5 Steelers to watch as they face the Bengals on Monday Night Football
By Tommy Jaggi
James Conner
I’ll have to admit, even with the loss of brilliant offensive line coach, Mike Munchak, this offseason, I was not expecting such a lackluster start for James Conner in 2019.
The 2018 Pro Bowl running back has just 97 total rushing yards on the season, and is averaging a dismal 2.9 yards per carry. The Steelers run game has been non-existent, and it is making it hard for the offense to get rolling.
Conner isn’t the only one to blame. Pittsburgh’s offensive line has looked worse than it has in six years, and they aren’t doing much to help out in the run game. This will be a big test for Conner. If he can’t eat up a lot of ground against the Bengals defense, he could be in for a very long season.
James Washington
The Steelers are looking for another weapon to step up on offense, and James Washington has a chance to be that guy. Washington played a whopping 92 percent of snaps in week three against the San Francisco 49ers, however, he earned just 2 receptions for 14 yards on 5 targets.
It was a bad day all-around for the Steelers offense in week 3, so I expect Washington to have a better game against the Bengals. If he can live up to his 2nd round draft status, the Steelers offense may be able to find a grove this season after all.