Pittsburgh Steelers: 3 Lessons learned vs. Seahawks in Week 2
By Samuel Teets
2. The inability to run the ball will be devastating
While the Monday night games haven’t been played yet, the Steelers still rank 29th in the NFL in rushing yards per game (56.5) and 27th in total rushing yards (113). This is a trend that has carried over from last season when the Steelers’ offense finished 31st in rushing yards per game. Considering that state of the defense, Pittsburgh cannot accept the sorry state of their run game.
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James Conner made the Pro Bowl last season but he’s off to a very slow start in 2019. Through two games, he has 54 rushing yards and is averaging 2.6 yards per carry. Those are hardly noteworthy numbers.
To put things in perspective, Seattle’s backup running back, Rashaad Penny has 80 rushing yards and is averaging 5.0 yards per carry through the first two weeks. Conner left the Seattle game with a knee injury and did not return.
We saw Pittsburgh’s limitations last season when the passing game ran most of the offense, but the run game has gotten off to an even worse start this year. How can the Steelers, a team with three Pro Bowl offensive linemen, fail to run the ball effectively?
Things will only get worse for Pittsburgh, as Ben Roethlisberger may require season-ending surgery for his elbow. If that is the case, then the offense will need the run game to succeed more than ever.