McFarland gets his turn
I’ve lamented about the Steelers rushing attack quite a bit recently. I was against the idea of James Conner resuming the role of lead back last week, and it seemed like a correct call as he had an abysmal day until he broke off a 59-yard run at the end of the game. That said, my call to run Benny Snell was also a mistake, as his fumbling issue reared its head once again. There are more question marks than answers here, and that murkiness is why the Steelers need to get Anthony McFarland involved.
The fourth-round pick has yet to see a snap, but in this week three matchup, his time could finally be upon us. Known for his speed and ability to turn any run into a long one, the Steelers could use his burst right now to liven up their running game. While fans should expect to see him sooner than later, my prediction is that it is his turn to lead the Steelers in rushing. This won’t be due to him getting more opportunities than the other backs, but it’ll be because he can and should bust off some big runs.
My prediction: McFarland takes his first run 75-yards to the house. Despite only receiving four carries on the day, he logs close to 100 rushing yards. That should be more than enough to outpace either Conner or Snell. Giving McFarland rushes doesn’t mean giving up on the other backs, it means the team is trying to infuse some more speed in this stagnate running game.