Mike Tomlin isn't known for using a committee approach when it comes to running backs usage.
Then again, when he had players such as Le'Veon Bell, Rashard Mendenhall and Willie Parker, who were clearly better than the other running backs on the roster, it didn't make a lot of sense to pull them out of the game to use a lesser player.
But second-year running back Benny Snell might be forcing Tomlin's hand this year.
James Conner was a Pro Bowl player two seasons ago for the Steelers at the running back position, but has missed six of a possible 17 games has had three other games -- including the team's 26-16 season-opening win over the Giants -- in which he has played 15 snaps or fewer before exiting with an ankle injury.
So, in nine of the Steelers' past 17 games, Conner has essentially not been available to them.
That has opened the door for Snell to gain more playing time. Against the Giants, a slimmed down Snell -- he lost 12 pounds in the offseason -- took advantage of Conner leaving the game after just 15 snaps -- and 9 yards on 6 carries -- to gain a career-high 113 yards on 19 carries in the win.
But with Conner back for the Sunday's home opener against the Broncos (0-1), he will likely be back in the starting lineup for the Steelers (1-0). However, he might not be the "bell cow" Tomlin called him last week when speaking about the team's running back situation.
Snell has likely earned himself an expanded role, regardless of who starts the game.
"I've just got to be there for my teammates," Conner said. "That's how it is, keep trending in the right direction with this. Benny, Jaylen (Samuels), all the guys, they played huge. Having the starting label, I'm not really a selfish guy. I just want to be about there and able to compete. I thought his performance was good, 100 yards, closing the game out at the end with good, hard running, falling forward. I see a guy who has been constantly improving. It's so cool to see."
One thing not to get too caught up in, however, was Conner's slow start against the Giants. The Steelers certainly are not.
Early in that game, they were feeling things out against an unknown opponent. The Giants have a completely new coaching staff this year, and with no preseason games to even see what tendencies New York might display -- and Ben Roethlisberger easing his way back into things -- the Steelers were bound to start slowly.
"Maybe James at the beginning, if we were a little more settled, that probably might have given him that opportunity before he wasn’t in there," offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner admitted. "But I was proud of Benny. Benny just keeps improving. He’s part of that young group, him and Diontae (Johnson). Just that natural development from year one to year two is exciting to watch. You see it being developed. I think I had mentioned it a couple weeks back in training camp that both of those guys came back in excellent position, right frame of mind, and have done nothing to but put themselves in position to continually get better and they have to."
There's a good chance that, had he stayed in the game, Conner might have found similar success as the game wore on. But because he was unable to stay on the field, we'll never know.
This week, the Steelers will have an entirely new right side of their offensive line. Zach Banner was scheduled to have surgery Friday to repair a torn ACL suffered against the Giants, meaning Chuks Okorafor will get the start at right tackle. And Pro Bowl right guard David DeCastro will miss his second consecutive game with a knee injury, and his backup, Stefen Wisniewski, suffered a pectoral injury late in the fourth quarter, as well. That means rookie fourth-round draft pick Kevin Dotson will make his first career start next to Okorafor.
DeCastro is expected back for next week's game against the Texans at Heinz Field, while Wisniewski will be out a few games beyond that. He was placed on injured reserve Friday.
Regardless of who is out there on the offensive line -- or at running back -- the Steelers can't warm up to the game against the Broncos like they did last week.
"We need to start a little faster," Fichtner said. "I’ve got to be a little better on the early third downs. I have to be better converting first downs quicker because then you get more plays. More plays mean more opportunity for everybody. There’s no doubt that the pure running backs that are the every first- and second-down runners, they have to heat up. They have to feel a rhythm."
And the Steelers feel good about both running backs to make that happen.
"We’re confident in whoever it may be," Roethlisberger said. "I’m really proud of the way Benny stepped up and filled in for James in that game. He ran the ball hard, picked up some blitzes. I missed him on a pass, unfortunately, out of the backfield there early in the game, which I think would have been a big play. We are confident in whoever needs to go in there that they will step up and give us everything that they have. Whoever it may be, we will be excited and ready for him."
