James Conner surprised the NFL by leading the league's Week 1 rushers with 135 yards against the Browns, but how he did it shows a combination of confidence in himself and in his offensive line that wasn't evident in 2017.
Le'Veon Bell's brilliance rested in his ability to hit holes quickly while also being extremely decisive and making smart decisions about which gaps to attack. The Steelers have built a zone blocking system that benefited his unique skillset to choose between those gaps, but that wasn't something Conner looked ready to benefit from in his rookie season.
That was not the case in Cleveland.
To continue reading, log into your account:
