Jaylen Warren — Week 2: Twenty-Six Yards to the Four
2026 NFL Season · Half-PPR Scoring · Monday, Sep 21
Warren carried 11 times for 43 yards and caught two of four targets for 34, including a 26-yard catch to the New England 4 with 6:24 left, Pittsburgh's longest play from scrimmage. The next two snaps were a 13-yard sack and an interception. He took 11 of the Steelers' 21 designed runs to Rico Dowdle's seven, in a 20–3 loss to the Patriots.
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20 to three, Patriots, six 24 left in the fourth quarter, first and 10 at the New England 30. Aaron Rodgers threw short middle to Jaylen Warren, who caught it a yard behind the line of scrimmage and took it 26 yards to the New England four. +2.0 expected points added — expected points added is what a play was worth given down, distance and field position — and the longest play from scrimmage Pittsburgh ran all afternoon. It was also as close as the Steelers got to the end zone. The next snap was a 13-yard sack, the one after it an interception, and a drive that had started at the Pittsburgh eight ended with no points. Warren had three of that drive's gains: 10 yards around right end on second and one, eight on a short catch, and the 26.
The line: 11 carries, 43 yards, no touchdown, one first down, three of the 11 successful, −2.2 expected points on the carries; four targets, two catches, 34 yards, one first down, and the four throws came out almost exactly even in expected points. The carries went four, one, three, three, three, two, eight, five, −1, 10, five. Six before halftime for 16 yards, five after for 27. His one third-down carry was third and four at the Pittsburgh 36 with 12 50 left in the second quarter, left end for three, a yard short; Pittsburgh went for it and Pat Freiermuth converted on a direct snap. His one third-down target was third and six at the New England 39 with four 18 left in the first, incomplete, and Chris Boswell missed from 57 on the next snap. Both incompletions came in the first quarter; both catches came on the long fourth-quarter drive. He did not touch the ball inside the New England 20, because Pittsburgh ran two snaps there all day and they were the sack and the interception.
Pittsburgh's 21 designed runs went 11 to Warren, seven to Rico Dowdle, two to Travis Homer and one to Freiermuth, against 44 pass plays. Dowdle's last carry came with nine 54 left in the third quarter, and the four running back carries after it were all Warren's. Four targets put him fifth on the team, behind DK Metcalf's nine, Germie Bernard's eight, Roman Wilson's six and Freiermuth's five.
Back in June the preview's read on Warren was a career year, sixteenth among running backs, followed by the Steelers signing Rico Dowdle — with the carry split called the entire bet and the receiving role called the part that survives a committee. Week 1 was 10 carries to Dowdle's eight, six targets, and a lost fumble that led to an Atlanta touchdown. Sunday was 11 to seven, and the receiving role produced the offense's longest play. Two games, 21 carries to 15: the split leans his way and it is still a split, and neither back has a touchdown. Pittsburgh is home to the Bengals on Sunday the 20-seventh.
_Data via nflverse._
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