Ben Roethlisberger thinks James Conner’s big day came from being ‘tired of hearing about Le’Veon so much’

Even if Le’Veon Bell is not with the team, he may still be helping the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the aftermath of another impressive performance from James Conner, Ben Roethlisberger suggested the team’s absentee running might have been a part of the inspiration for his replacements big day against the Atlanta Falcons.

After crediting his offensive line for their efforts in Week 5, Big Ben remarked that he believed the guys up front and his young running back were uniquely motivated for game.

“It always starts we them [the offensive line], I thought they had such a phenomenal game. I think they were tired of hearing of all the what's going on? cant run it, and James was tired of hearing about Le’Veon so much, so, he put on a heck of a performance today.”

Acknowledging the Steelers’ had faced a favorable matchups with the Falcons’ defense when it came to running the ball, Big Ben was still quick to point out how well Conner had played against Atlanta.

“Ran hard, ran people over, spun around people, and I told him, there are even times when I though he made a move when he could’ve lowered the boom. He’s a very powerful back, I don't think people give him as much credit as he probably should get, but, like I said, he performed exceptionally today.”

When it came Conner’s turn to speak, he was far more humble about his efforts on the day, deflecting much of the praise to the rest of his teammates.

Conner currently ranks fifth in the NFL with 342-yards rushing through five games and is tied for the league led with five touchdowns on the ground. The former Pitt Panther ended the game against the Falcons with 110-yards and two touchdowns from 21 carries and 75-yards from 4 receptions.