While James Conner wasn't able to fully replace Le'Veon Bell's production, he showed immense potential in 2018. Most people are familiar with the 24-year-old's story. Conner was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2015.

In May of 2016, Conner was pronounced cancer-free. He returned to play one final season at the University of Pittsburgh. He played well but failed to reproduce his dominant 2014 numbers. Ultimately, the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Conner in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

When Bell chose to sit out last season, Conner became the Steelers' starting running back. He played extremely well and made the Pro Bowl in his first year as a starter. However, Conner was not a perfect replacement for Bell. If he wants to help the Steelers offense flourish, then there are areas of his game he needs to improve in 2019.

Here are three numbers Conner must target during the upcoming season.

3. 0 fumbles

Alright, so asking a running back to not fumble in an entire season is a bit of a high bar. However, Conner needs to go into 2019 with the mentality that he cannot fumble. The young running back fumbled four times in his 12 starts last season. In comparison, Bell only fumbles eight times in his 62 starts with the Steelers.

James Conner, Steelers

One of Conner's fumbles came in Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns. The game ended as a tie and the Steelers finished the season 9-6-1. The Baltimore Ravens won the division with a 10-6 record. Fumbles are a big deal and they can swing the momentum of games and seasons. Pittsburgh knows that.

Remember when Fitzgerald Toussaint fumbled against the Denver Broncos in the fourth quarter of the 2015 divisional round? No true Steelers fan has forgotten that play. Pittsburgh was winning the game up until that point and the tide turned entirely on that play. Conner needs to prioritize his ball security in 2019.

2. 80 rushing yards per game

After his rookie season, Bell strung together four straight seasons of averaging at least 80 rushing yards per game. We all saw how talented Conner was last season. I don't expect him to be the next Bell, but I do think he can thrive in Pittsburgh's offense.

James Conner, Steelers

Among running backs with at least 50 carries, Conner finished ninth in rushing yards per game last season. His 74.8 yards per game ranked slightly behind Kareem Hunt and just ahead of Melvin Gordon. That puts Conner in decent company talent-wise, but the best running backs annually average over 80 rushing yards per game. Ezekiel Elliott and Todd Gurley have both done it three times.

While I don't think anyone expects Conner to be the next superstar running back, he still has to replace Bell's production. Pittsburgh has plenty of pass catchers, so I'm not worried about Conner's contributions in the air attack. However, the Steelers have a solid line and a potent passing game that should open lanes for him to reach that 80 yards per game mark.

The Steelers offense finished 31st in rushing yards per game last season with 90.3. Only the Arizona Cardinals, who went 3-13, finished with a lower total. For an offense that is lauded as one of the best in the league, finishing 31st in rushing is unacceptable. Assuming Conner remains healthy in 2019, he'll have to play a big role in reassessing the running game.

1. 16 games played

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The Steelers have always struggled with keeping their star players healthy. Bell, Antonio Brown, or Ben Roethlisberger always seemed to get hurt at the worst times. In the past, it was so bad that Pittsburgh could rarely get their three stars on the field at the same time during the playoffs. Hopefully, that trend won't continue with Conner.

James Conner

We saw how injuries to Conner impacted the Steelers playoff chances last season. He missed Weeks 14, 15, and 16 before finally returning for the final game of the season. During those three weeks, Pittsburgh went 1-2. However, the team could have just as easily gone 3-0.

In Week 14, the Steelers lost by three points to a bad Oakland Raiders team. During the game, Roethlisberger was sidelined for a few possessions with an injury. Without Conner in the backfield, the offense became stagnant and Oakland pulled off the upset.

Pittsburgh also lost by three points to the New Orleans Saints in Week 16. New Orleans' running backs scored three times while Pittsburgh failed to find the end zone on the ground. Backup running back, Stevan Ridley also lost a fumble.

The Steelers need Conner healthy and available in 2019.