Mike Tomlin Played Coy When Asked About Steelers’ Use of Running Backs in Week 1

Kenneth Gainwell finished Sunday’s game with seven carries. Was it a one-off? Or a sign of things to come?

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin wasn’t going to get into the details of his depth chart right after a win. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

There was plenty of emotion poured into Sunday’s game between the Steelers and the Jets, with quarterback Aaron Rodgers making his debut against his former team.

But when the dust settled and the emotions cooled, Pittsburgh left Week 1 with a win, and that’s the only thing that matters.

There was plenty to talk about with Rodgers’s debut performance with the Steelers—the four-time MVP finished the game with 244 passing yards and four touchdowns—but there was another aspect of the Pittsburgh offensive game plan that raised some eyebrows after the game.

The Steelers finished the game with 20 rushing attempts. Those carries were split amongst the team’s three running backs—Jaylen Warren had 11, Kenneth Gainwell had seven, and rookie Kaleb Johnson had one (plus one scramble from Rodgers).

Gainwell’s numbers pop off the box score a bit, as many hoped that Johnson would be more heavily involved in the offense. Rookie running backs are often able to contribute from Day 1 in the NFL, and the Steelers spent a third-round pick on Johnson.

Tomlin was asked about the somewhat curious split after the game, but was having absolutely none of it.

“We played to win today,” Tomlin told reporters. “I’m not going to stand up here and break down the distribution of reps for you guys week in and week out. I’m not into that.”

Totally fair play by Tomlin, but there are plenty of fans (and fantasy football enthusiasts) who are mighty curious as to what the plan is for the Steelers’ backfield. For what it’s worth, all three of the backs were relatively ineffective on Sunday, with Warren leading the way with an average 3.4 yards per carry.

Given the collective struggle of the Pittsburgh rushing attack, there’s plenty of room for things to shake up over the next week. That said, it’s also entirely possible that this was a one-off, and Johnson will work his way into the a heavier role in the offense week by week.

Either way, Tomlin isn’t telling us about it.

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