Rookie running back Benny Snell again closes out a Steelers win

For the second consecutive week, Benny Snell was a central figure in closing out a Pittsburgh Steelers victory.

Snell had 55 rushing yards in the second half of Sunday’s 20-13 win against the Cleveland Browns, including 51 on 10 carries after his touchdown gave the Steelers the lead.

“He is a guy that gets better as the game goes on,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “He has the mentality of a featured runner. He likes the grit associated with the volume of carries. I think he gets better as the game goes on. None of that is surprising to us. We saw it on Kentucky tape, but it is good that he can take it to Sunday stadiums. “

This angle of Benny Snell's TD is awesome ? @benny_snell pic.twitter.com/FDn7CYOczt

— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) December 1, 2019

Snell had 69 of his career-high 98 rushing yards during the fourth quarter of last week’s 16-10 win at the Cincinnati Bengals.

Against the Browns, after just 8 yards on three first-half carries, Snell had a 1-yard touchdown run — his first touchdown in the NFL — on the first possession of the second half.

“It was very exciting,” Snell said. “I got to keep the ball, too.”

Arguably, his more impactful run came from that same 1-yard line with 5 minutes, 35 seconds left in the game and the Steelers’ clinging to a seven-point lead.

Snell gave the Steelers some needed breathing room and a first down with an 11-yard carry.

“It was a great hole there, he hit it, and got the first down,” quarterback Devlin Hodges said. “That’s always huge. It’s always big to get that first, first down when you’re backed up like that. “

Snell had five carries for 27 yards on that final Steelers’ drive.

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