Pittsburgh Steelers: 3 Players that must shine vs. Bengals in Week 4

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 22: JuJu Smith-Schuster #19 James Washington #13 and Diontae Johnson #18 of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrates after Smith-Schuster caught a pass and broke away for a 76-yard touchdown play against the San Francisco 49ers during the third quarter of an NFL football game at Levi's Stadium on September 22, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

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PITTSBURGH, PA – SEPTEMBER 15: James Conner #30 of the Pittsburgh Steelers carries the ball during the second quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Heinz Field on September 15, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) /

1. James Conner, RB

As a team, the Steelers couldn’t run the ball last year, but at least Conner played at a Pro Bowl level and made the team look more respectable. However, Conner hasn’t been able to do anything this year. It’s almost as though he hasn’t even been on the field.

Through the first three weeks of the season, Conner has averaged 32.3 rushing yards per game and 2.9 yards per attempt. His receiving yards per game have also dropped to 23.3.

While Conner isn’t solely to blame for how much of a mess the running game has been, he’s supposed to be a top 10 running back. It’s his job to make plays even when it’s difficult. So far, he hasn’t stepped up to the challenge of playing without a dominant passing game.

Last year, Pittsburgh’s rushing offense finished 31st in the league, putting up 90.3 yards per game. Only the Arizona Cardinals, at 83.9 yards per game, were worse. This season, the Steelers are ranked 29th, but the team is only scratching out 64 yards per game on the ground. The three teams below Pittsburgh (Cincinnati, Miami, and Washington) are also all winless.

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Even in a passing league, success on the ground is paramount to running a successful team. Now that the Steelers don’t have a strong passing game, there’s more pressure on Conner to perform than ever before. Against the Bengals, who have the 31st worst run defense and allow 168.7 rushing yards per game, Conner needs to make a significant impact.

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