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Le’Veon Bell’s Unstoppable Versatility Turns Steelers from Solid to Scary
- Updated: October 3, 2016
It was a simple moment, the first of many, the first of what the Steelers missed with the absence of Le’Veon Bell and an indicator of what’s to come.
Bell wasn’t the star of the tantalizing atomization of the Kansas City Chiefs, 43-14, on Sunday night in Pittsburgh. The stars were Antonio Brown and Ben Roethlisberger and an offensive roster that, despite a dizzying loss to the Eagles last week, remains the deepest and nastiest in football.
But Bell is the warp core of the Steelers, He long has been and long will be. A simple moment, early in the game, is a reason why.
While Brown was impregnating the air with post-touchdown gyrations and Big Ben was doing Big Ben things, Bell was quietly working his way back into the offense after his suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. Early in the game, he lined up split wide, the move forcing the Chiefs to cover him with a linebacker.
Bell ran a simple down-and-in, dipping to the outside, juking a bit, then cutting inside. No linebacker can cover Bell. Short gain. Bell was back.
It was so simple, yet so important, getting him back in the flow, and now that Bell has returned, the rest of the NFL should be terrified.
The Steelers’ offense without Bell is formidable but can be stopped. The Steelers’ offense with Bell is Godzilla. It would take Mothra, MechaGodzilla, Luke Cage and a hand phaser to stop the Steelers now. I’m mixing my sci-fi references, but you get the point.
Pro Football Focus charted Bell’s first 32 snaps. He spent 19 in the backfield as a runner, seven as an outside wideout, five in the slot and one at tight end. …
