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A16 sports
Thursday 19 November 2020

First-world problems: Unbeaten Steelers looking for run game

By WILL GRAVES pocket as easily as he did a
AP Sports Writer decade ago.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mike Yet the wiggle room James
Tomlin said minutes after Conner and Benny Snell
the Pittsburgh Steelers im- Jr. found early in the sea-
proved to 9-0 after a vic- son while running primar-
tory over Cincinnati on Sun- ily out of the shotgun has
day that he wasn't worried vanished. Conner is aver-
about his team's scuffling aging 2.8 yards per carry
running game because over his past three games.
"we can give it to you how- Snell came off the bench
ever you want it." to go over 100 yards in the
Upon second glance, may- season opener against the
be not. New York Giants, but has
While the Steelers are cruis- averaged just 2.2 yards per
ing right along as the NFL's carry ever since.
lone unbeaten team, Pittsburgh splurged on full-
Tomlin admitted Tuesday back Derek Watt in the off-
that the only thing perfect season, paying him $3.75
about his group is its record million a season to chip in
and there is plenty to work on special teams and oc-
on before a visit to reeling casionally block.
Jacksonville (1-8), starting Hamstring issues have lim-
with a rushing attack that's Pittsburgh Steelers running back James Conner, left, carries the ball during the first half of an NFL ited Watt's availability in re-
taken a significant step football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020, in Pittsburgh. cent weeks. Yet at the start
backward over the past Associated Press of the second half against
month. on a day when quarter- ship for that," Tomlin said. mage when run-blocking Cincinnati, he found him-
"You always go through back Ben Roethlisberger "We are going to roll our often excels when Roeth- self in the huddle for the
lulls in the season where passed for four touch- sleeves up and solve it. We lisberger loads up his surgi- first two plays. Both of them
components of your play downs after Cincinnati cu- had a similar discussion a cally repaired right arm to ended with 1-yard Conner
are lacking, and it requires riously stacked the line of couple of weeks ago when pass. He's been sacked just runs. Maybe having Watt
a re-center of energy or scrimmage and dared Ro- you were asking about our 10 times in 344 dropbacks, involved more regularly
attention or focus," Tomlin ethlisberger to throw it. third-and-long defense. We the second-lowest total in might help. Everything is on
said. "I believe that is where However, Tomlin under- did similar things there, and the league. the table at the moment,
we are in regards to the run stands being able to move I expect similar results in the Still, the more he throws, though Tomlin stressed Con-
game right now. We will get the ball on the ground and run game." the more likely he is to be ner remains entrenched as
about that task this week." play keep-away from op- Pittsburgh forced the Ben- hit in some fashion. He was the starter.
Pittsburgh averaged 136.8 ponents will matter at some gals to go 0 for 13 on third forced to briefly leave a vic- "I look forward to getting
yards rushing during its point, most likely in the down while putting togeth- tory over Dallas on Nov. 8 into the lab with the coach-
first five games, a number playoffs. While the Steelers er a relatively easy victory after taking a shot to his left es and the guys and attack-
that's dropped to 58 yards put up 36 points against after three straight last-sec- knee. Asking him to throw it ing this run game situation,"
per game during a stretch Cincinnati, they also punt- ond escapes, ones in which 40 or more times — as he's Tomlin said. "It's something
that included a season- ed seven times. Kick it Roethlisberger and his ver- done in three of the past that we shouldn't have
low 44-yard effort against away to Patrick Mahomes satile group of wide receiv- four games — ups the op- a difficult time pushing
a Bengals team that came or Lamar Jackson and that ers did the heavy lifting of- portunities defenses have through, to be quite honest
in 29th against the run while often is asking for trouble, fensively. to fire away at a 38-year- with you. We have very ca-
allowing 5.2 yards per car- and Tomlin knows it. The odd thing is, the line old that remains one of the pable people in that area,
ry. "We are not up to snuff right that is struggling to get a best in the business, but but it is below the line as we
Ultimately it didn't matter now. We accept owner- push at the line of scrim- doesn't move around in the sit here today."q

Play-in tourney on, Olympics likely out for NBA in 2020-21

ture a play-in tournament three times apiece. Teams East and the West.
and an NBA Finals that will play the remaining 30 The league debuted the
could run all the way until games against the oppo- play-in tournament this
July 22 — keeping some site conference — one at year at Walt Disney World,
players from competing in home and one on the road though it only featured the
the Olympics. in a return to cross-country Nos. 8-9 teams in the West-
The league's 75th season, travel and playing in are- ern Conference. Portland
delayed and shortened nas after completing last knocked out Memphis to
because of the coronavirus season in a "bubble" envi- earn the final seed in the
pandemic, will begin Dec. ronment. playoffs.
22 and look like none other. When that's finished, the This time, the team with
The NBA announced Tues- play-in tournament, ap- the seventh-best record in
day how it will make up the proved Tuesday by the each conference will host
In this Aug. 15, 2020, file photo, Portland Trail Blazers' Jusuf Nurkic 72-game schedule, which board of governors on a No. 8 in one game. The win-
(27) and Memphis Grizzlies' Jonas Valanciunas (17) reach for won't be entirely known un- one-year basis, follows in- ner secures the No. 7 seed,
the opening tip in an NBA basketball play-in game in Lake til well after it's started. volving the teams with the while the loser hosts the
Buena Vista, Fla. Teams will play 42 intra- seventh through 10th-best winner of a game between
Associated Press
conference games, with records in each confer- No. 9 and No. 10. The win-
By BRIAN MAHONEY NEW YORK (AP) — The 2020- each club facing the oth- ence. They will play for the ner of that game gets the
AP Basketball Writer 21 NBA schedule will fea- ers within its conference final two playoff spots in the final playoff spot.q