Mark Madden: After James Conner's latest injury, time has come for Benny Snell football - TribLIVE

17 minutes ago

James Conner is a great story. Pitt guy. Cancer survivor. We’ve heard the narrative umpteen times, and it is indeed inspirational. Conner even wrote a book.

But the Steelers must move on from Conner as their No. 1 running back.

Conner left Monday’s game at the New York Giants in the second quarter with an ankle problem. He had six carries for 9 yards.

Conner was sidelined six games last season because of injury. In 17 of the Steelers’ last 21 contests, Conner has either missed the game entirely or left it early because he’s hurt.

That’s simply unacceptable. It deprives the offense of continuity and rhythm.

Conner will recover. He may yet write another compelling chapter. It can be included in his book’s second printing.

But the time has come for Benny Snell football, and for Conner to be a backup. That assumes Conner’s brittle body can handle even that.

Snell came off the bench Monday and made that decision obvious, although what coach Mike Tomlin ultimately does is far from certain.

Snell had 113 yards on 19 carries. He’s got as many 100-yard games this year as Conner had in all of 2019. Snell’s 30-yard run in the final quarter set up the Steelers’ last and clinching touchdown.

Snell’s fumble duly noted — JuJu Smith-Schuster bailed him out with a heads-up recovery worthy of TikTok — Snell ran hard and well. He’s only 5-foot-10, but he’s got power.

More important, he’s not always limping. When Snell goes down, he gets up. Snell has one key ability Conner doesn’t: Availability.

Conner was a third-round pick in 2017. Snell was a fourth-round choice last season. The difference in pedigree is negligible. Conner is a better receiver than Snell, and good at blitz pickup. But none of that matters if Conner can’t play.

Perhaps Conner’s body is vulnerable because of his cancer treatments. But that’s not the Steelers’ concern. It can’t be. That’s the callous truth of life in the NFL.

Is Conner unwilling to play through pain? Is he physically unable to handle a career in pro football? These questions can reasonably be asked.

When Conner got hurt Monday on top of his injury-riddled recent past, the only two words to describe the situation are: Enough already. Conner is football’s Beau Bennett. (Sorry, Beau.)

Had Conner stayed healthy in this, the final season of his contract, the Steelers would have likely found a way to keep him. The Steelers like the man, they like the story, and they like the player when he’s healthy.

But that’s over. It has to be. Conner can’t be trusted.

Ben Roethlisberger can be.

After a dicey start, Roethlisberger knocked off the rust with an eight-play, 78-yard two-minute drill (an 85-second drill, to be precise) at the end of the first half and never looked back.

He had zip on the ball. The elbow seems fine. If Roethlisberger didn’t make all the throws, he will.

The receiving situation is compelling. The depth was on display, even if new tight end Eric Ebron was slightly quiet and rookie Chase Claypool (who made the best catch of the night, a 28-yard toe-tapper at the sideline in the first quarter) seemed a bit underutilized.

James Washington used second (perhaps third) effort on the touchdown catch-and-bash that put the Steelers ahead for good.

But the primary receiving components were Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson.

Smith-Schuster had six catches and two scores. His fumble recovery was a game-saver. Most important, he was lit. Litty, even.

Johnson had a rough start: He muffed a first-quarter punt that gave the Giants the ball on the Pittsburgh 3. He and Roethlisberger appeared to be using different playbooks early in the game.

But Johnson settled in, impressing with his resilience and finishing with six catches for 57 yards on a team-high 10 targets. He’s no Antonio Brown, but Johnson may yet assume Brown’s old role and provide Roethlisberger a rhythm receiver that Smith-Schuster can complement.

Categories: Mark Madden Columns | Sports | Steelers/NFL