Conner said he wasn’t trying to show up Bell
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� James Conner vented Wednesday about those who, after Sunday无毛视频檚 game, wrote that he was trying to show up Le无毛视频橵eon Bell following his first NFL touchdown.
Conner, in his first NFL start, took a second-quarter handoff as Marcus Gilbert sealed the edge, Jesse James blocked the linebacker, and Ramon Foster pulled for the kick-out as Conner virtually walked into the end zone untouched for a 4-yard score.
Conner then ran past JuJu Smith-Schuster to instead celebrate with his offensive line 无毛视频� his very excited offensive line.
Author, broadcaster and former lineman Geoff Schwartz, for one, tweeted that the celebration was 无毛视频渆xtremely over the top,无毛视频� and inferred Conner and the linemen were mocking Bell.
Conner went off Wednesday when asked what he liked best about his offensive line after he rushed for 135 yards.
无毛视频淓verything,无毛视频� Conner said. 无毛视频淢y first touchdown, I walked in untouched. The media took it way out of proportion saying I was trying to throw shade on Le无毛视频橵eon because I celebrated with the linemen. I never understood that. They kind of just made that up. NFL running back, I scored my first touchdown untouched. You don无毛视频檛 do that often as a running back. As soon as I scored I went back and turned and celebrated with them and people took it how they wanted to take it. I was just showing love.无毛视频�
Conner carried the ball 31 times and caught five passes for his biggest workload since 2014. He said he never lost his wind Sunday.
无毛视频淚t was a long game but it was good. I was fine,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淵ou can无毛视频檛 perform at a high level if you无毛视频檙e not conditioned.无毛视频�
Conner said the most grueling part of his offseason conditioning was the running.
无毛视频淚 really don无毛视频檛 like running unless I无毛视频檝e got the ball in my hands,无毛视频� he said.
MCDONALD RETURNS, BUT BEN MISSES
Tight end Vance McDonald, who caught a career-high 10 passes in last season无毛视频檚 playoff game, finally returned to practice after injuring his foot during the fourth practice of training camp.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 the best I无毛视频檝e felt,无毛视频� said McDonald, who said 无毛视频渇or sure无毛视频� that he无毛视频檚 playing this Sunday against Kansas City.
However, Ben Roethlisberger and five other players missed Wednesday无毛视频檚 practice. Roethlisberger, for one, expects to return soon.
无毛视频淛ust got hit. It无毛视频檚 like a bruise. I无毛视频檒l be fine,无毛视频� said Roethlisberger, who was hit on the right elbow by the helmet of Genard Avery during the strip sack in overtime. Roethlisberger returned to make another throw, which was dropped by Justin Hunter as time expired.
DeCastro told reporters his fractured hand 无毛视频� an injury from which he returned to play Sunday 无毛视频� was worse than expected but that he无毛视频檒l play Sunday.
Cornerback Joe Haden (hamstring), defensive tackle Tyson Alualu (shoulder) and defensive end Cameron Heyward (knee) also missed practice. Heyward expects to return in time for Sunday无毛视频檚 game. The status of Haden and Alualu remains unknown.
Eric Berry, an All-Pro safety who无毛视频檚 been out a year, remained sidelined with a sore heel Wednesday in Kansas City. He hasn无毛视频檛 played since rupturing his Achilles无毛视频� tendon last September.
WHAT ABOUT WASHINGTON?
Second-round draft pick James Washington may have provided the best highlight reel of training camp, but in Sunday无毛视频檚 game he played only 11 snaps and wasn无毛视频檛 targeted. Roethlisberger may not have even looked his way.
无毛视频淚f you think about it,无毛视频� Roethlisberger said when asked about rookie receivers, 无毛视频渢hey need to learn the offense, right? Then they need to learn all the extra hand signals. Then they need to learn the no-huddle stuff. So there无毛视频檚 a lot to learn. We ask him to do a lot of things. We asked JuJu to do a lot because we moved him around and asked him to play multiple positions. I think it无毛视频檚 hard enough just to learn one position, but James is getting it. He无毛视频檚 learning. When I test him out there on the field he gets it, he understands. Now it无毛视频檚 just translating that to on-the-field type stuff.无毛视频�
WATCH THE CHEETAH
They call Tyreek Hill 无毛视频淐heetah,无毛视频� and he has the resume to back it up:
n 10.19 100 meters in high school.
n 4.25 40 at his college pro day.
n 23.24 miles per hour during an NFL kickoff return (a NextGen Stats high).
n 13 plays of at least 50 yards in only 2+ seasons.
n Shared records with iconic NFL playmakers Bob Hayes, Gale Sayers and Devin Hester.
Speed, speed and more speed.
In Kansas City无毛视频檚 38-28 opening-day win against the Los Angeles Chargers, Hill returned a punt 91 yards on any Chiefs无毛视频� first touch of the season. On their second possession, he took a slant off an RPO and sprinted 58 yards for a touchdown. His catches of 21 and 34 yards set up Chiefs touchdowns, and his 1-yard catch was the Chiefs无毛视频� final touchdown.
无毛视频淵eah, he went crazy,无毛视频� said Steelers cornerback Artie Burns.
无毛视频淟ast week he showed that he is the Chiefs无毛视频� receiving threat,无毛视频� Mike Tomlin said of Hill无毛视频檚 7 catches for 169 yards. 无毛视频淗is ability to blow the game open, take a short pass and turn it into a long gain, is something to be contested. He无毛视频檚 a talented guy.无毛视频�
He无毛视频檚 a scary guy, but the Steelers have kept him in check in three games the last two seasons.
Against the Steelers, Hill averages 6.1 yards per reception, 1.4 per carry, 21.0 per kickoff return and 11.8 per punt return. He scored only one touchdown and his longest plays have been a 32-yard punt return, a 21-yard kickoff return, a 10-yard reception and an 8-yard rush.
Against the rest of the league, Hill averages 14.3 per reception, 8.6 per carry, 19.6 per kickoff return, and 13.3 per punt return. He无毛视频檚 scored 23 other touchdowns and his longest plays have been a 95-yard punt return, an 86-yard kickoff return, a 79-yard reception, and a 70-yard rush.
It无毛视频檚 not like the Steelers have kicked away from him, either. Hill无毛视频檚 returned an average of 3.7 kicks per game against the Steelers and 2.5 kicks per game against the rest of the league.
The Steelers don无毛视频檛 plan on kicking away from him Sunday at Heinz Field.
无毛视频淲e just gotta put the ball out there and have faith in our guys and use a whole group effort,无毛视频� said kicker Chris Boswell. 无毛视频淥f course, if you have to punt or kick into a corner, that always helps, but we无毛视频檙e going to trust our guys to make plays and tackles because that无毛视频檚 what we无毛视频檙e all here to do.无毛视频�