2. It is clear and obvious that some changes need to be made in order for the unit to start to find some success, but it is unclear what those changes might be. Head Coach Mike McCarthy spoke about trimming down the volume of his game plans on Monday, while some personnel changes could also be considered.
ESPN's Dan Graziano spoke to offensive lineman Mason McCormick before the Week 2 contest, and he shared that the offense thought it only had to make some minor adjustments. It is clear now that more needs to be done, and that includes getting a couple of players more involved in the offense. Graziano shared this in a recent piece for ESPN.
"McCormick said the corrections they felt they had to make last week were all 'little things,' but after the loss to the Patriots, it seemed clear the Steelers would be open to more significant change this week," Graziano wrote. "Two players I'd be watching for potentially increased roles in the offense are running back Jalen Warren and wide receiver Roman Wilson as Pittsburgh looks for ways to get into an offensive rhythm."
The insider mentions both Jaylen Warren and Roman Wilson as two players that could be more involved with the offense moving forward. This matches with what has been seen during the games. Warren has outplayed Rico Dowdle out of the backfield, and the passing game needs to be directed somewhere else while DK Metcalf struggles.
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Steelers' Jaylen Warren attempts to break tackle during a regular season game against the Patriots in September 2026.
Warren has been the best back for Pittsburgh so far in 2026, even though the running game has not been good as a whole. Warren is averaging over four yards per carry while Dowdle's average sits around 2.5 yards per touch, which is a significant drop off. Dowdle is still a good back, but anyone could understand why Warren should be the player getting the bulk of the touches out of the backfield.
Steelers Need To Utilize Roman Wilson More Often
Wilson has been the best wide receiver on the Steelers when it comes to getting separation for two seasons now, and he deserves to finally have some sort of a real opportunity. It shouldn't matter what a quarterback on his last leg thinks, the organization needs to think about the future and what Wilson could do for the franchise. He needs more chances through the air, and he has shown he deserves them through two weeks. He has caught eight passes for 54 yards, and four of those receptions have been for first downs. He has been rather reliable with his hands, and the passing game should flow through him a bit more in Week 3, especially if Michael Pittman Jr. remains out.
Rookie Germie Bernard is another player who should see some more touches. He played well in Week 2 aside from a drop that led to a pick, but the game was over by that point anyway.
What do you think about larger roles for Warren and Wilson? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
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