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

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been keen on using the bell-cow approach to their running back situation in the past. They did mention, that they would be sure to spread the ball around a bit more.

There are a couple of large advantages to approaching the running back position with a committee instead of relying on one do-it-all RB to handle every situation. For starters, it is cheaper to go with 2-3 younger running backs, probably on rookie contracts, in various situations vs paying over $12 million a year to a single RB. The lower snap count also lowers the risk of injury to the running back position and it keeps your running backs fresher late in games. A lot of successful teams in recent history like the Patriots, Chiefs, and even 49ers use the committee approach.

The final benefit is the change of pace. It is much easier to prepare for a single RB with his own tendencies instead of having to prepare for multiple running backs with different styles and attributes. Anthony McFarland Jr. is built much differently than the other running backs on this roster and he offers a true change of pace. James Conner is a great all-around back, and Benny Snell Jr. is pretty capable in his own right between the tackles. But there isn’t much of a difference in how defenses need to approach these two aside from being warier of Conner being able to receive out of the backfield.

Anthony McFarland Jr. however, is significantly faster and more elusive than both James Conner and Benny Snell Jr. He is a better receiver out of the backfield than Snell as well. He may not be as strong, and he won’t break as many tackles when defenders get a hold of him. But defenders have to catch him first. His 4.4 40-yard dash speed is an incredible threat, and he translates that speed well in games.

Anthony McFarland Jr. may not be an every-down back for the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, he is a valuable change of pace. Furthermore, his threat to break a big play on every touch is something that will keep opposing defenses off-balance when preparing to deal with Pittsburgh’s running game.