Steelers still have hope for a winning season

The Steelers running game finally gets on track and breaks through with a big game

The Steelers needed every yard of the 158 yards which the run game produced to get a win against the Dolphins. Leading the way in the run game was James Conner.  On a night where his team needed for him to have a big game, Conner delivered with 145 yards rushing, 5 yards receiving and one rushing TD.

It took until the seventh game of the season for the running game to come alive, but it finally did come alive and I am thrilled to have seen it unfold. I don’t think it’s any secret that the success in the run game came about as a result of the return of Roosevelt Nix.

Having played in only one game before the contest against the Dolphins, Nix provided a much-needed spark that ignited the running game.  It was good to see him back on the field; the reality is the Steelers offense needed a shot in the arm and we got it from Nix.

I would be remiss if I did not give kudos to the offensive line.  The Steelers would not have been able to sustain drives and rush for 158 yards were it not for the guys up front. We won the time of possession battle which was critical in this game and will be a critical area to win moving forward.

Despite allowing two sacks, the O-line has surrendered only seven sacks on the season, according to the official website of the NFL. Through seven games, the aforementioned seven sacks are the fewest allowed in the NFL. The O-line has also allowed 20 QB hits, which is second-best in the NFL.

Although the Steelers offense can be classified as a work in progress as evidenced by its 28th ranking in yards per game, it was good to see the running game look like the running game fans to which fans have become accustomed.

Let’s take a look at how we performed on defense.