The Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense was in shambles in 2019. While many will put the blame on terrible quarterback play, under performing quarterbacks were not the only guilty parties. The overall play of the Steelers’ backfield was mediocre at best and abysmal at worse. The Steelers’ 2020 backfield put up less yardage combined between four backs than rushing champion Derrick Henry did by himself. There is not much blame to put on the offensive line as the squad was comprised mainly of returning players who overall had a solid season.

James Conner

The blame can start with the veteran running back, James Conner. While being the Steelers “premier back,” he only played in 10 games due to several injuries. During these 10 games, he broke 100 yards once and rushed for less than 60 yards on the other nine occassions. These nine poor showings led Conner to being ranked 43rd in rushing yards and his four touchdowns had him tied for 34th. Not all is lost due to one poor season. Conner has shown glimpses of greatness in the past and even during this season.

If James can come into the 2020 season healthy and play like he did in 2018, he might have a shot at reclaiming that premier title. In his 2018 season, he doubled both his 2019 rushing and receiving yards. If that happens, the Steelers should have their backfield leader in place. He hasn’t shown the durability to be a bell cow, so the soon-to-be fourth year man will need to be augmented with other pieces. Conner is piece one of the Steelers’ 2020 backfield committee.

Jaylen Samuels

The second back of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ committee will be Jaylen Samuels. Coming into his third year, Samuels is a multiple-tool player. He excels when used as a check-down back or when running the wildcat. While incredibly versatile and athletic, that versatility and athleticism doesn’t always translate into yards and first downs. Samuels has also had his own injury issues. He only played in 13 games and put up under 500 combined rushing and receiving yards. I don’t see the Steelers using Samuels as a feature back, but he’s a great change of pace player and reminds me a lot of Duke Johnson with his ability to catch passes and get some hard yards.

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Die hard Pittsburgh Steelers fan living in Cleveland. WWE/AEW nerd.