Steelers RB Jaylen Warren knew Saints sucked at run defense, so he ran it down their throats

The Pittsburgh Steelers had running back Rico Dowdle available to play for their NFL Paris Game against the New Orleans Saints. As a result, they were able to effectively execute their gameplan of utilizing their ground game.

Steelers running back Jaylen Warren confirmed that the Steelers' strategy was as simple as them taking advantage of the Saints' shortcoming .

"We knew what we know about them. So we wanted to use our strengths against their weaknesses," Warren said.

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The Steelers finished with 148 rushing yards against the Saints, which is a season-high. Warren was responsible for 101 of those yards on 18 carries, which were a season-high. Meanwhile, Dowdle got 41 yards on nine carries.

Whether it's basic stats or advanced analytics , the numbers show that the Saints just aren't a very good run defense. That was on display against the Steelers, who were smart to keep things simple and just attack that soft spot in New Orleans' armor.

With Dowdle back to form a two-headed monster with Warren in the backfield, the Steelers have the potential to be a potent running attack. Warren is having a fantastic season to date , with 561 rushing yards on 5.5 yards per carry. He's also been brilliant as a pass catcher, with 294 yards on 24 catches.

As Dowdle has shown in his back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers, he is capable of being a reliable featured back. If he can pick up more carries while Warren continues to be a dual-threat running back, the Steelers' backfield figures to be a major strength moving forward.