There was plenty of chatter about blocking in the Pittsburgh Steelers' locker room this week leading up to their matchup against the rival Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday at Acrisure Stadium.
Running back Jaylen Warren, days after criticizing teammate George Pickens for failing to block on a potential touchdown run last week, backed up his words by flattening Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt in the second quarter.
And yes, the play resulted in six points—all thanks to Warren’s gutsy block.
Watch the block from Jaylen Warren on the touchdown. 😳
— NFL (@NFL) December 23, 2023
📺: #CINvsPIT on NBC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/yewPow3ekF pic.twitter.com/dIJqVQx4uB
“It is what it is,” Warren said earlier this week about Pickens’ lack of effort to block. “At the end of the day, [Pickens] was doing what he thought was best for him. Some people play the game differently. If I was in that position, I would have blocked for him. But we play differently.”
Warren was in that position Saturday. And he did, indeed, pave the way for Calvin Austin III’s seven-yard touchdown scamper.
Fans applauded Warren for walking the walk after talking the talk this week:
This block by Jaylen Warren is WILD
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) December 23, 2023
He wasn’t lying when he said he would block for George Pickens 😳
pic.twitter.com/V4aG8TDWcM
“I would have blocked for him.”
— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) December 23, 2023
-Jaylen Warren
CC: George Pickens
pic.twitter.com/0VJZLhEmG5
Jaylen Warren said he would block for his receivers and just put on a clinic of putting his man on his back.
— Rich Eisen (@richeisen) December 23, 2023
Watch Jaylen Warren blow up a Bengal with block. A week after not getting one from Pickens at the goal line. What a team player. Love this guy. pic.twitter.com/vxJFiqclCj
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) December 23, 2023
Jaylen Warren taking "I'd block for him" to a whole other level on that Calvin Austin TD
— Jenna Harner (@JennaHarner11) December 23, 2023
Jaylen Warren would have definitely blocked for George Pickens.
— Jeff Bell (@4WhomJBellTolls) December 23, 2023
pic.twitter.com/kKw1bVsqq8
