'Everyone Has To Pick Up The Slack' Hall Of Famer Pittsburgh Steelers Running Back Jerome Bettis Weighs In On Antonio Brown, 2019 Season
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Jerome Bettis has faith in the current 2019 Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Hall of Famer spoke at his restaurant on the North Shore Thursday about the upcoming season and what he expect the team to be like.
Bettis believes the losses of Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell can be overcome this season.
I think when you look at this offense, it's always powered by the offensive line," Bettis said. "I don't care what team you have, I don't care about quarterback you have, what kind of running back you have, if you don't have an offensive line you aren't going to be that good. I think James Conner is going to do a great job of running the football. I believe he is going to have that breakout season to kind of show that he is that franchise running back that everyone believes he can be."
Bettis says the team is ready to move forward without Antonio Brown's services as well because of the quality of players still on the roster.
"I think JuJu is going to have a sensational year. When you lose arguably the best receiver in the NFL, everyone has to pick up the slack. I do believe the offense is going to be really explosive and be very similar, maybe not as explosive. But whenever you have Ben Roethlisberger as a quarterback, you are going to have a chance to win every game that you play in."
Bettis understands Brown's helmet situation and the player attachment to the same bucket.
"I had a big attachment to [my helmet]," Bettis said. I had the same type of helmet for my entire career in Pittsburgh. I don't know if it was the same one, but I know I had the same type. You get attached to it. It's part of what you wear everyday so when it is something you put on for every single day for 100 days it's something that is close to you. I understand the issue, but obviously safety prevails so you have to find a way to adjust."
In terms of the Brown frostbite from a cryotherapy chamber, Bettis says those treatments were not even around when he played.
"When we were playing, we didn't know anything about getting into these cold chambers and air and all of these type of chambers," Bettis said. "This stuff was not available. You got in the whirlpool and put some ice in there! That's what you did if you wanted to get an ice tub. This technology is far beyond anything I have ever seen but I will say this, your feet for a wide receiver or a running back. If you are having feet issues, it is a significant problem. It's nothing you look at and say 'Aww he will be fine.' It is a very delicate situation."
Bettis believes the Steelers are doing everything right in training camp to this point. With the distractions out of the way between Brown and Bell, he believes this team will have success moving forward.