Steelers RB Conner letting play do talking during hot start

James Conner's Pittsburgh Steelers teammates insist he's having a good time, that fourth-year running back has never been happier or more engd.

t that you'd kw it by talking to him. Asked Friday why he seemed so sullen when subject was raised of his strong start for unbeaten Steelers (5-0), Conner offered an answer that made up for in sincerity what it lacked in joy.

“Because this isn't football,” fourth-year pro said.

It's hard to blame him for being less than expansive.

25-year-old has spent last half-decade being defined by things off field that's overshadowed at times what he's done on it. cancer diagsis in 2015 while playing at University of Pittsburgh. inspiring recovery that culminated in Conner getting drafted by Steelers in spring of 2017. Spending 2018 as replacement while Le'Veon Bell sat out amid a contract dispute . Flashes of excellence tempered by nagging injuries that have made consistency elusive. mixed messs from general manr Kevin Colbert during offseason. Colbert stressed repeatedly team believed in Conner , while at same time declining to offer him a new deal, effectively turning 2020 into a “prove it” year with free ncy potentially looming.

Conner has dutifully addressed everything through years, though he kws words can only do so much. He's tired of it, to be honest, and more than er to have his ever-evolving game do speaking instead.

Five games in, volume — and production — has been turned up to 11. He shook off an ankle sprain in Week 1 against New York Giants that stirred talk of “here we go again” to top 100 yards in three of last four games, including an efficient 20-carry, 101-yard performance last Sunday in a 38-7 demolition of Cleveland .

“I think his game right w is at an all-time high,” quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. “He’s picking up blitzes. He’s catching ball out of backfield when we need him to, and he’s getting tough yards when we need that as well. thing I keep telling him is to just have fun. When he has fun, he plays great football.”

Steelers will likely need Conner to be great when y visit Tennessee (5-0) on Sunday. Titans are led by NFL's hottest back in Derrick Henry, a marvel of size and speed who is just as comfortable racing 94 yards for a touchdown as he is bulling over three defenders for a first down.

re was a time t long ago when Conner was much same. He left Pitt as Atlantic Coast Conference's all-time touchdown leader, a violent runner who enjoyed dishing out punishment. t so much anymore. While Conner is still more than willing to lower his shoulder, he's become far more capable of using a quickness that wasn't readily apparent during his college career.

“Spent a lot of time at Ben Roethlisberger footwork camp just really improving on his footwork,” Roethlisberger said with a laugh. “But I just think he is playing with confidence and he’s having fun playing game. It’s t like all sudden he is this new running back. He’s James Conner.”

More precisely, he's James Conner who dazzled during first half of 2018. While Bell went jet skiing in Florida after declining to sign his franchise tender, Conner helped make sure Pittsburgh's offense kept right on humming, averaging 135 yards from scrimm and scoring 10 touchdowns over season's first eight weeks. Defenses, however, adjusted. Conner’s numbers took a serious dip as wear turned cold. A lower-leg contusion forced him to miss three weeks.

Last year wasn't much better. Defenses loaded up to stop run after Roethlisberger went down at halftime of Week 2 with a right elbow injury. Conner went over 100 yards rushing just once in 2019, and even that performance ended with a thud. He sprained an AC joint in his shoulder in final minutes with game already well in hand. He rushed back too quickly and aggravated injury upon his return, ultimately suiting up just three times over final nine games.

Though Benny Snell Jr. showed flashes during his rookie season and team used a fourth-round pick in 2020 draft on Anthony McFarland Jr., head coach Mike Tomlin stressed Conner remained “ bell cow.”

One that offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner is doing his best to t overuse. Conner has been somewhere between 18-22 touches during each of Pittsburgh's last four games, a range Fichtner considers just right.

“ James has done thing to come off field," Fichtner said. “But kwing and given circumstances that when he is fresh, he is a bull and that is awesome.”

TES: Steelers released veteran punter Dustin Colquitt, signed on eve of regular season in a surprise move. Colquitt, who played 15 years for Kansas City before being cut in April, ranked last in NFL in net punting aver at 37.1 yards per kick. ... team placed injured LB Devin Bush (torn ACL) on injured reserve, promoted DE Henry Mondeaux to 53-man roster, and signed LB Ray Wilborn to practice squad.

Im credits: AP