Steely McBeam
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- Mar 20, 2019
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The Steelers used a fourth-round pick on Anthony McFarland Jr., a big-play running back. They also have some nice complementary pieces in the backfield.
But Mike Tomlin is an old school ball coach, which means he has a very specific thought process and bovine vocabulary for the guy he wants to carry the load.
“There is no question about who our bell cow is,” Tomlin said, via Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Our bell cow is James Conner, and he is our primary ball-toter.”
Tomlin has long been a proponent of having one lead back, and giving him all the work he needs (or more). Injuries kept Conner from reaching that level last year (his touches dropped from 270 in 2018 to 150 in 2019), and they fell to 29th in the league in rushing.
There will still be some work for Benny Snell and Jaylen Samuels and McFarland, but it’s clearly Conner’s backfield.
“You have a Pro Bowl-type of running back as a starter that, when healthy, is as good as any in the league,” Steelers running backs coach Eddie Faulkner said of Conner. “You have a bunch of guys that skill sets fit what we look for, whether that is Jaylen Samuels and his versatility. Whether that is Anthony McFarland and his change of direction and burst. And, obviously, Benny Snell came in and did some good things for us his first year and [has] only gotten better. I just look around the room and see a lot of talented guys who can help us. . . .
“We know that there needs to be an improvement. We have worked on it. Ben’s [Roethlisberger] presence opens up the run game. I also thing the run game can help Ben with some things. Obviously, we put an emphasis on improving that way.”
The last time Conner was healthy, he averaged 113 yards from scrimmage per game. That earns a back bell cow-status, which is what the Steelers crave.