Welcome to the terrible take, a daily segment telling Steeler Nation what's on our minds.

I'm Melanie Freelander.

In the Pittsburgh Steeler's first preseason game Friday night,

running back Anthony McFarland Jr. had a pretty good evening with three carries for 18 yards including a long of 14 yards for a touchdown

He also caught one pass for five yards his only target of the game

Those stats could have been better too if not for a false start penalty on Kendra Green that negated a 16-yard run. Entering his fourth season in the league on a one-year

deal, McFarland has impressed throughout at training camp and been a fan favorite,

even earning praise from head coach Mike Tomlin after the win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

But we've seen this story before.

The key question remains, will this year be any different?

Coming into the league as a rookie during the height of a pandemic, McFarland was at a disadvantage because there was

no training camp or pre-season.

He played only 89 snaps that year.

His 2021 campaign was derailed by a knee injury that required surgery

and again by COVID once he returned from IR.

He looked sharp at the 2022 training camp, but he landed on the practice

squad after J-Llan Warren secured the number two running back role. With injuries to

Warren and starter Naji Harris, McFarland finally got a shot in week 12 and played well.

McFarland is without doubt the third best running back on the Steelers roster right now.

He brings energy and effort to every practice.

He has never fumbled in a game.

And he is fast. Very fast.

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