The Pittsburgh Steelers are looking to get back in the win column on Monday night and they'll need to do so with their lead running back. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Benny Snell is slated to start in place of James Conner against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Pittsburgh RB James Conner, initially listed as questionable for tonight with a quad injury, is being downgraded to out against the Bengals, per source. Benny Snell likely will start in his place.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 21, 2020
Conner came into Monday night's game with a questionable tag due to a quad injury he sustained in Pittsburgh's previous loss to the Buffalo Bills. Despite his questionable designation during the week, Conner won't be able to go for the Steelers against the Bengals.
Provided that, Pittsburgh's offense will look to insert Snell into the starting lineup, where he's been twice this season. Prior to his injury and his bout with COVID-19, Conner had played in 11 games, rushing for 663 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.
In comparison, Snell has accounted for 274 rushing yards and three touchdowns on a putrid 3.3 yards per attempt. Though, it should be noted that the Steelers have struggled to run the ball this season, regardless of who is taking handoffs from Ben Roethlisberger.
With Pittsburgh having trouble running the ball, the Steelers could lean on their passing attack on Monday night. Expect the likes of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, and James Washington to see upticks in targets against the Bengals.
At the same time, besides Snell, Pittsburgh will likely give Jaylen Samuels and rookie Anthony McFarland more playing time in the backfield. For those that play fantasy football, it's hard to trust any of the running backs for the Steelers, but Snell does give the highest upside when it comes to scoring a touchdown.
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