Mike Tomlin 'Optimistic' James Conner Returns from Shoulder Injury vs. Rams

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters Tuesday he's "optimistic" James Conner will be available for Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Rams.

Conner missed Pittsburgh's 26-24 Week 9 win over the Indianapolis Colts with a shoulder injury. The injury kept him out of the team's practices ahead of the game as well.

Trey Edmunds and Jaylen Samuels combined to fill Conner's void in the backfield against the Colts.

Edmunds had 73 yards on 12 carries—a large chunk of which came on a 45-yard run in the first quarter—while Samuels carried the ball eight times for 10 yards. Samuels was also the team's leading receiver, catching 13 passes for 73 yards.

Tomlin said Tuesday that Edmunds could be limited in practice this week as he deals with a rib injury.

The Rams are 10th in rushing yards allowed (96.9 per game) and third in opponent yards per carry (3.6).

Since replacing an injured Ben Roethlisberger, Mason Rudolph has eclipsed 200 passing yards only twice, which came against the winless Cincinnati Bengals and one-win Miami Dolphins.

The Steelers have had to compensate by leaning on the running game and slowing down the tempo. According to Football Outsiders, Pittsburgh is 28th in average seconds per play (29.47) after sitting 15th (27.62) in 2018.

If Conner is out for the second straight game, the Steelers offense could be in serious trouble against what is one of the NFL's better defenses.