The Pittsburgh Steelers have to figure some things out in the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals. After scoring the first 10 points of the game, they have surrendered 17 straight points to fall behind 17-10 at the half. The Steelers’ offense has been pretty solid, but has been plagued by a couple of turnovers. RB Kenneth Gainwell wasn’t much of a factor in the first half.
What Happened to Kenneth Gainwell?
Gainwell has been very quiet in the first half of Week 7. He’s not injured, but is not getting many carries. He’s shown flashes of being a great weapon for the Steelers throughout the first six weeks of the season.
In Jaylen Warren’s absence, he was tremendous, but with Warren back, he hasn’t been much of a factor.
At the half:
– Jonnu Smith 5 tgt/3 rec/ 28 yds
– Darnell Washington 0/0/0 (is getting good snaps tho)– Jaylen Warren 8 att/45 yds
– Kenneth Gainwell 3 att/14 yds https://t.co/pyDpFLvnIO— JSleeprStats (@JSleeprStats) October 17, 2025
Gainwell only had three carries for 14 yards in the first half. He does have two catches, but only one yard to show for those two receptions. The workload from Gainwell is more likely what is expected of him for the rest of the season as long as Warren remains healthy. But Gainwell has shown that he can produce when given the volume.
The Steelers could look to get Gainwell more involved in the second half as they look to mount a comeback against their rival. He has only five combined touches in Week 7, but has been effective throughout the early stages of the season. Getting him the ball might offer the jolt that they need to get back in the game.
Gainwell is the 30th-ranked running back in the league based on PFSN’s Running Back Impact metric. Despite being a running back who doesn’t get the volume of a starter, it is great that Gainwell ranks in the top 32. He’s proven himself as a great weapon in spurts, and the metric reflects that. He was a key backup in Philadelphia over the last few seasons and was rewarded with a Super Bowl championship last season.
The Steelers themselves have Super Bowl aspirations in 2025. With future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers at the helm, Pittsburgh is looking to end its playoff woes and win games.
They are 4-1 and atop the AFC North. The Bengals are the closest team at 2-4, so a comeback win could see Pittsburgh start to close in on a division title a lot earlier than many would have expected. Beating the Bengals could put a dagger in Cincinnati’s season and get the Steelers to 5-1, who can then set their eyes on potentially being the No. 1 seed in the AFC.