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.
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.
Anthony McFarland Jr. leapfrogged Jaylen Samuels on the depth chart to take the #3 spot already, but he should be higher.
I will start this off by saying that Benny Snell Jr. isn’t a bad player. I don’t think that his fumble issues are going to persist throughout the rest of his career or anything like that. Yet, he fumbled twice in the first 2 games of the season. Furthermore, he doesn’t have a ton to offer the Steelers at the moment, aside from being a good short-yardage back. I think that the weight loss and his off-season conditioning program worked. He does look more explosive and a bit faster than he did a year ago. But he isn’t going to change any games for the Steelers.
McFarland is clearly a better talent than Snell. He is more athletic and he has that ability to take it the distance whenever he touches the ball. Bringing him in does offer a better change of pace for Pittsburgh’s schemes. But he has the talent and ability for the Steelers to scheme him as the featured back in some games right now. This is being said even with a former pro-bowler, James Conner, on the depth chart.
I don’t see the same kind of ability in Snell. Snell will get positive yardage on almost any play. He is built for that, and he loves to run through contact. But without the speed or elusiveness, an awesome play for him is a 30 yard gain. With McFarland’s speed and agility, an awesome play for him would be a 50-60 yard touchdown run.
We haven’t seen this kind of speed and ability from this position in Pittsburgh since Willie Parker was in his prime. Furthermore, McFarland Jr. is a better receiver than Snell. McFarland’s elusiveness and cutting ability make him a much better route runner and with more rhythm obtained, as he gets more game time, we’ll likely see better hands from him. Most importantly, when the ball gets in his hands, in space, he is a threat to take it to the house. Snell doesn’t provide these qualities.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will have to play 13 straight games to close out the season. Injuries are going to be a storyline for Pittsburgh throughout the remainder of the year.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have to be happy with the contributions they have been getting from their rookie WR and now their rookie RB. These are two positions that dealt with injuries at the top of the depth chart throughout 2019. Having the extra depth is great but in McFarland Jr’s case, it will help prevent injuries.
James Conner has an extensive injury history. However, he is a machine when he is on the field and is allowed to get in a groove. Realizing and utilizing the talent that McFarland Jr possesses is something Pittsburgh has to do. It will keep James Conner healthier and it will provide a more diverse running attack for defenses to have to plan for.
Everyone knows that the Steelers can pass the ball. They have a hall of fame QB under center with the best group of young talent in the league at WR. But running was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive identity years ago. It keeps the clock moving, the defense fresh, and keeps your QB safe from hits. Ben Roethlisberger isn’t going to take shots after handing the ball off.
Not only does using their second-best talent keep Conner healthy, but it will keep Ben healthy as well. If Conner goes down, he will be missed in the run game. But keeping him healthy as both Conner’s and McFarland Jr’s playing styles compliment each other so well is paramount.