Texans' DeMeco Ryans Sounds Alarm on Steelers RBs Before Wild Card

The Houston Texans' elite defense has seen it all throughout the course of their dominant 2025 campaign, now rolling into their Wild Card matchup against Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers for their latest test.

However, in the midst of taking on the challenge that is the future Hall of Fame quarterback, as well as Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf who returns from a two-game suspension this week, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans also sees some major potency in what Pittsburgh has to offer on the ground.

Leading up to Houston's playoff matchup, Ryans broke down a bit of what he's seen from the Steelers and their offense on film, where of all areas to highlight, he centered in on their duo of rushers in the backfield, Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell, who he sees as major threats for the Texans to be up against.

“When you first pop on the film watching the Steelers, the thing that jumps out is their running back position," Ryans said during his post-practice presser.

"They have two guys — [Jaylen] Warren, who, you watch him run the football, it’s really impressive... He’s a small guy, but he’s tough, physical, and runs it really well. [Kenneth] Gainwell, another receiver that steps in, and he's done a really good job running the football."

DeMeco Ryans Focused on Keeping Steelers' Run Game in Check

The Steelers' rushing offense, compared to the rest of the NFL, doesn't exactly jump off the page statistically. Pittsburgh ranks in the bottom 10 of the NFL for total rushing yards this season (1,756), and sits in the middle of the pack for total rushing touchdowns (16).

Yet, they've also logged over 100 total yards on the ground through their past four regular-season games, and with the way Warren and Gainwell are involved in the passing game, combining for over 800 receiving yards on the season, this backfield is one that can't be overlooked.

It's a combination of the Steelers' unique offensive game plan to get their running backs in the right situations, paired alongside the talent that both Warren and Gainwell have that makes them an intriguing and versatile tandem in the backfield–– one that Ryans will keep a keen eye on, especially for what they do as playmakers with the ball in their hands.

"But the thing where they really make plays is, both backs—whichever guy is in— is what they do with the ball in their hands once it’s out," Ryans said. “Aaron [Rodgers] has done a great job of not putting the ball down or making bad plays. He gets it to his checkdown quickly, and those guys make some productive plays catching the ball behind the line of scrimmage.”

Jan 4, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell (14)reacts after rushing for a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens during the second half at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

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"They make a lot of people miss tackles; they both have great contact balance. They have the speed, toughness, and physicality to gain yards after the catch. They’re top of the league in receiving yards after the catch, so it’ll be a tough challenge to get these guys on the ground. It’s going to take everybody—our D-line coming out of the stack and our second-level guys really securing tackles as best we can.”

The Texans, ranked as the NFL's fourth-best run defense and a top-five unit all season, should be just as well-equipped as anybody to take on that challenge, and with Ryan’s laser focus on their backfield, keeping the ground game in check should remain at the top of mind from start to finish come time for MNF.

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