Pittsburgh Steelers: Studs and duds from Week 2 vs. Broncos

The Pittsburgh Steelers picked up a 26-21 win against the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

Nothing ever comes easy. The Pittsburgh Steelers proved that on Sunday in NFL Week 2.

Despite the Denver Broncos losing Drew Lock early in the game, Denver stayed close to Pittsburgh throughout the game. Von Miller didn’t play and Courtland Sutton suffered an injury but the Steelers found a way to keep fans on the edges of their seats.

Luckily, the Steelers held on for a 26-21 victory and advanced to 2-0. While Pittsburgh faced its hardships and failed in some aspects of the game, several standouts held the team together.

Stud: James Conner, RB

Less than a week ago, I wrote this:

"Conner is a fantastic young man, but he can’t shake the injury bug. The Pittsburgh product hasn’t performed at a high level since his breakout campaign in 2018. The Steelers can’t wait for Conner to rebound and find his rhythm."

I assumed Benny Snell would assert himself as Pittsburgh’s lead back for the remainder of the 2020 season. That’s not at all what happened on Sunday. After having only one 100-yard rushing performance since Week 9 of 2018, Conner exploded against the Broncos.

The former third-round pick carried the ball 16 times for 106 yards and a touchdown. His 6.6 yards per carry were his most in a game since his rookie season. Conner’s day relied heavily on a 59-yard run late in the game, but Steelers fans won’t complain about that. Conner’s long run sealed the game for Pittsburgh.

Considering Snell’s fate after my pronouncement last week, I won’t make any predictions for Conner. Although I’ll add that, in a week where many starters went down with injuries, it was great to see Conner finish the game healthy. Pittsburgh faces the Houston Texans in Week 3. The Texans allowed 230 rushing yards against Baltimore this week.

Dud: Penalties

Sunday’s game wasn’t Pittsburgh’s cleanest. While Denver only committed four penalties, the Steelers committed ten. Pittsburgh lost 89 yards on penalties, which helped the Broncos climb back into the game. The Steelers can get away with that against Jeff Driskel, but it won’t work against Deshaun Watson next week.

Sloppy play could ruin Pittsburgh’s season down the stretch. Missing the preseason might’ve contributed to the poor play, but Baltimore and Houston don’t care about that excuse.