Le’Veon’s leap: Steelers say Bell better than before
CINCINNATI 鈥� Tempting as it might be, there鈥檒l be no champagne sprayed inside the visitor鈥檚 locker room Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium. No cigars, no championship hats or t-shirts will be distributed, even if the Steelers are to extend their winning streak to five games.
Today, victory will be measured in bones and ligaments as much as points.
If Le鈥橵eon Bell walks away unscathed from Sunday鈥檚 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, it might not be cause for celebration, but it will be a victory nevertheless.
In each of the past two seasons, the Steelers star running back has had his season ended prematurely by knee injuries suffered against the Cincinnati Bengals. Not coincidentally, Pittsburgh鈥檚 Super Bowl hopes buckled along with them each time.
In Week 17 of 2014, Bell hyperextended his knee after Bengals safety Reggie Nelson went low to make a hit. In Week 8 of 2015, in just his sixth game, Bell suffered two torn knee ligaments 鈥� his right MCL and PCL 鈥� after a rough tackle from Cincinnati linebacker Vontaze Burfict. Whether those injuries were the result of dirty play or coincidental misfortune, the Steelers can ill-afford a recurrence.
鈥淚鈥檓 obviously not going to let it happen a third time,鈥� Bell said this week.
The Steelers better hope so.
More than ever, Bell has become the focal point of the offense during the Steelers鈥� four-game winning streak and their best hope of a seventh Lombardi Trophy. It might not be the high-flying, air-it-out offense that many envisioned in September when there was serious talk of Ben Roethlisberger throwing for 5,000 yards and Antonio Brown getting 2,000 in receiving, but it鈥檚 proven just as effective.
Relying on a ball-control, power run-oriented offense, the Steelers have crept back into Super Bowl contention and Bell into the periphery of league MVP conversations.
In last week鈥檚 win at Buffalo, Bell rushed for a team-record 236 yards, extending his streak of 100-yard rushing games to four, tying a franchise mark. Bell is averaging an NFL-high 161.6 scrimmage yards this season, but an astronomical 205.75 during Pittsburgh鈥檚 current four-game run. Those are numbers not seen since the dizzying heights of 2014, Bell鈥檚 only All-Pro season when he amassed 2,215 scrimmage yards.
Of course, that was a more innocent time. That was before the knee injuries and before serving two suspensions 鈥� two games in 2015 and three this season 鈥� for violating the league鈥檚 substance abuse policy.
Despite the injuries and off-field issues, the Steelers believe this version of Bell is the best yet.
鈥淎ll areas,鈥� coach Mike Tomlin said. 鈥淚ntellectually, understanding of the game, not necessarily what it is he does, but how it fits into the bigger picture. The intellectual conversations with him are much different today than they were then. Just understanding how to play the position, the nuances of the position, the protection of the ball and the protection of himself. He鈥檚 a guy who鈥檚 got some talent.鈥�
The talent has never been in question with Bell. He has come about his reputation as the NFL鈥檚 best all-around back honestly.
鈥淲hat isn鈥檛 he good at?鈥� right tackle Marcus Gilbert asks. 鈥淭he guy can do everything. He can run the ball, he can catch the ball out of the backfield. He can block. Not too many linebackers can cover him, he鈥檚 just a dynamic player.鈥�
Bell鈥檚 statistics back that up. His 21.8 attempts and 105.3 rushing yards per game are both career highs, as are his 6.7 catches and 56.3 receiving yards.
One of the concerns though, at least externally, is that the Steelers are riding Bell too hard. It鈥檚 a claim first made in 2014, and substantiated when he was hurt in the second half of the regular-season finale by Nelson. In 2015, Burfict ended Bell鈥檚 season before it really started.
Given the number of Bell鈥檚 touches of late, the Steelers seem undeterred by his history.
He鈥檚 averaged 29.5 carries and 5.5 receptions the past four games, compared to 16.7 carries and 7.5 receptions his first six. Bell鈥檚 285 touches are fifth-most in the NFL and just 32 fewer than Arizona鈥檚 David Johnson, the league leader, in four fewer games.
The Steelers鈥� confidence in Bell lies in his age, he doesn鈥檛 turn 25 until February, and his conditioning. Since entering the league in 2013 at closer to 245 pounds, Bell is now a svelte 225 and probably 10 pounds lighter than that. Like Brown and veteran linebacker James Harrison, Bell is a physical specimen, closely monitoring his calorie intake.
鈥淚 train with him in Miami, I see the work he puts in,鈥� said Gilbert. 鈥淗e鈥檚 one of the best football players that have been around, hands down. He鈥檚 very talented. The guy is just getting better. He鈥檚 going into his prime. He hasn鈥檛 even reached it yet. With this guy, with what he鈥檚 able to do for us, for a guy to have that many touches is saying a lot. For as young as he is, he鈥檚 special.鈥�
To a man, Bell鈥檚 teammates insist they never had any doubt that he鈥檇 get back on top of his game after last November鈥檚 gruesome injury. There was no grand, 鈥渁h-ha鈥� moment when they knew Bell鈥檚 surgically-repaired knee was 100 percent, that it could withstand the rigors of the NFL, particularly his cuts.
But, having never gone under the knife before, Bell admits he was little worried about how his knee would feel and respond this summer. Those concerns, he says, were alleviated in training camp.
鈥淔irst time going live, a little nervous, but once I got through that day, I knew I was good,鈥� Bell said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 have any setbacks, was able to practice every day, didn鈥檛 take any rest day or let my knee rest or anything like that. Had great conditioning, got my body prepared for moments like this past week and touching the ball 42 times.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a long journey for me, but I鈥檓 glad I did everything.鈥�
Last week, Bell鈥檚 knee was feeling good enough to break out the 鈥� Le鈥橵eon Leap,鈥� a hurdle of Buffalo cornerback Ronald Darby. Bell says his mother, Lisa, had a bigger problem with it than Tomlin did, saying she was going to have a heart attack.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the one I have to worry about,鈥� Bell said.
Likewise, the Steelers don鈥檛 worry much about Bell on Sundays in the fall. It鈥檚 the Tuesdays and Wednesdays in March and April, that are more concerning.
This off-season, the Steelers will have a monumental decision to make on Bell鈥檚 future as he鈥檚 in the final year of his rookie contract. Though Bell has answered any and all questions about his knee, any decision by the Rooneys to invest long term has to be tempered by the reality that he鈥檚 had twice as many suspensions (2) than playoff games (0).
The sense from Steelers teammates is that Bell is hardly a problem. His past transgressions were due more to immaturity than anything felonious and, more importantly, behind him.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a really good kid, he is still a kid,鈥� Gilbert said. 鈥淗e likes to have fun, likes to rap, just enjoying himself. He鈥檚 23-24 years old or whatever. He鈥檚 out there just having fun and enjoying the moment playing football.鈥�
Last summer Bell made known via one of his many mix tapes, under his alter ego 鈥淛uice鈥� 鈥� a nicknamed bestowed to him by Tomlin for his similar running style to O.J. Simpson 鈥� that he鈥檇 command $15 million per year.
Obviously, after his play over the past four weeks, the knee-jerk reaction 鈥� no pun intended 鈥� is to show Bell the money. A more likely scenario is that the Steelers will place the franchise tag on their star running back in the off-season, allowing them to retain him for at least one more season while seeing if Bell can avoid further off-season troubles.
鈥淚鈥檓 sure he鈥檒l be happy to get it over with,鈥� said guard Ramon Foster. 鈥淲henever that situation starts up, he鈥檚 definitely going to break the bank.鈥�
As long as Bell doesn鈥檛 break, tear, sprain or hyperextend anything today against the Bengals, the Steelers can call it a win.
BELL TOLLS
Where Le鈥橵eon Bell ranks among league leaders:
Category Rank Stats
Scrimmage yards per game 1 161.6
Rushing yards per game 2 105.3
Scrimmage yards 3 1,616
Rushing yards 4 1,053