Winner: James Conner
James Conner has had a history of success against the Browns when healthy, and he reminded them of how physical he could be. He rushed for over 100 yards and a score, and his numbers likely would have been higher had the team kept him in the game. Instead, they opted to give Benny Snell and Anthony McFarland some burn, which is smart considering the struggles Conner has had with staying healthy.
It wasn’t just his stat line that was impressive, he ran hard every time he got the ball. He rushed through holes on the defense and made sure to punish defenders when they tried and tackle him. Even better, he would constantly fall forward, picking up some extra yards along his way. He had about as good of a day that he could have considering the Steelers pulled him later in the game to preserve his health.
Going forward, the team seems to have found their recipe for success at running back. They allow Conner to receive the lions share of carries but make sure to mix in the backups as needed to keep him fresh. As long as he can stay healthy, the Steelers should continue to find success on the ground. While every game won’t be as dependent on the ground game, maintaining this level of success will be key to keeping a balanced offensive attack going forward.