It would be fair to say that off the field, things could have went a little better for Le’Veon Bell this Summer. Bell came into training camp looking to build off of a solid rookie campaign where he was able to rush for 860 yards and eight touchdowns after missing the first three games with an injury. With the addition of LeGarrette Blount via free agency, Bell and Blount looked to provide the Steelers with a dynamic one-two punch in the running game.
Then, the infamous “Ross Township run-in” happened.
The traffic stop, in which marijuana was found in the car Bell was driving, also led to a DUI charge for the budding star. Add to the fact that Bell was driving to the team plane, which was getting ready to fly to Philadelphia for a preseason tilt, and you have the makings of a sophomore season that could have been in jeopardy before it even started.
If Sunday’s opening season performance by Bell against the Cleveland Browns is any indication, it looks like he is well on his way of putting the unfortunate event behind him.
Bell had a career day and showed why the Steelers believed he can be a workhorse this season. On the ground, Bell rushed for 109 yards on 21 carries, and added a touchdown. Just as impressive was Bell’s ability to catch the ball out of the backfield against the Browns, as he ended up with six receptions for an additional 88 yards.
In a game where the Steelers defense was unable to stop the run, giving up an alarming 183 yards on the ground, Bell’s ability to grind for tough yardage between the tackles may be critical to the team’s success. The ability to control the line of scrimmage, and effectively win the time of possession looks like it could revolve around Bell.
Based on what we saw from the Steelers defense, especially in the second half, a strong running game with Bell as the focal point could be vital if this team wants to improve upon back-to-back eight-win seasons. It’s certainly understandable from a fan’s point of view, that the frenetic no-huddle approach has appeal. However, relying on Bell and Blount to punish defenses with their downhill running style might be the best way to not overexpose a Steeler defense that looks very much to be a work in progress.
Bell will face a tough test against the Baltimore Ravens Thursday night. Not only will Bell and company be heading to Baltimore on a short week, the Steelers rushing attack with face a Ravens rush defense that gave up 79 net rushing yards to the Cincinnati Bengals. This included limiting Bengals top running back Giovanni Bernard to a paltry total of 46 yards rushing, 16 of which came on one of his 14 attempts.
With the Ravens coming off a 23-16 loss to the Bengals, you can be assured they will be prepared for this one. If Bell can have a similar performance against the stingy run defense of the Ravens, the Steelers might just be able to get off to 2-0 start before heading to Carolina for a Sunday night matchup in week three.
