3 reasons Steelers running game is now non-existent

James Conner isn’t getting the job done

I’m not saying that James Conner isn’t the right man for the job at this point in time, but hasn’t gotten the job done in more than half the games the Steelers have played this year. To sum up the first half of his 2020 season, he’s been wildly inconsistent.

Much of this has to do with the defense and how many players are in the box. Though he does have three 100-yard games under his belt, he has averaged just 40.8 rushing yards per game in the other five contests this season, according to Pro Football Reference. In 4 of those games, he has rushed between 1.5 and 3.1 yards per carry.

This is clearly not a recipe for success, and when you are running like this, it’s like flushing your opportunities down the toilet. Against Dallas, Conner carried the ball 9 times for 22 yards and took his only reception for a 2-yard loss.

I’m not saying that Conner is the root of the Steelers problems on the ground. However, he does lack many of the elite traits you would like to see in a feature back. With just 24 carries over the past two full games, it makes you wonder if Pittsburgh is going to be inching towards a committee approach soon or if they are just going away from the run altogether.