Week 1 Winners/Losers: Steelers Have a Decision to Make at Running Back
The Steelers headed back to Pittsburgh with their first win of the 2020 season under the belt, and the anxiousness of Ben Roethlisberger's return behind them.
A tough-fought win, even if it wasn't apparent on the scoreboard, the Steelers executed their gameplan as well as they could ask for dealing with unique circumstances.
To come into Monday night on the road and leave with one turnover on special teams, and hold running back Saquon Barkley to six yards, shows the Steelers' readiness.
Looking back, there was plenty to take away from Week 1 in East Rutherford. There was good and bad on both sides of the ball, leaving winners and losers from the season opener.
As the team moves into Week 2 preparation for the Denver Broncos, we take a look at who showed up and who has work to do following the win.
Winners
QB Ben Roethlisberger
229 yards and three touchdowns on the eve of his elbow injury against the Seahawks one-year ago was nothing short of perfection. Roethlisberger didn't need to come out and control the offense the entire game, but he did, and he did so on his own.
What was most impressive about Roethlisberger was his lack of reliability on his receivers. He trusted his guys - like Chase Claypool - to make plays, but spread the ball out to nearly everyone on the offense.
Big Ben found eight different receivers in Week 1, targeting nine throughout the night. He used play-action to get players open and finished the night with more rushing yards (9) than back-to-back 1,000-yard rusher Barkley.
The moment you felt Roethlisberger was back to his normal self was the Steelers' two-minute drive to end the first half. In a minute and 32 seconds, Roethlisberger led his team 78-yards, took off on an 11-yard run, and found James Washington with seven seconds left for the score.
He's back. At least he appears to be. And if he keeps playing as he did on Monday, the Steelers offense is going to develop nicely throughout the season.
RB Benny Snell Jr.
Can we predict that Benny Snell Jr. is going to see most of the carries moving forward? After 19 rushes for 113 yards, it's hard to say James Conner is the bell cow back in Week 2.
Conner left with an ankle injury in the second quarter as the run game was going absolutely nowhere. Conner finished with six rushes for nine yards, with his longest run of the evening coming to only three-yards.
Snell entered the scene and immediately began finding space, averaging nearly six yards per carry throughout the night.
When I spoke to Snell last season following his 98-yard game against the Cincinnati Bengals, he said he counted that game as his first 100-yard performance. Now, looking back, 21 rushes for 98 yards and 19 rushes for 113 yards seems like a major difference.
If Conner has to miss time with the ankle injury, Snell will become the Steelers top running back. He wasn't ready to take over in his rookie year but made that second-year leap the backs before him have made.
He's an NFL runner. There's no denying that after Week 1.
LB Bud Dupree
Dupree was the best defensive player on the Pittsburgh Steelers Monday.
Yes, he was battling a rookie tackle with no preseason games to develop from. Yes, the Giants focused on shutting down T.J. Watt on the other side. No, that doesn't take anything away from Dupree's relentless playmaking ability off the edge.
You want to know when Dupree made the 'This isn't just me beating a rookie' statement? When the Giants were on the Steelers' four-yard line and Dupree - who was clearly gassed - hit Daniel Jones' arm to pop the ball up and lead to a Cam Heyward interception.
Dupree is playing for a contract, a Pro Bowl, and a ton of respect from the NFL. He's taking the momentum he gained last season and putting it into place this year.
This is a new Dupree from years past. He's not trying to run his way into the backfield but rather force it. His strength has become his biggest tool, and he used that against Andrew Thomas and Evan Engram.
Yes, it was a rookie. But Dupree will do this every week.
Losers
RB James Conner
I got a text throughout the night, asking if Conner was going to come back onto the field. I replied, saying I heard he's stretching on the sideline, trying to work something out of his leg.
The reply I got read, "That answered my question."
At this point, it's hard to say Conner is going to ever be reliable enough to be the feature back Mike Tomlin continues to say he wants to use.
Conner has made it through only four full games in the Steelers' last 21. He lasted two quarters on Monday, and even if he was healthy enough to come back in, there was no point in removing Snell.
Moving forward, it only makes sense to ride the hot hand. Snell might not be the bell cow yet, but he should earn more carries after Week 1.
Injuries are a part of football. Unfortunately, they can cost you a job as easily as they can win you one. Conner has gotten lucky his backups weren't ready to take over during his previous injuries.
This season, Snell will take advantage if Conner has to miss time.
CB Steven Nelson
I don't want to say Nelson is a loser in Week 1. He got beat on two occasions, which both led to touchdowns. One was more Minkah Fitzpatrick's fault, but it didn't sit well seeing the Giants only touchdowns come from passes on Nelson's side.
Rust is going to be there when you have six weeks to prepare for your first regular-season game. Nelson can easily come back in Week 2 and turn this entire narrative around.
There's not a ton to say. I'm not ready to declare Nelson a poor performer until he gives me more reason to, because last season, he earned every bit of assurance he provides to this defense.
Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.
