The new-look Pittsburgh Steelers are now completely in play. There is no more Antonio Brown. JuJu Smith-Schuster is now the No. 1 receiver. Ben Roethlisberger is out for the season with an injury so it is officially Mason Rudolph time. Finally, James Conner had a breakout campaign in 2018 replacing Le'Veon Bell.

This season, Conner has come back down to Earth. In his first game in 2018, Conner totaled 31 carries for 135 yards and two touchdowns. To put it in perspective, Conner has 34 carries for 97 yards and one touchdown in three games this season. The Steelers are 0-3 and in a clear transition phase.

If there is anyone in the league who needs a big Week 4, it is Conner. The Steelers will be taking on the Cincinnati Bengals which is a huge opportunity to get their first win of the season.

Against the Bengals, the Steelers must get Conner involved. It is hard to run the ball when behind in games so Conner has not been a huge factor. When he does get the ball, it has not been good. Conner is averaging 2.9 yards per carry so far this season. He had 13 carries against the San Francisco 49ers which was the most in any game this season.

Conner proved last season that he can be an every-down back, especially because he is an elite pass-catcher out of the backfield. Conner must get 25 touches against a Bengals team that has allowed big games from running backs this season.

Chris Carson had two total touchdowns in Week 1 against Cincinnati. In Week 2, the 49ers had two running backs eclipse 80 yards including Matt Breida who finished with 121 yards. On Sunday, Frank Gore finished with 76 yards and averaged 5.4 yards per carry. This week, it is Conner's turn.

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With a young quarterback making only his second start, the Steelers must make his job easy. That means they need to get the run game going and use the short passing game as an extension of the run. Conner is a security blanket. He is a strong option for a check down, screen pass, or a pass in the flat.

Conner needs a breakout week and if he performs well, the Steelers will get their first win.