Steelers Lose Rico Dowdle Vs Bengals, Warren Questionable

Friday's injury report was bad news for Pittsburgh. Rico Dowdle is officially out for the Week 3 game against Cincinnati after missing practice with a toe injury, and his backfield partner Jaylen Warren is carrying a questionable tag for a shoulder problem. Of the 2 running backs Pittsburgh had planned to split the work, 1 is definitely out and the other isn't guaranteed to play.

Adam Schefter

@AdamSchefter

Steelers ruled out RB Rico Dowdle for Sunday’s game vs. the Bengals due to his toe injury. RB Jaylen Warren is questionable for Sunday due ti his shoulder injury.

This isn't a surprise to anyone who watched the injury reports this week. Dowdle missed 2 practices before the team made it official, and Warren was limited for 3 straight days. The shoulder issue means everyone will be checking Warren's status until the inactive list comes out Sunday morning. That list drops around 11:30 a.m. ET, ahead of a 1:00 p.m. kickoff.

The Dowdle news was confirmed within minutes on both of the big NFL news feeds, so there's no reading between the lines here. He's out.

Ian Rapoport

@RapSheet

Injury updates: -- The #Steelers have ruled out RB Rico Dowdle (toe). -- The #Texans have ruled out WR Nico Collins (hamstring).

The best news for Steelers fans is that Warren looks like he'll suit up. Running backs coach Ramon Chinyoung suggested Friday that Warren will play despite the questionable tag. If he does, he'll probably get his heaviest workload of the season, and he could get close to his first 20-carry game while also picking up more targets in the passing game with Dowdle sidelined.

Behind Warren, things get thin fast. Veteran Travis Homer is expected to be elevated from the practice squad after making his season debut last weekend. Seventh-round rookie Eli Heidenreich has only played special teams and hasn't taken an offensive snap this season. Second-year back Lew Nichols, who stood out in the preseason and just missed the 53-man roster, is the other practice squad option. That's not a group you want carrying a divisional game.

The timing is bad because the run game was already in trouble. Pittsburgh has only 149 rushing yards and 0 rushing touchdowns through 2 games, and that was with Dowdle healthy. Losing him doesn't just cost a body. It also takes away one of the few pieces that was supposed to fix the problem.

For anyone betting Sunday's rushing props, keep it simple. If Warren is active, he's the guy, and his volume should go up. If his shoulder keeps him out, it's a committee of Homer and whoever else gets elevated, and nobody should feel good about betting on that. Wait for the inactives before you lock anything in.