Steelers Have Found Their X-Factor in Kenneth Gainwell, and He’s Making Plays
When the Pittsburgh Steelers, particularly head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, were effusive in their praise of veteran running back Kenneth Gainwell throughout the offseason and training camp, it was hard to truly believe what they were saying.
After all, the offseason and training camp are troupe season, when things are said that might be a bit of an exaggeration to drum up interest.
But when those two talked about Kenneth Gainwell, what he brought to the table, why the Steelers pursued him so aggressively in free agency, and what type of role he was going to have in the offense, maybe we all should have listened.
Because the actions of the Steelers with Gainwell have spoken far louder and rang truer than the words those two said about the veteran running back. Through 11 games, Gainwell has gone from a guy expected to be RB2 in Pittsburgh, into arguably one of the three or four most important offensive weapons on the roster.
Gainwell is tied for the team lead in receptions with 42 and has five touchdowns on the season. He’s playing just under 47% of the offensive snaps, too, and is becoming a bigger and bigger focal point in the scheme under Smith.
That continued Sunday in Chicago. Even with Jaylen Warren cleared to play and a full go late in the week of preparation after suffering an ankle injury against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11, Gainwell played 37 snaps to Warren’s 36, and had 16 touches to Warren’s 18.
It wasn’t expected to be a true 50/50 split in the backfield between Warren and Gainwell, but that’s where things stand. Gainwell is forcing the Steelers’ hand, and he did it again on Sunday.
Let’s dive into the film room.
As a runner, Kenneth Gainwell had a very productive day. Though the 55-yard run on the fake tush push was nearly a triple-explosive play, he did more as a runner outside of that huge momentum-swinging play.
Kenneth Gainwell had the first touch of the day, and it was a nice 9-yard run on a windback counter, a play the Steelers have had a lot of success on in recent years.
Following the block by tight end Pat Freiermuth, Gainwell picked his way downfield and finished the run by falling forward. His vision has been pretty good this season. Granted, it was a monster hole, but he’s been a decisive runner, puts his foot in the ground and takes what’s there. He’s not trying to hit the home run on every touch and knows there are hidden yards in just taking what’s available, rather than trying to dance and hit the home run.
More on that later.
I like how Gainwell is very decisive. He knows his strengths and weaknesses. He’s not going to be able to stretch runs and try to turn the corner consistently, and he’s not a power back between the tackles. But when he’s called upon to run between the tackles, he’s efficient.
Good job of getting his left foot in the ground and exploding vertically, following center Zach Frazier north. It’s a nice 5-yard run, putting the Steelers in a very good 3rd-and-short situation, keeping Pittsburgh in rhythm and ahead of schedule in the run game.
I liked how the Steelers used some designed, delayed runs with Kenneth Gainwell against the Bears. They can afford to do that because there’s a trust in him to work north/south.
He’s not going to dance and try to make defenders miss in every instance. This was a good example of that. He can see the unblocked defender coming free, and you can see how quickly Gainwell makes his decision, planting his foot, putting his head down and firing through the middle of the offensive line.
No time to waste, just take what’s there. It turns into an 8-yard gain.
It’s not just his work as a runner, though. The Steelers are making it a point of emphasis to get him the ball as a receiver, too. They did that against the Bengals in Week 11, resulting in 7 receptions for 81 yards and 2 touchdowns. He then had six receptions for 30 yards against the Bears, and it’s clear Chicago was worried about him as a pass catcher.
They have run a variation of this look before, particularly against the Bengals, and had great success with it. This time, they used Spencer Anderson in the jumbo package as the lead blocker on the swing route.
Anderson does a great job getting out in front, but it’s another example of Kenneth Gainwell taking what’s there, not trying to do too much, and picking up the hidden yardage. It might not look like much, but the finish on this play, staying to the outside and just getting upfield, was huge on a scoring drive.
Later on in the game, the Bears were very cognizant of Gainwell as a receiver. With DK Metcalf being the true No. 1 weapon for the Steelers and a guy that Pittsburgh has been trying to get involved, especially in the red zone, you’d think teams would put a significant emphasis on covering Metcalf, especially on the crosser. Here, though, the Bears passed off Metcalf on the crosser over the middle, and the linebacker was more worried about Gainwell coming out of the backfield.
Fittingly, Mason Rudolph threw to Gainwell rather than taking what appeared to be the open Metcalf on the crosser. That speaks volumes to how the quarterback room feels about Gainwell, though. Metcalf appeared to have more room and looked to be the No. 1 option in the sort of mesh concept with Gainwell.
Instead of giving Metcalf a chance on the move with space in the red zone, Rudolph threw it to Gainwell. That shows the trust and belief in the running back that the quarterbacks and the offense in general have in the free-agent acquisition.
It went for just 5 yards, but it was a telling decision from Rudolph.
It shows just how far Kenneth Gainwell has come this season, and how he’s embraced the opportunity and taken advantage, going from a backup running back and kick returner into one of the most valuable offensive weapons on the roster, potentially carving out a long-term home in the Steel City in the process.
49ers Get Blunt Message From Stephen A. Smith
The San Francisco 49ers are coming off a Week 12 win over the Carolina Panthers. However, that victory didn’t pass the eye test for one person, who doesn’t see the Niners being the team to come out of the NFC to represent the conference in the Super Bowl.
49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was at the center of the 20-6 ugly win over the Panthers on November 24. Moreover, with the game being on “Monday Night Football,” it was obviously drawing national NFL media attention.
Despite the win, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith didn’t hold back on his thoughts regarding whether he sees the Niners being the team that wins the NFC this 2025 NFL season.
“There [are] too many good teams in the NFC that think that this version of the San Francisco 49ers could come out of the NFC,” Smith said on the November 25 edition of “First Take.” “Brock Purdy [has] got seven interceptions and eight touchdowns in his four starts.
“He has not been impressive, all right? So we got to get that. The three interceptions that he threw all for 20 yards or more— a lot of air under the ball, no zip. You don’t see him with a rifle of an arm, so we got to take that into consideration.”
The 49ers Might Be Leaning Too Much on Christian McCaffrey
Moreover, Smith points out that the 49ers’ over-reliance on Christian McCaffrey is a significant issue, considering that if the star running back goes down with an injury, what will that do to the offense?
“There’s but so much reliance that you could put on a Christian McCaffrey and a George Kittle,“ Smith added. “I know how [49ers head coach] Kyle Shanahan can call the game; I know he can coach the game or what have you. They’re a good team, they’re a respectable team, but you’re talking about two cornerstones of their franchise, two elite defensive players that are. They do seem a bit softer; they don’t seem as hardcore as they’ve been in the past defensively.
“Christian McCaffrey can only do so much; that’s an injury waiting to happen the more you put the ball in the sense. We know how electrifying he is when he’s on the field, 142 yards from scrimage last night, just another display of his greatness. But durability is a question mark; the more you have to depend on him, the more trouble that you’re in.”
49ers QB Brock Purdy Faces Criticism
Smith isn’t the only person criticizing the 49ers for their performance against the Panthers. FOX Sports’ Colin Cowherd didn’t hold back, saying he doesn’t believe Purdy can guide the team to a championship.
“Brock Purdy’s last 20 starts: 30 touchdowns, 19 interceptions, passer rating that’s equal to Tua,“ Cowherd said in a video published on November 25. “And what did I always call Brock Purdy? A right-handed Tua. A little mobility, not a big arm, [and] a little injury prone. Tua, don’t trust them in cold weather. Brock Purdy [has] had ball security issues in wet weather. It’s the same guy. It really is.
“I think Tua throws a more accurate ball consistently. I think Purdy’s a little bit better athlete and a much more aggressive thrower of the football. But in the last move off people because you’re paying Purdy and other people now, Brock Purdy is a mid-90 passer rating guy with injuries. That’s what he is. Don’t shoot the messenger. That’s what he is right now.”
