3 reasons Steelers should make Anthony McFarland their starting running back
By Tommy Jaggi
The Steelers have struggled mightily on the ground in recent weeks. Here’s why Anthony McFarland should take the reigns at running back.
The Pittsburgh Steelers offense has been pretty consistent for the most part this season. Through the first nine games, they have managed to put up 30.1 points per game, and they haven’t scored less than 24 in a single contest all season. Much of this success has to do with Ben Roethlisberger’s new-found ability to take care of the football, as well as a defense that has routinely put them in position to score.
Even the run game was good early on in the season. For the first five games to open the year, Pittsburgh managed over 100 rushing yards in every contest and was able to move the chains on the ground. Unfortunately, their last three contests have been an entirely different story.
For the first time in the history of the franchise, the Steelers had three straight games where they failed to rush for at least 50 yards. This is incredibly challenging to do. In fact, Pittsburgh is the first team in the history of the league to go undefeated three games in a row after failing to rush for 50 yards in a contest.
While this may work against inferior competition like the Cowboys and Bengals, they need a spark on the ground. Anthony McFarland hasn’t gotten a lot of opportunities so far, and he has missed a few big holes. However, there is plenty of reason to believe he could provide a boost to their rushing attack. Here’s why McFarland should be given an opportunity to start: