The Pittsburgh Steelers will never be fully successful in quieting the outside noise that surrounds the team unless they prove that they can win on a consistent basis. Even after Monday’s victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Head Coach Mike Tomlin had to field a question about running back Le’Veon Bell, which he declined to answer.
But while James Conner has generally done an admirable job in Bell’s absence, the team is 1-1-1 without him, and ultimately, when you’re taking about a guy you were willing to pay nearly $1 million per game and he’s not there, it’s still going to be noteworthy while he’s gone, not knowing when or if he ever will show up.