3 reasons the Steelers need to get Anthony McFarland Jr. more involved

The Pittsburgh Steelers got an early bye in Week 4. The run game and time of possession battle will be crucial to their success throughout the rest of the season.

The Pittsburgh Steelers ran for 169 total rushing yards in Week 3 of the 2020 season. The crazy thing about this total is that it is the highest rushing total the Steelers have produced since week 6 of the 2017 season. Pittsburgh did mention throughout the off-season that they wanted to get back towards a more controlled style of play. They wanted to establish their run game and minimize mistakes on both sides of the ball while allowing their defense the time to rest and make the necessary adjustments to win games.

The Week 3 win against Houston was a good example of this. The Pittsburgh Steelers defense allowed far too many points to start the game, but by the start of the second half, they had made any adjustments required. They would keep the Texans from scoring a single point in the last 30 minutes of regulation.

It was an absolutely impressive second-half performance and it all started with the run game. The Steelers kept their defense fresh by allowing both James Conner and Anthony McFarland Jr. chances to make plays and they delivered. Benny Snell Jr.’s mistakes in the first two weeks gave McFarland his first chance to see the field in 2020 and he did not disappoint. He averaged 7 yards a carry on 6 carries. He had a couple of targets in the passing game although he only caught one ball for 7 yards.

All this being said, Anthony McFarland Jr. needs to get more opportunities with the ball throughout the remainder of the 2020 season and beyond.