Steelers' Mike McCarthy Dusts Off A Shrewd Trick To Keep Drives Alive

The Pittsburgh Steelers have spent enough Sundays searching for offensive answers that somebody could reasonably suggest checking the old playbooks. In Paris, one familiar idea returned, and the difficult yards suddenly looked a little less miserable. One man doing the blocking was especially happy about who got invited back into the action.

Mason McCormick praised Pittsburgh's decision to use Spencer Anderson as a sixth offensive lineman during Sunday's 16-10 victory over the New Orleans Saints. The tackle-eligible package hadn't appeared this regular season, although it worked in 2025. Its return added another capable blocker without asking the starters to reinvent themselves.

The benefits showed up almost immediately. After a short completion on Pittsburgh's opening possession, Anderson reported as eligible on second-and-7, and Jaylen Warren ripped off a 29-yard run into Saints territory. The Steelers stayed in the heavy look for the next two snaps, gaining another nine yards and then five. Three carries, 43 yards, and a rude introduction to the extra body up front.

McCormick sounded delighted to see Anderson involved again. During his postgame interview, the guard explained why the additional blocker was so easy to welcome back.

“Yeah, I mean, Spencer's a really good player and so it's fun to be able to get him on the field. He does a really good job at it too and so it's great,” McCormick said.

Anderson's versatility extends beyond his roster bio. A former seventh-round pick, he's handled assignments across Pittsburgh's front and knows this tackle-eligible job from last season. When he reports in, the defense has to account for an extra lineman at the edge of the formation. The Steelers can create another blocking surface, force defenders to fit a different gap and give a runner one more angle to exploit.

Anderson's work in heavy formations was a productive wrinkle of Pittsburgh's 2025 offense. Bringing that job back isn't an indictment of anybody starting ahead of him. It's an acknowledgment that a sixth lineman can be a legitimate role, not merely a consolation prize for someone outside the first five.

Another 300-pounder doesn't produce first downs by himself. McCormick also credited the runners' vision, explaining why this package amounts to more than a collection of enormous jerseys.

“Yeah, yeah. It's definitely nice to be able to do that. Our backs do a good job of seeing the open lanes, too. And so it's awesome,” McCormick said.

Warren finished with 101 yards on 18 carries, while Rico Dowdle added 41 yards on nine attempts. The pair didn't need identical running styles to benefit from the formation. The blocking creates the possibility of a crease; their patience, footwork and acceleration determine whether that crease turns into two yards or twenty. The Saints were left trying to sort out both parts.

Pittsburgh converted 10 of 16 third downs, though crediting all ten to Anderson would be a stretch. Some required Aaron Rodgers to improvise. The jumbo package's broader value was keeping the offense out of constant third-and-long situations. A five-yard run on second-and-6 doesn't make a highlight reel; it does keep the next play from becoming a desperation throw.

On a first-quarter third-and-2, Warren gained six yards without Anderson reporting as eligible on that snap. Earlier successful runs had already given Pittsburgh flexibility. Defenders still had to respect the pass, while the Steelers could hand it off without asking Warren to outrun half the secondary. The extra lineman helps build those options.

The fourth quarter supplied perhaps the clearest evidence of how much Head Coach Mike McCarthy trusted the package. With Pittsburgh protecting a six-point lead, Anderson reported as eligible when Dowdle ripped off a 16-yard run to begin the final possession. He stayed involved as the Steelers moved methodically into New Orleans territory, including a five-yard Dowdle run on second-and-4. The clock kept bleeding, and the Saints never got the ball back.

That ending also revealed the limit. With Anderson eligible on third-and-3 at the Saints' 19, Warren was stopped for no gain. Defensive offside on the subsequent field-goal attempt gave Pittsburgh fresh downs and let Rodgers kneel out the victory. The six-lineman look is useful enough to keep, but it doesn't turn short yardage into an automatic first down.

Steelers Should Make The Extra Lineman A Weekly Problem

Here's the case for McCarthy giving Anderson this assignment more often: Pittsburgh finally has something physical it can return to without waiting for a perfect matchup. Darnell Washington can add more size to heavy sets, while Warren and Dowdle have shown they can recognize openings and finish runs. Defenses may know what's coming. They still have to stop the blocking and tackle the ballcarrier.

The Steelers shouldn't confuse a productive running day with a solved offense. They rushed for 148 net yards and scored just one touchdown, with Chris Boswell supplying three field goals. The package can extend drives and control the clock; McCarthy still has to figure out how to turn that possession advantage into seven points more often.

For a team that's spent weeks searching for a reliable identity, Paris offered a pretty useful reminder from its own recent past. McCormick liked seeing Anderson back in the huddle, and the results gave him reason. The extra lineman didn't fix everything. He made enough of the difficult stuff easier that leaving the package on the shelf again would be harder to explain.

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