Conner’s statistics Bell-like

opener at New England and 77 in the second game. Bell returned for the third and jumped back into the starting lineup as Mike Tomlin put Williams on ice the next five games (13 total carries).

Williams did not get much of a chance to play until Bell left for good after six games with another injury. From there, Williams produced like Le’Veon Bell. He ran for 71 yards on nine carries the day Bell tore his MCL, followed with 170 yards in the next game and tacked on games of 134 and 100.

Williams finished the season with 907 yards rushing, a 4.5-yard average, 40 receptions and tied for the NFL lead with 11 rushing touchdowns, all in just 10 starts.

Another example was in 2004, when Bill Cowher installed free agent Duce Staley as his starting running back over Jerome Bettis, who was in the second-tolast season of a Hall of Fame career. Staley, with 706 yards, was leading the NFL in rushing after seven games before an injury caused him to miss the next four.

Cowher turned back to Bettis, and he rushed for 481 yards in those four games. Bettis finished with 941 yards rushing that season — 812 in his final eight games (he did not play in the meaningless finale). Staley had 830 yards in 10 games.Staley was no journeyman; he had three 1,000-yard seasons for Philadelphia before he signed with the Steelers. Still, it shows how a good halfback can produce behind a good line and in a system designed for runners to thrive.

Tackle Alejandro Villanueva noted that the Steelers offensive coaches, in particular Mike Munchak and Randy Fichtner, develop good designs to help backs succeed.

“They put players in good positions,” Villanueva said. “They did it with Le’Veon, they’ll do it with Conner, and they’ll do it with every single running back.”

Another example comes from Denver. Terrell Davis was a phenomenal back for the Broncos in the second half of the 1990s. He had four seasons of more than 1,000 yards, topped by 2,008 in 1998. But, when an injury cut down Davis, Denver turned to others in a running backfriendly offense that featured cut blocks. Olandis Gary ran for 1,159 yards in 1999. Mike Anderson ran for 1,487 in 2000. Clinton Portis ran for 1,508 in 2002 and 1,591 in 2003. Reuben Droughns followed with 1,240 in 2004.

Davis made the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Gary, Anderson, Portis and Droughns never will sniff it. Perhaps, Bell might make the Hall of Fame, but it does not mean others such as Conner can’t be productive.