Neues » PITTSBURGH (AP) — James Conner isn’t much on talking.

Not about the cancer battle that threatened to sidetrack his promising career before he even reached the NFL. Not about his ongoing audition as the new featured running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers while Le’Veon Bell continues his extended sabbatical.Not even about his new role as an obstetrician in shoulder pads Merril Hoge Jersey , a side gig he picked up while helping teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster celebrate a touchdown during Pittsburgh’s one-sided 41-17 victory over Atlanta on Sunday. Smith-Schuster feigned contractions while lying on the Heinz Field turf before Conner took the ball and placed it in the wide receiver’s hands.“I delivered a baby,” Conner said with only a faint hint of a smile. “First time. I’m going to stick to football though.”Considering how Conner looked while piling up 185 total yards and two touchdowns as the Steelers (2-2-1) restored some sanity to their uneven season, that’s probably a good idea. Running often and with authority — two traits that defined his record-setting college career at Pittsburgh — Conner served as the offensive fulcrum Pittsburgh turned on while punishing the reeling Falcons (1-4).“James needed that,” Steelers fullback Roosevelt Nix said. “Our team needed that.”Particularly after the way Pittsburgh looked in the second half of a loss to Baltimore the previous week, when the Steelers basically abandoned the idea of giving the ball to Conner entirely, even though the game was tied at the break.There was no such wavering this time. Conner had 99 total yards in the first quarter alone, including a 30-yard catch-and-run, and kept right on going. He ran for 110 yards on 21 carries and added 75 yards receiving. It was a performance that was reminiscent of the kind Bell has churned out with regularity before deciding to spend the first portion of this season staying away while waiting to sign his one-year franchise tender.Though Conner understands the desire to stack his play up against Bell’s, he wants no part of it. He’s just doing what he’s asked to do. Against Atlanta it was give the offense some much-needed balance. The Steelers ran the ball 29 times and passed it 29 times while improving to 7-0-1 all-time at home versus the Falcons.“I think the (offensive line) were tired of hearing all the, ‘What’s going on? We can’t run it,'” quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. “I think James was tired of hearing about Le’Veon so much, so he put on a heck of a performance today.”The kind Conner and his teammates hope is repeatable.“It’s like back on track,” Conner said. “It’s playing Steelers football today.”Some other takeaways as Pittsburgh sent Atlanta to its third straight loss.BASHED BIRDSThe Falcons are off to their worst start since 2013. While injuries on defense have played a significant factor Mark Barron Jersey , one of the main issues in Pittsburgh was an offensive line that couldn’t protect Matt Ryan. The Steelers chased Ryan down six times, including a strip-sack by T.J. Watt with less than 4 minutes to go that ended with teammate LJ Fort falling on the ball in the end zone for a touchdown.“Everybody knows our protection needs to be better than it’s been,” said Ryan, who completed 26 of 38 passes for 285 yards and a score. “The hardest part for players is having to watch that film and critically evaluate yourself. I think with the kind of guys that we have there’s not going to be a whole lot that needs to be said.”WI-FI CONNECTEDRoethlisberger and Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown rediscovered the chemistry that’s made them one of the most potent combinations in the NFL for the last five-plus years. Brown caught six passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns and downplayed the notion there’s been any sort of communication problem with his longtime teammate.“All of my catches, all of my touchdowns are from him, and that’s my guy,” Brown said. “I live and die with him and the Wi-Fi was lit.”SPECIAL … AND NOT SO MUCHPittsburgh kicker Chris Boswell missed his third extra point of the season, matching his career total coming into 2018, but the Steelers also produced a bright spot on special teams when Nix broke in and blocked a punt by Atlanta’s Matt Bosher that set up Conner’s second touchdown run.“We feel like we’re going to get one (blocked kick) every week,” Nix said. “We rush hard, that’s what we do. It just happened like that.”UP NEXTFalcons: Welcome NFC South rival Tampa Bay next Sunday. The teams have split their last six meetings.Steelers: Visit AFC North-leading Cincinnati (4-1) next Sunday. Pittsburgh has won 9 of 10 against the Bengals.For the Steelers’ offense to reach full potential, the fragile Vance McDonald must stay healthy There were two impressive tight ends on display during Monday night’s game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Buccaneers trotted out rookie stud O.J. Howard, a first round draft pick out of football factory Alabama. The young man oozes talent and appears well on his way to being one of the best at his position. In some ways he resembles Rob Gronkowski Donnie Shell Jersey , in other ways Travis Kelce, but he may actually be faster than both. Like those two great players, Howard is a total mismatch whenever he steps on the field. Anybody fast enough to cover him will never be able to handle his incredible size, likewise any player with the strength to neutralize him will most assuredly struggle to run with him. Howard already looks like a wise investment as a first round selection, and hopefully for him he receives the type of quarterback play necessary for him to reach that elite level.That may be the only thing that could halt his assent to stardom. Oh, and of course, injuries. This got me thinking about the other impressive tight end competing on the field Monday night, Pittsburgh Steelers’ own Vance McDonald. His athleticism and vast potential is almost on par with the aforementioned Mr. Howard, but Vance knows all too well that injuries can derail the most promising careers.If you goggle the word fragile the definition reads as such ‘easily broken or damaged’. You might very well see a picture of Vance McDonald there if one was to be provided. I can’t help but think about the famous scene from the classic movie A Christmas Story whenever I see the word fragile. When the dad opened the crate marked fragile (it must be Italian) to reveal his award, which just so happened to be a lamp that resembled a lady’s leg wearing fishnet stockings and high heels, Young Ralphie and his dad were mesmerized by the unmistakable beauty of it. That lamp and Vance McDonald have a lot in common.First, McDonald’s physical prowess and athletic abilities are a sight to behold. They have had a mesmerizing effect on every GM and coaching staff that have witnessed them first hand since he entered the league as a second round draft pick in 2013 out of Rice University by the San Francisco 49ers. I had a work colleague who was a huge Niners fan and he was convinced McDonald was an absolute steal in the second round, and who was I to question his assertion. He definitely looked the part. Then the games started Tyson Alualu Jersey , and soon after so did the injuries. McDonald was a raw prospect coming out of college, hence his second round selection in the draft, and the injuries greatly hindered his development into a polished NFL caliber tight end, not to mention making him extremely unreliable as a player. Moments before the start of last season the Niners had seen enough and dealt him to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers were instantly impressed by their shiny new lamp, I mean player, and proudly displayed him on the field for everyone to see.Just like the mom in the movie was less than thrilled with the lamp and thought it was tacky and in poor taste, you can be sure “the Outlaw” Jesse James could have done without the trade for Vance McDonald. James had to be thinking “What am I, chopped liver?” His best ability was availability. He may not be spectacular, but he was most definitely a reliable, solid pro. So what did he do? Did he turn to social media to voice his displeasure, or pout around like a locker room cancer? No, he showed up everyday, worked hard Javon Hargrave Jersey , and competed for playing time. This was an impressive example of being a good teammate on a team which really needed one.As we know, in the movie tragedy struck. The mom was innocently cleaning the lamp when she accidentally knocked it to the floor where it broke into multiple pieces. Despite the best efforts of Ralphie’s dad to glue the lamp back together, the lamp was beyond repair and had to be thrown away. This is precisely the situation the Steelers are trying to avoid with McDonald. Monday night was in many ways a confirmation of what the Steelers already knew. While McDonald did have a strong performance in last season’s playoff loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, which was on the heels of another injury plagued regular season. The Steelers realize they have the talent to be an amazing offensive force if they can somehow keep McDonald on the field. If healthy, McDonald and James provide the Steelers with a strong one-two punch at the tight end position. But that is a pretty big if.McDonald the player is akin to a heavy weight boxer who possess a powerful knockout punch, but also happens to be saddled with a glass jaw. The Steelers organization holds their collective breath every time he climbs off the trainer’s table. So here’s hoping Vance can keep his chin tucked, his gloves up, and he doesn’t hang his jab. Maybe it will help him do something which has eluded him thus far in his young career. Stay on the field and finally live up to his vast potential.The Steelers really could use the help, but I wouldn’t bet on it.