The Pittsburgh Steelers look like they may be in a bit of trouble next season in regards to their offense, but that can't be farther from the truth if running back James Conner has anything to say about it. Conner was fantastic last season and could be even more productive in 2019 with two years of experience under his belt.
Pittsburgh lost both Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown this offseason, so the offense is poised to be drastically different this year. Conner dominated last season with Bell sitting out, but could see added targets in the passing game with Brown gone. The beloved Steelers running back is in for a big season and the city of Pittsburgh has to be very anxious to see how Conner bounces back after an injury in 2018 held him out the last few games.
Let's go ahead and take a look at three way-too-early bold predictions for Conner in 2019.
3. 1,500 rushing and 500 receiving yards
The Steelers do not shy away from using their running backs, considering how much they featured Conner and Jaylen Samuels last season when Conner was forced to sit out. Conner would have easily eclipsed 1,000 yards last season if not for a leg injury that cost him several games at the end of the season.
Throughout the first half of the season, Conner was one of the league's best running backs and found himself averaging well over 100 yards a game at times.
Conner proved to be an exceptional pass-catcher last season as well, which helped the team get over the loss of Le'Veon Bell a bit sooner than expected. The Steelers will look to call upon Conner very often next season in both the rushing game and receiving.
A rushing total of 1,500-plus yards as well as 500-plus receiving is a huge expectation, but Conner looks to be every part of a top tier running back heading into 2019.
2. 18 total touchdowns
After Conner put on a scoring barrage last season during the first half of the year, he did slow down quite a bit in the second half. Although the Steelers called Conner's name often in goal line situations, it's what he was able to do in big yardage situations as well that displayed his skill set.
Conner scored 13 total times in 2018 and while that may have come as a shock to some, it's likely he's just getting started. The Steelers could give him an even bigger workload and call upon him in scoring situations more often in 2019.
He could easily see anywhere from 12-13 rushing touchdowns to go along with four to five receiving touchdowns. The Steelers are in need of some playmakers in the offense alongside JuJu Smith-Schuster and Conner could be a big contributor for Pittsburgh's point totals next season.
1. 300 plus carries
With the backfield likely all to himself, Conner will have a hefty workload in 2019 and Conner's breakout season in 2018 should be an indication that he can handle the responsibility. The Steelers have done nothing but display the utmost trust in Conner after many discrepancies with former running back Le'Veon Bell haunted the team last season.
Conner lived up to the hype and rushed his way to a Pro Bowl selection in just his second season. The Steelers offense featured a heavy dose of Conner last season as he ran the ball 215 times last season. As Conner was forced to miss the final three games of the season in 2018, it's not a completely wild assumption they will force-feed their running back next season.
Conner could easily see 300 plus carries this season and his 4.5 yards per carry average could continue to rise in 2019.
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