The Steelers have a recent
history of being shorthanded at key offensive spots when they face the Patriots,
and it appears Sunday will continue that trend.
James Conner’s ankle injury is
likely to keep him out of Sunday’s game against New England, Ian Rapoport of
NFL.com reports. While Conner is expected to return for Week 16
against the Saints, the Steelers will have to go with Jaylen Samuels and Stevan
Ridley for a second straight game.
Injured during the Steelers’ Week
13 loss to the Chargers, Conner had not made the same kind of impact in
November that he did during the first half of the season. Le’Veon Bell’s
replacement was held under 100 yards from scrimmage from Weeks 10-13, this
coming after he’d exceeded that barrier in Pittsburgh’s previous four games
(all wins). Nevertheless, Pittsburgh is now down to what would have been its
third-string running back if Bell had played this season.
Last season, the Steelers lost
Antonio Brown during the first half of their close loss to the Patriots — one
that determined the AFC’s No. 1 seed. In the 2016 AFC championship Game, Bell
left in the first quarter and did not return. Ben Roethlisberger did not play
in a regular-season loss to the Patriots in Pittsburgh that year, and the
Steelers lost to the Pats in Week 1 of the 2015 season during a Bell
suspension. The Steelers have not beaten the Patriots since 2011.
Neither the Steelers nor the
Patriots are playing on the level they did last season, however, lowering the
stakes for this year’s matchup. But while New England remains in command of the
AFC East, Pittsburgh may be one loss away from ceding AFC North control to
Baltimore. A Ravens win (over the Buccaneers) and a Steelers loss would
catapult Baltimore into first place in the division and thrust Pittsburgh into
a muddied Wild Card mix.
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