Steelers' Mike McCarthy Keeps Trying To Get 1 Valuable Player As Many Reps As Possible

The Pittsburgh Steelers have figured out how to run the ball very effectively and efficiently, which is bad news for the rest of the NFL. Jaylen Warren has established himself as a high-end running back that can wreck the game by himself if he needs to. After a rough start to the season and a dislocated toe, Rico Dowdle has looked very serviceable when given the chance to run as well. Those two create a very nice one-two punch that forces opposing defenses to focus on them, even in likely passing situations.

In Week 7, that duo combined for 27 touches for 223 of Pittsburgh's 343 total yards on the day. It's very clear that the offense runs through the backs, as that's where the majority of their sustained drives come from. Even with that obvious fact, opposing defenses are having a hard time slowing them down. When you can run the ball when everyone knows what you're doing, including in these jumbo sets, you can beat any team. 

Head Coach Mike McCarthy knows that that is the strength of his offense, and he has adapted accordingly. In fact, Warren and Dowdle aren't the only players that he's looking to utilize more with this run-heavy scheme, as he spoke about in his typical McCarthy Monday press conference.

"Spencer [Anderson], I was so impressed with him, and he was a big part about the discussion of what we were trying to forecast him for where we thought he could play..." McCarthy said. "When you have someone like Spencer who has unique talents, it gives you such great versatility, but in fairness to him, I wanted to give him a chance to compete for a job. That's why we started the way we did, with him at right guard, and then he had the injury."

Throughout his time in Pittsburgh, Spencer Anderson has played in numerous positions, and he has played them well for the most part. It became clear early on that McCarthy wanted him to be his starting right guard, but he struggled there in the first two weeks. It was later discovered that he had a broken bone in his leg, so that likely impacted his play a lot. He seems to have recovered from it, which led to his sub-package getting used in Week 7. 

McCarthy continued on and praised Anderson for what he brings to the team, as he mentioned how he wants to see a lot more of him in future games.

"He carries a lot of value on our football team, especially up front, and it's important for us to continue to create opportunities for him," McCarthy said.

For the first time in 2026, the Steelers utilized their ultra-jumbo set with Anderson lined up as the swing tackle like he did a lot in 2025. That was as effective as it was in the previous year, with opposing defenses struggling to fight through the extra gaps that he and Darnell Washington create. Until these defenses can figure out how to stop it, McCarthy should keep spamming these jumbo-set plays and terrorizing the opposing front seven.

Based on McCarthy's comments, as well as all the injuries at wide receiver, it's safe to assume that the Steelers will continue to run Anderson's sub-package in the near future. He played well overall against the New Orleans Saints, and it looks like his leg isn't a major issue anymore. Warren and Dowdle most likely appreciate the extra blocking that they get on those plays.

Steelers Won't Move Anderson Back To Starting Lineup Barring Injury

Even with McCarthy's love for what Anderson brings to the team, Brock Hoffman has done a respectable job while taking over at right guard. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, and this offensive line is not nearly as broken as it seemed in Week 2. It would be nice to have the former seventh-round pick start again and see how he fares now that he's healthy, but it's also great to have him as the sixth offensive lineman.

What do you think about McCarthy praising Anderson after his Week 7 return? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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