In 1st start, Steelers' James Conner breaks through as Le'Veon Bell's replacement
CLEVELAND -- James Conner gave Le'Veon Bell something to watch in Cleveland.
And watch Bell did, tweeting a monocle-wearing emoji after the game.
When asked on Twitter if Bell was "throwing shade" at his team, Bell said no. He'd just never seen a tie before.
On a day when the Steelers struggled through miserable weather with six turnovers, Conner came through with the game-breaking performance his team wanted to see, with 192 total yards and two touchdowns in a 21-21 overtime tiewith the Cleveland Browns.
That's more yards than Bell -- who remains away from the team with an unsigned franchise tag worth $14.5 million -- had in any game last season.
Teammates mobbed Conner on his first career touchdown, a 4-yard push through the right side with 11:19 left in the second quarter. Conner's 22-yard scoring rush with 5:29 left in the third quarter was one of his 36 touches of the day, including five receptions for 57 yards.
Bell did not play Week 1 as part of his holdout and as a way to preserve long-term health, and the decision cost him $853,000 for this week of work.
The Steelers knew what that meant.
"We've got a little something to prove," guard David DeCastro said earlier in the week about facing questions without Bell.
Conner's big blemish -- a fumble with 7:44 left in the fourth to set up an easy Browns touchdown -- didn't stop the Steelers from giving Conner the ball six times on a late fourth-quarter drive. He added a 19-yard, one-handed reception in overtime and generally didn't look overwhelmed.
It wasn't flashy, but Conner took the yards available, found the soft spots for dump-off catches and adequately protected Roethlisberger with blitz pickup. He passed the test necessary to quell concerns about the run-game adequacy without an All-Pro in the backfield.
Bell likely factored a potential Conner breakout into his decision to not sign his tender. But the Steelers wanted Conner to go off, and they talked him up all week. Although the Steelers knew Bell wouldn't be on the team bus on the way to Cleveland, they had every incentive to apply pressure to Bell with good play. A tie didn't help.
Whether Bell returns in Week 2 or Week 11, a 1-2 combo of Bell and Conner might just be a lot of fun.
In 1st start, Steelers' James Conner breaks through as Le'Veon Bell's replacement
Reviewed by Unknown
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September 09, 2018
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Reviewed by Unknown
on
September 09, 2018
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