Le’Veon Bell hasn’t been anywhere in sight, just a few days out from the Pittsburgh Steelers season opener. The team is insistent that they are ready to go with the guys that they have, and are focused solely on the Cleveland Browns. This means that second-year man and fan favorite James Conner will be handling the running back duties for now and probably for the foreseeable future. Cleveland is a young, hungry, and improved team. They gave the Steelers trouble in the season opener last year. Pittsburgh will need to show up and play their game in order to start the season 1-0.
James Conner Will Be an Important Factor in Ensuring a Pittsburgh Steelers Victory in Week One
Establishing a Strong Run Game
The best way to get a passing game going is by opening things up with a solid ground attack. It’s no secret that Ben Roethlisberger hasn’t played well on the road in recent years. Therefore, a strong rushing attack will go a long way in getting his season started on the right foot. This will be no easy task, though, against the elite front seven of Cleveland. Myles Garrett and Emmanuel Ogbah hold things down up front, while Christian Kirksey and Joe Schobert sweep up anything that gets to them, as each was top five in total tackles last season. Though they were winless last year, the Browns defense, especially their front seven, is no joke.
It just so happens that the Steelers have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. So, if anyone in the league can handle the Browns rush defense, it’s Pittsburgh. Insert Conner, though, and it won’t be as easy. Conner has looked sharp all training camp and preseason, but he’s obviously no Bell. However, with Bell’s recent antics, it seems that the offensive line is fully behind Conner, and will do anything in their power to make sure the young back finds great success in his first start. The talent at the running back position falls off after Conner, so he will be getting the majority of the touches.
Utilizing the Tight Ends
The weakest part of the Browns is without a doubt their secondary, in particular, their ability to cover tight ends. That will be a key part of the Steelers aerial attack. Last year, Vance McDonald was a huge part of Pittsburgh’s offense when he was on the field. This year, he has been injured throughout most of camp but reportedly practiced Wednesday for the first time.
Roethlisberger is hoping McDonald will be on the field because he knows how important the tight ends will be. Whether it’s McDonald, Jesse James, or Xavier Grimble, Big Ben will be looking to his tight ends all game. Make no mistake about it, Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster will get theirs, but the tight ends will be the X-factor in this one. They will either get plenty of targets because of the focus that will be put on the wide receivers or else the receivers will be single covered all game, which spells disaster for Cleveland.
Take Away the Home Run Ball
By far, the Steelers biggest issue on the defensive side of the ball last year was giving up big plays. That’s not a recipe for success against a Browns team that features Josh Gordon, Antonio Callaway, and Jarvis Landry. The secondary’s communication must be better to take away the Browns big-play threats. Morgan Burnett will have his hands full, too, as the first tight end assignment he draws as a Steeler is the athletic second-year tight end David Njoku.
To go with that, without Ryan Shazier, the defense is much slower and will struggle to cover running backs out of the backfield. Against Duke Johnson, who is a top tier running back when it comes to catching out of the backfield, the team might struggle. Neither Jonathan Bostic or Vince Williams are linebackers who are known for their pass coverage skills. Johnson will need to be schemed for, or he will give the defense fits like in week 17 last year.
Overall, this is definitely a game the Steelers should win. They are a better team in almost all aspects of the game. And, unlike last year, the starting running back this year will already have chemistry with the offensive line from preseason. Look for James Conner to exceed expectations, play a solid game, and for the Steelers to come home victorious.
