The Pittsburgh Steelers finally found some offensive consistency in Week 3, and two of the biggest contributors were recognized by Pro Football Focus.
Running back Jaylen Warren and guard Brock Hoffman were both named to PFF's Week 3 Team of the Week after helping Pittsburgh defeat the Cincinnati Bengals 30-27 at Acrisure Stadium.
For Warren, it was the first time this season he received a true RB1 workload in the Steelers' backfield. With Rico Dowdle sidelined by a toe injury, Warren was given the opportunity to take control of the running game, and he took full advantage.
Warren finished the afternoon with 17 carries for 127 yards (7.5 YPC) while adding three receptions for 49 yards. He also had a long run negated by a questionable hold call on DK Metcalf . His 176 total yards from scrimmage helped spark Pittsburgh's best offensive performance of the young season.
After entering Week 3 with only 89 rushing yards through the first two games, Warren more than doubled that total against Cincinnati. He consistently created explosive plays and gave the Steelers an element in the running game that had been missing through the opening two weeks.
Hoffman, meanwhile, made his first start for the Steelers after signing with the team during the offseason. He was credited with 0 pressures, 0 sacks, 0 QB hits allowed, and 0 penalties while posting a 90 pass grade and a 67.8 run block grade for an overall grade of 76.9, according to PFF. Pittsburgh made a significant change along the right side of its offensive line, moving Hoffman into the starting lineup at right guard alongside rookie first round pick Max Iheanachor at right tackle, who was also making his NFL regular-season debut. The move immediately paid dividends, with Pittsburgh producing a much stronger offensive performance against Cincinnati then they had the first two weeks of the season.
The 27-year-old Hoffman arrived in Pittsburgh after spending the first four seasons of his career with the Dallas Cowboys . He had started 16 games in Dallas and brought experience at both guard spots and center to the Steelers' offensive line.
Hoffman signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with Pittsburgh this offseason. The deal includes $750,000 in fully guaranteed money.
His first start gave Pittsburgh another option on an offensive line that had struggled to find consistency early in the season. Hoffman helped provide a cleaner environment for Aaron Rodgers while the Steelers' rushing attack also took a major step forward.
For Warren, the performance showed what he can provide when given the opportunity to handle the majority of the workload. For Hoffman, it was an impressive debut in the starting lineup and something to build off of.
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