First Call: Does Steelers RB James Conner need a fresh start?; Penguins TV ratings boost

Tuesday’s “First Call” begins with the prospect of a fresh start for Steelers running back James Conner. More problems for Steelers fan-favorite Adam “PacMan” Jones. Pitt’s basketball team has an all-too-familiar look to it. And Penguins television ratings are off to a strong start.

Rejuvenating James

Heading into NFL free agency, ESPN.com nominated one player per franchise that was most in need of a fresh start.

Or, as the website put it, a player per team that would “benefit from a move away from their current team” more than anyone else on the roster.

The nominee for the Steelers was running back James Conner. I couldn’t agree more.

As writer Brooke Pryor sums up, “The running back was a great story in 2018 when he had a Pro Bowl season filling in for Le’Veon Bell. Since then, though, Conner hasn’t been able to replicate those numbers because of recurring injuries and an overall ineffective run game. In his four seasons, Conner has never played a complete 16-game stretch, and he averaged just 28 yards per game in his last four starts. Conner is a free agent this offseason, and both he and the Steelers could use a fresh start.”

Indeed. As Pryor points out, it’s a two-way street. Not only does Conner need to get to a team that is more committed to running the ball — and doing so behind a better offensive line. But the Steelers also need to get away from a primary running back who can’t seem to stay healthy and is unable to be used as a workhorse as a result.

Maybe some of the lack of willingness on the part of the Steelers is the lack of faith in the effectiveness of the run game itself. I know Ben Roethlisberger wants to throw the football a ton. And, most of the time, he seems to have the final authority to get in whatever play he wants.

But Big Ben sure liked to throw back in 2014-17 as well. Yet, when the ground game was churning with Bell in the backfield, he was more willing to hand off the ball or dump it down to him in the passing game.

Put on the brakes

Anyone else noticing a trend about the Pitt basketball team under Jeff Capel?

It’s starting to look a lot like recent editions of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Good starts. Lousy finishes.

The Steelers’ December fades have been well chronicled. But let’s take a look at the Panthers under Capel in his first three years.

In Capel’s first season (2018-19), his Panthers started 12-5. They then lost 13 in a row to finish the regular season 13-18.

In 2019-20, Capel’s Panthers went from 15-9 to 15-16 with seven straight defeats to close out the regular season.

Now, this year, the team won eight of its first 10. But now Pitt is just 9-7 (5-6 in the ACC), having lost five of six. They look to reverse their fortunes Wednesday afternoon at home against N.C. State (8-9/4-8).

After that, the Panthers’ remaining four games aren’t incredibly taxing. They are scheduled to play Clemson twice (13-5/7-5), N.C. State again and Wake Forest (6-9/3-9).

So perhaps they can win a few and avoid the free fall of recent seasons.

PacMan problems

West Virginia product — and former Cincinnati Bengals defensive back — Adam “PacMan” Jones was hit with misdemeanor assault charges and went before a judge Monday morning.

Via TMZ, “Jones is accused of knocking out a bouncer at a Cincinnati, Ohio bar.

In the (police) docs, cops say at 1:08 AM at Clutch OTR … Jones ‘punched and kicked’ an employee at the establishment, ‘causing the bouncer to lose consciousness.’”

The website went on to say that Jones claimed he jumped into a fray and tried to separate the bouncer and his brother. He did admit to physical altercation, stating, “I did what I needed to do.”

Jones insists he wasn’t drunk and went on fellow former Mountaineer Pat McAfee’s show to explain his side of the story.

By the way, former Steelers linebacker Joey Porter — sorry, “Jerry Porter” — was not involved.

This time.

Look out Loretta

With no way to attend games at PPG Paints Arena — and limited options to watch in public settings — it looks like Penguins fans are flocking to their televisions to watch their favorite hockey team.

According to the Sports Business Journal, the AT&T SportsNet rating of 7.88 for Penguins games leads all U.S.-based NHL teams.

Those numbers are through Feb. 9.

The Penguins team website claims those figures “represent a 50 percent increase over last season.”

Not bad, considering two of the Penguins’ most premiere matchups weren’t on AT&T SportsNet. The season opener against the Philadelphia Flyers and the Jan. 19 game against the Washington Capitals were national broadcasts.