Jaylen Samuels is More Than Capable in Conner's Absence
The Steelers offense has been underwhelming so far this season. The loss of Ben Roethlisberger is being felt every week. Despite the offensive struggles, James Conner has been the most consistent and reliable player on that side of the ball.
Conner faced some big tests early on, but has gotten better every week. He has been a reliable runner and has been a big part of the passing game as well. His 29 receptions only trial JuJu Smith-Shuster's 30 catches on the season.
Conner suffered a shoulder injury near the end of last week's victory over Miami and is officially listed as DOUBTFUL on the Steelers' injury report this week. Now, Jaylen Samuels will step in for Conner. And this time, he shouldn't have to throw passes out of the wildcat.
Samuels is coming off of his own injury. He injured his knee against Baltimore and had to have his knee scoped the subsequent week. He was expected to miss at least a month, but after three total weeks, Samuels is set to return. Samuels spoke with the media about his return earlier this week.
This isn't the first time Samuels has had to step in for Conner. Last season, Samuels started in Conner's stead and performed quite well. His best performance came in the Steelers' victory over the New England Patriots.
Samuels has more lateral speed than Conner. Randy Fichtner likes to call plenty of lateral run plays and the Steelers offense could benefit from that.
For being a smaller back, Samuels runs well between tackles as well. He's a versatile back that can contribute in the passing game as well as the running game.
Samuels isn't quite as polished as Conner is in pass protection. With the depth a running back being so thin this week, Samuels might not have much of a choice but to help out more often than usual. Benny Snell Jr. has already been ruled out this week with a knee injury.
With the Steelers still trying to ease Mason Rudolph into more freedom in the offense, Samuels will need to provide stability in the running game. Whether they use heavy packages or the shotgun to run, or they manufacture a run game with short swing passes, Samuels will need to be productive to ensure the Steelers a victory.
The third-year back out of North Carolina State has been here before. He's filled in and started when his name is called and has been more than reliable in those instances. This is obviously a game with huge implications on the Steelers' playoff chances. Samuels won't be intimidated by the opportunity he's been given here.
