Pittsburgh Steelers: Studs and duds in letdown loss to 49ers

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SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 22: Minkah Fitzpatrick #39 of the Pittsburgh Steelers intercepts a pass intended for Dante Pettis #18 of the San Francisco 49ers in the first quarter at Levi’s Stadium on September 22, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /

Stud: Minkah Fitzpatrick

If any fan was on the fence about Pittsburgh trading their 2020 first-round pick for Minkah Fitzpatrick, the young defensive back’s play in Week 3 has eased their minds. In his Steelers debut, Fitzpatrick intercepted a pass and forced a fumble. He also recorded five combined tackles, a pass defensed and a quarterback hit against the 49ers.

While the Steelers spent a first-round pick on Terrell Edmunds last season, Fitzpatrick is their best defensive back currently. While everyone might not agree, I would go as far to say that the former Dolphin is Pittsburgh’s best defensive back since Troy Polamalu was on the team. There’s a lot of hope that he’ll turn the secondary around.

Dud: James Conner

This time last season, we were all busy falling in love with Conner. He was replacing Le’Veon Bell in Pittsburgh’s offense as a versatile, do-it-all running back. Now, the Pro Bowler is on the verge of being labeled as a one-hit-wonder.

Conner carried the ball 13 times for 43 yards against the 49ers. He also caught 4 passes for an additional 14 yards. Admittedly, Conner’s struggles are a combination of issues. The Steelers can’t open holes for running backs to get through right now and the loss of Ben Roethlisberger makes it more likely opposing teams will fear the pass less.

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Last season, the Steelers had the 31st rushing offense in the NFL. The team ran for 90.3 yards per game. This season, Pittsburgh is 29th in rushing offense, but they’ve only run for 56.5 yards per game. Connor’s production has dropped from 74.8 rushing yards per game in 2018 to 27 this season. Regardless of the circumstances, Pittsburgh needs Conner to step up his game and contribute at a Pro Bowl level.

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