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26	September 2018

suspension comes as

The Steelers survived one week without Le'Veon Bell.

Maybe they can do it again.

Making his first NFL start http://www.dallascowboysteamonline.com/allen-hurns-jersey , James Conner helped Pittsburgh forget that Bell 鈥?the team's disgruntled star running back 鈥?isn't around and may not be back anytime soon.

Conner scored two touchdowns, rushed for 135 yards and added 57 more on five catches as the Steelers escaped Sunday with a 21-21 tie against the Cleveland Browns, who ended their 17-game losing streak without winning.

Conner was more than an adequate fill-in for Bell, who remains separated from the Steelers in an ugly contract dispute.

While his teammates slopped around in the rain at FirstEnergy Stadium, Bell continued his holdout in South Florida as his replacement gave the Steelers hope they'll be able to withstand not having one of their biggest stars.

Conner could be their newest one.

The anti-Bell.

"I'm so tired of Le'Veon," Steelers right guard David DeCastro told reporters. "I'm so tired of it. Let's just worry about the guys that are here. I know you guys have stories to write and what not. I love Le'Veon, but we have to worry about the guys that are here. That's the only people that matter."

Conner scored on a 4-yard run in the second quarter and added a 22-yarder in the fourth as the Steelers opened a 21-7 lead that appeared safe.

However, as Pittsburgh appeared on the verge of putting the Browns away, Conner had his lone blemish on an otherwise stellar day.

Running right Rigoberto Sanchez Jersey , Conner got stripped by Browns end Myles Garrett and his fumble led to the Browns quickly scoring two touchdowns in the final 7:32 to force overtime.

Cleveland had a chance to win it, but linebacker T.J. Watt added a blocked field goal to his four-sack game by getting a hand on Zane Gonzalez's 43-yard field-goal attempt with 9 seconds left.

Bell's messy situation cast a shadow over the Steelers all week, bringing a distraction to a team that usually avoids drama. The stand-off could last for a while, and if it does, Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin, his staff and the Steelers have to feel better about what Conner can provide.

"He did some really great things," said superstar receiver Antonio Brown. "He ran well and brought great energy all day. I was excited to see him make some plays, not only in the run game, but in the pass game as well."

On a day when quarterback Ben Roethlisberger struggled throwing three interceptions and fumbling twice http://www.chicagobearsteamonline.com/kendall-wright-jersey , Conner was solid and steady.

"Pressure is always there," said Conner, who survived a cancer scare while he was at Pitt. "You're either feeling pressure or applying pressure. I was trying to apply the pressure today. There were no nerves or nothing. Just playing football."

It looked that way. Conner patiently looked for running lanes, taking what Cleveland's defense gave him and never trying to do too much.

The 23-year-old finished with 192 total yards, matching Bell's best game from last season.

"I thought he played well," said Roethlisberger, who struggled from the outset. "Ran hard, caught the ball well. Made plays for us. I'm proud of the way he played for this team."

Conner took it all in stride. Following the game, he casually accepted congratulations while dressing and came across as composed off the field as he was on it.

"It is what I expect http://www.indianapoliscoltsteamonline.com/joe-haeg-jersey ," he said of his performance. "It's the mentality of our offense. We feel like we're going to run the ball when we want to run the ball so I know the mentality of those guys up front. I knew the lanes were going to be there. I knew today was going to be a good day on the ground, just not enough to win.

"I have confidence in myself and the guys in front of me blocking, so it's what we expect to do."

Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman David Irving was suspended for four games Friday for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy, the second straight year the pass rusher is facing a ban to start the season.

The punishment announced by the league will not keep Irving from participating in training camp starting next month in California. The 24-year-old Irving's four-game suspension to start last season was for violating league policy on performance enhancers.

Irving was away from the Cowboys most of the offseason tending to personal issues before showing up for the mandatory three-day minicamp that ended Thursday. He declined to go into details but did mention that he was solely responsible for the care of his 5-year-old daughter.

His former girlfriend, the daughter's mother, accused Irving of domestic abuse before recanting in April. Police in the Dallas suburb of Frisco didn't file charges, but the NFL is investigating.

"I don't have time to be messing around and getting in trouble like I have been," Irving said the day before the suspension was announced. "I have to make a lot of changes. My whole life basically changed this offseason, quickly all at once in a lot of different aspects. I just got to change. And I have been."

After last season's suspension Sam Huff Jersey , Irving had seven sacks in eight games before sustaining a concussion that kept him out the remaining four games. He has 11陆 sacks in 35 games over three seasons for Dallas. The first game he is eligible is Oct. 7 at Houston.

The latest suspension comes as defensive end Randy Gregory awaits word on his bid for reinstatement. Gregory was suspended all of last season over multiple violations of the substance-abuse policy. He met with Commissioner Roger Goodell in New York this week.

Between Irving, Gregory, DeMarcus Lawrence and former Dallas defensive end Greg Hardy, the Cowboys are set to start the season with at least one suspended defensive lineman for the fourth straight season.

Irving signed a second-round tender worth $2.9 million as a restricted free agent and is set to be an unrestricted free agent after the season. The Cowboys signed him off Kansas City's practice squad in 2015.

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