[ad_1]
I was a James Conner skeptic.
I didn’t think the second-year back from Pitt had what it took to be a starting running back in the NFL. His injury last year concerned me, as did his elusiveness, and how it would translate in the pros.
I harbored the nagging suspicion that perhaps the Steelers reached when they picked him in the third round last year.
These beliefs informed my opinion that Le’Veon Bell was indispensable to the Steelers, and that they desperately needed him to do anything of significance this season.
There’s still lots of season left, and consistency is a big part of greatness, but it’s starting to look like I was very, very wrong.
Conner hasn’t just been passable as a replacement, he hasn’t just been good enough, a backup playing a little bit above what people thought he was capable of.
He’s been spectacular.
His performance in the opener against Cleveland was great, save one very crucial fumble that helped cost the Steelers a win. After that, he flagged a little bit in three consecutive games, failing to top 100 yards from scrimmage in any of them.
The critics were getting louder, especially after Conner and the Steelers did next to nothing offensively in a listless loss against Baltimore that dropped them to 1-2-1.
In three games since, the Steelers are 3-0, and Conner may well be the biggest reason why. As you’ve doubtless read by now, his 146-yard, two-touchdown performance against Cleveland made him the first running back in team history to post three consecutive games with at least 100 yards rushing and two touchdowns.
It isn’t just the numbers, though. Any NFL-caliber back can run through holes, and the Steelers’ offensive line has created plenty of those.
No, what has been so impressive about Conner is that he’s looked a lot like Bell out there. He’s forced a ton of missed tackles, displayed nimble feet and open-field elusiveness, and has been a physical hammer when given the chance, dropping a shoulder and inviting contact frequently.
He isn’t the naturally gifted receiver that Bell is, able to split out wide and beat defensive backs in pass routes, but he’s made enormous improvements as a receiving threat out of the backfield, and has gotten better by leaps and bounds in terms of pass protection.
In short, he’s been almost a clone of Bell when Bell is at his best.
About the only thing Bell does better is command copious amounts of attention from opposing defenses and free up his teammates as a result. That’s a byproduct of having been great for several years. If Conner keeps this up, he’ll get the same treatment.
Right now, Conner is fourth in the league in yards from scrimmage, trailing only Adam Thielen, Saquon Barkley and Todd Gurley. Gurley is an all-world performer, Barkley was viewed as a generational level talent at running back coming out of Penn State, and Thielen is on a record-breaking run at wide receiver so far this season.
That’s the kind of company Conner is keeping.
If he maintains this level, and Mike Tomlin keeps giving him the ball if and when Bell returns, he’ll have a very viable case for an All-Pro nod. Any kind of a strong finish to the season would seem to guarantee a Pro Bowl for Conner.
That’s pretty rarefied air for a guy whose ability to stay healthy was a concern, a guy who didn’t seem to compare favorably to the superstar ahead of him on the depth chart, at least between the lines.
It’s still only seven games, and he needs to bring it in a big way against Baltimore and their top-rated defense, but James Conner has been better than even the wildest optimist could have hoped. He has been nothing less than terrific. All of his off-season hard work is clearly paying off.
And I’m happy to say that so far, I could not have been more wrong about him.
Source link
