Steelers' Rushing Breakthrough In Week 7 Comes With A Reality Check From Mason McCormick

The Pittsburgh Steelers brought a little old-fashioned football to Paris, and for once, the offensive linemen had every reason to enjoy the show. Pittsburgh moved defenders off their spots, found running room and made third down look far less intimidating than it had earlier in the season. Yet one of the men doing the blocking wasn't interested in turning a successful afternoon into a referendum on how the offense should operate. His standard was much simpler, and Sunday exposed why it matters.

Mason McCormick didn't hesitate to praise Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle after Pittsburgh's 16-10 victory over the New Orleans Saints. The third-year guard enjoyed the backfield's work, but made clear that a rushing identity is valuable only if it produces points and wins. Pittsburgh is still learning to finish drives.

During his postgame interview, McCormick was asked about the satisfaction of imposing Pittsburgh's will on the ground. His answer was less romantic than the highlights, especially from someone who spent the afternoon hitting enormous defenders.

“Obviously, I mean, I just want to score points, however. The running game is obviously fun. We have two awesome backs, but regardless, I'm just here. I just want to win,” McCormick said.

The actual rushing numbers were worth celebrating. Warren ran 18 times for 101 yards, while Dowdle added 41 on nine carries. They combined for 142 rushing yards and another 81 receiving. That's 223 yards from scrimmage from two backs who can damage a defense in different ways, without forcing the quarterback to turn every possession into an air show.

Pittsburgh established that attitude almost immediately. The offense brought Spencer Anderson onto the field as a tackle-eligible sixth lineman and watched Warren break a 29-yard run on the first snap with the extra blocker. The Steelers averaged 9.6 yards per rushing attempt on their opening possession. There are more elegant ways to announce a game plan, but asking a defense to deal with an additional offensive lineman tends to get the message across.

McCormick understands why those packages appeal to his position group. Extra blockers can create favorable angles at the point of attack, and a decisive runner has a better chance of hitting a crease before a linebacker closes it. Center Zach Frazier and the rest of the front still have to execute. Nobody receives bonus yards just for assembling an unusually large collection of human beings.

The ground game also made Pittsburgh harder to defend on third down. The Steelers converted 10 of 16 opportunities, keeping the Saints from repeatedly forcing obvious passing situations. Those conversions allowed Mike McCarthy to control the pace and reduce the number of plays Aaron Rodgers had to manufacture under pressure. For a 42-year-old quarterback, that kind of assistance is more useful than a motivational speech about toughness.

Still, Sunday's scoreboard explains McCormick's refusal to crown the rushing attack as the answer to everything. Pittsburgh gained 343 yards, controlled long stretches of the contest and scored just 16 points. Chris Boswell supplied nine of those points on three field goals. The opening march, despite all that early rushing success, stalled short of the end zone. Winning a physical matchup means considerably less if it repeatedly ends with the kicker jogging onto the field.

Rodgers provided the lone touchdown pass, finding Darnell Washington from four yards out after a 51-yard completion to DK Metcalf. It was a welcome example of the passing game supplying the finishing touch, but Pittsburgh never repeated it. Running effectively created options; converting those options into touchdowns remained another assignment altogether.

That contrast is especially striking compared with Pittsburgh's earlier rushing struggles. The Steelers managed only 58 yards on the ground in their opener, and the questions about their offensive structure stretched beyond which back received the handoff. McCormick's unit has come a long way from those early rushing problems, but the new standard cannot be simply outperforming September's ugly numbers.

Warren deserves to remain the lead runner, but Dowdle showed he can contribute without hijacking the offense. His six catches for 45 yards gave Rodgers another outlet when the Saints defended deeper routes. Pittsburgh can embrace both a power run game and a useful short passing attack. Both can help keep an offense on schedule, particularly with injuries thinning the receiving corps.

Steelers Must Turn Their Rushing Revival Into Touchdowns

Pittsburgh shouldn't confuse a rushing identity with a finished offense. It's a tool for scoring, protecting leads and winning games. The Steelers succeeded at two of those jobs in Paris, but their lone touchdown left the Saints close enough to steal the result. Against an opponent that finishes its own drives, three field goals might not be nearly enough.

McCormick's answer avoids the familiar trap of making offensive identity sound like a personality test. Of course an offensive guard likes running the ball. That doesn't mean he wants to spend three hours celebrating a beautiful double-team block while the scoreboard stays stuck on 13. He wants the work to lead somewhere, and Pittsburgh finally has the personnel to give it a chance.

The next challenge comes against the Cleveland Browns, who beat Pittsburgh earlier this month. The Steelers can lean on Warren, give Dowdle meaningful work and keep the sixth lineman package handy. McCormick won't care how glamorous those choices look if they produce points. After years of hearing about physical Steelers football, that's a refreshingly practical way to measure whether it's actually working.

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