Who knew what the Steelers had when they drafted Le’Veon Bell out of Michigan State last year in the second round. Bell, a three-down, workhorse back, has carried the load for the Steelers’ offense for much of the season. In Sunday’s come-from-behind win over the Cincinnati Bengals, Bell once again carried the load for the Steelers, and the rest of the league took notice, as he was named the AFC offensive player of the week.
Bell rushed for 185 yards on 26 carries during the game, and he added 50 yards on six receptions, while finding pay dirt a total of three times in Cincinnati. With his performance, Bell surpassed the 200-yard plateau for the third straight game, becoming the first running back to do so since Walter Payton in 1977.
“It’s an honor to be mentioned with a guy like Walter Payton,” Bell said to reporters following the game. “I’ve heard a lot about him. Obviously I haven’t seen a full game of how he runs, things like that, but I’ve seen a lot of highlights.”
Bell also earned the Pittsburgh Sporting News Player of the Week Award for his efforts in Sunday’s game, and he’s looking to continue his red-hot play on Sunday, as the Steelers travel to Atlanta to take on the Falcons in the Georgia Dome.
