Committee approach at running back continues to pay off for Steelers

Mike Tomlin once vowed to run Willie Parker until the “wheels come off” and did precisely that. He followed suit from Parker to Rashard Mendenhall to Le’Veon Bell to James Conner last season, utilizing one featured running back in the Pittsburgh Steelers offense.

Contrast that to the approach on the first offensive series Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.

On a 13-play field-goal drive, the Steelers deployed all four running backs available on the gameday roster. Jaylen Samuels, Kerrith Whyte and Benny Snell got carries, and Trey Edmunds caught a pass.

Look it up in the dictionary, and Sunday’s plan would define the “running back-by-committee” approach Tomlin so routinely disregarded his first 12 seasons as Steelers coach.

When the Steelers face the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night, Conner could return from a shoulder injury that has kept him out of the lineup for five of the past six games. Given Tomlin’s history of sticking with a featured runner, it was natural he faced a question Tuesday at his weekly news conference regarding Conner’s role in the backfield this weekend.

“That’s a big if,” Tomlin said. “And that’s something we’re going to sort out as we push through the week.”

Conner was a limited participant in all three practices last week and has missed three consecutive games, all wins by the Steelers that have pushed their record to 8-5.

In the 23-17 win at Arizona, the Steelers got a combined 98 rushing yards from Snell, Whyte and Samuels. Edmunds didn’t get a carry. Samuels played 28 of 60 snaps. Snell took 24 snaps and Whyte eight, with Edmunds lining up as a pseudo-fullback for three plays.

With Samuels injuring his groin in the game and his availability unknown this week, the workload could shift again when the Steelers face the Bills. The committee approach, though, will remain intact.

“We’re going to work the guys that have been working that we know are healthy,” Tomlin said. “As (Conner) proves his health to us, we’ll consider the way we’ll utilize him. Obviously, if he’s got a clean bill of health and he’s prepared, we know what James is capable of.

“We’ll ponder those things as they are presented to us.”

Suffice to say, the committee approach has worked in Conner’s absence. The Steelers totaled 140 rushing yards at Arizona, marking the third game in a row they exceeded 100. In the first 10 games, the Steelers had just two 100-yard rushing games.

And, for the third game in a row, Snell emerged as the workhorse in the second half, getting 11 of his team-high 16 carries after halftime. A rookie from Kentucky, Snell’s 41 yards increased his season total to 320, only 70 behind Conner’s team-leading total.

“We’ve seen a lot of him over the last month or so,” Tomlin said. “He’s showing a run demeanor that is attractive and an ability to show featured-runner-like characteristics and mentality.”

Whyte, the lightest back on the roster by far at 204 pounds, has displayed an elusive running style when given carries as a complementary piece of the offense. He equaled Snell’s 41 yards against the Cardinals but did it on just five carries. For the season, Whyte has averaged 6.7 yards on 14 rushing attempts.

“He’s done a nice job when given an opportunity,” Tomlin said. “I think we’re still getting to know him. When you don’t have a big body of work, that’s important to acknowledge.”

Whyte was signed off the Chicago Bears practice squad after Conner aggravated his shoulder injury Nov. 14 at Cleveland. A rookie from Florida Atlantic, the Steelers brought him to UPMC Rooney Sports Complex for a visit in April prior to the NFL Draft. The Bears selected Whyte in the seventh round.

“We’re getting to know him, but it’s also important to acknowledge that he’s getting to know himself,” Tomlin said. “It’s not like he had prior NFL experience prior to him getting here. He’s getting to know himself, as well. Hopefully, he’s getting better rapidly. I think it’s a reasonable expectation for a guy in the infancy of his career to expect substantial gains as he steps in stadiums, week in and week out.”

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