Behind the Steel Curtain on Rico Dowdle

Dowdle's 86 scrimmage yards and back-to-back 15-plus-yard runs signal he's becoming the sidekick Warren needed.

Dowdle has emerged as a legitimate change-of-pace back in the Steelers' 60-40 touch split with Warren. In his best game yet as a Steeler, he totaled 86 yards from scrimmage with six catches and averaged 4.6 yards per carry. He's produced runs of 15-plus yards in consecutive games. The Steelers have shifted their run-calling scheme from 60% zone concepts in Weeks 1-2 to a near 50-50 zone-versus-gap split by Week 7, with duo concepts now called on roughly 35% of runs—a shift that better fits Dowdle's skill set. The Steelers are 3-1 in games where both running backs have been active, suggesting the committee approach is working.

Rico DowdleRB · PITPlayer page — value, ADP, projections, and every insight