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The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered yet another disappointing loss after the Los Angeles Chargers put together a 33-30 comeback on Sunday night.
It was a game that also saw Steelers second-year running back James Conner suffer an ankle sprain that took him out of the contest. This is an injury that is serious enough to keep him out of Week 14 action against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday night, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
James Conner is OUT this week. Has an ankle sprain and not a contusion, coach Mike Tomlin said. More significant than expected.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) December 4, 2018
This is a major blow as Conner has stepped firmly in the starting role left vacant by Pro Bowler Le'Veon Bell as he has provided highly productive play as he's currently fifth in the league with 909 rushing yards along with being second with 12 rushing touchdowns. He has been putting together a strong outing against the Chargers with 60 rushing yards on 15 carries with a pair of touchdowns prior to the ankle injury. His exit from the game further changed the flow of the game and helped Los Angeles make their double-digit comeback in the second half.
However, there has been a notable drop off in production over the last four games for Conner as he has registered no more than 65 rushing yards in each of those contests. It has been off of the strong start he has had this year as he's been a huge factor in the running game behind his stable play as he has shown to be a highly impactful dual-threat option out of the backfield. His absence against the Raiders takes away one of their most reliable offensive factors for the contest.
Meanwhile, this thrust either rookie Jaylen Samuels or Stevan Ridley into the mix to help fill the massive void in the backfield for at least this upcoming Sunday's game. There should be more clarity on the extent of his injury over the next several days.
