Steelers mid-season awards: Jaylen Warren voted Offensive Player of the Year
Behind the Steel Curtain's staff named Jaylen Warren the Steelers' mid-season Offensive Player of the Year as 6-2 Pittsburgh heads to Cincinnati.
Jaylen Warren has won another vote. Six writers at Behind the Steel Curtain, SB Nation's Steelers site, picked a mid-season Offensive Player of the Year, and four of them chose the running back. The panel had already been weighing him for team MVP, and this ballot confirms how much of the 6-2 Pittsburgh Steelers offense now runs through him. Yahoo Sports also carried the piece.
The case the voters made rests on more than carries. Ryland Bickley pointed out that Warren ranks third in the NFL in yards from scrimmage and is on pace for close to 1,500 rushing yards. He is also second on the team in receiving yards, and he is averaging more yards per catch than DK Metcalf. Jason Aponte added that Warren has stayed efficient even in games where Rico Dowdle cuts into his touches. Ryan Parish said Warren is clearly the best skill player on the roster and expected him to win the vote unanimously.
The vote was not unanimous, though, and the two dissents say something about where this offense gets its stability. Austin Bechtold chose Aaron Rodgers. The 42-year-old quarterback has thrown for 1,871 yards and 13 touchdowns in eight games under Mike McCarthy. Bechtold argued that five of Rodgers' six interceptions came on tipped balls, drops or hits on his throwing arm. Jarrett Bailey gave his vote to center Zach Frazier, calling him "the game's best center" and saying the run game would not work without him. Bechtold also praised Frazier and rookie tackle Max Iheanachor for their play up front. The site said its Defensive Player of the Year pick comes Wednesday.
What it means for Cincinnati
The honors come as Pittsburgh plays its best football of the season. The Steelers have won four straight. Over the last two weeks they beat Cleveland 27-6 and New Orleans 16-10, allowing 16 points across both games. Their only losses were 20-3 at New England and 27-24 at Cleveland. Through eight games they have outscored opponents 180-144. Next up is Sunday night at Cincinnati on NBC, and Behind the Steel Curtain notes that the AFC North lead is at stake for a second straight week. Pittsburgh won the first meeting 30-27 at home.
Even with that result, the board for the game has the Bengals favored. Cincinnati is -186 on the moneyline at Novig, and the best price anywhere is -180 at DraftKings. The Steelers are +178 at Novig. On the spread, Cincinnati is favored by 3.5 points. Novig has the Bengals at -106 and the Steelers at +102, and Pinnacle's -104 is the best Bengals price available. The total is 48.5, with Novig at -102 on the over and -100 on the under. The 11 venues are close together, with sportsbook hold between 3.2% and 5.1% on the moneyline and between 2.9% and 4.8% on the spread.
The matchup sets up as a test of Warren and Frazier. The run game that earned them votes has carried Pittsburgh through a month of low-scoring wins, and a total in the high 40s means the Steelers may need more scoring than that on the road.