The league said Wednesday that Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren had won its weekly offensive honor covering Week 5. The recognition followed a Sunday game in which Warren gained a career-high 188 yards from scrimmage, including 101 rushing and 87 receiving, and scored two touchdowns against the Indianapolis Colts, NBC Sports reported.
Reports differ on the final score. SB Nation reported that the Steelers won 34-22 at Acrisure Stadium, while Sportsnet Pittsburgh gave the score as 30-23. SB Nation also reported that the win moved Pittsburgh to 3-2 on the season.
The honor marks the first such recognition of Warren’s career, according to SB Nation. Sportsnet Pittsburgh described it as the first NFL award of his pro career and said the honor was well earned.
A big day in the run game and passing game
NBC Sports reported that league notes show Warren is the sixth player ever to combine a catch of 80 or more yards for a touchdown with a rushing touchdown of 50 or more yards in one game. He is the first to do so in 40 seasons. Earlier players to reach that mark include Brown, Sayers, Walker and Williams, along with Harmon Wages.
SB Nation reported that both of the Steelers’ long touchdown plays, one covering 80 yards and the other 50, came from Warren. Steelers Wire reported that defensive tackle Cameron Heyward credited the team’s blocking and execution for opening those plays.
An undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma State, Warren has become a steady part of Pittsburgh’s backfield alongside Najee Harris and Rico Dowdle, Steelers Wire reported. SB Nation reported that Warren averaged 5.9 yards per carry through the first five games and ranked third in the NFL in scrimmage yards at that point, behind Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson.
Sportsnet Pittsburgh also reported that Patriots quarterback Drake Maye threw for 374 yards and totaled five touchdowns in New England’s win over the Raiders, a performance the outlet said made a case for him to win the award as well.
Franchise history and what comes next
NBC Sports and SB Nation reported that Warren is the first Steelers player to win a weekly offensive honor in years, with the last one going to Ben Roethlisberger in Week 10. NBC Sports placed that honor in the 2020 season, while Sportsnet Pittsburgh cited 2010. The reports do not settle the year.
The Steelers play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road in Week 6, NBC Sports reported. SB Nation reported that Dowdle is expected back from injury and that Warren is likely to keep a feature role. The reports do not say whether Warren can sustain this level of production or how Dowdle’s return will change his workload.
