Bell and how: Le’Veon runs for 167 yards
Breaks Harris’ franchise playoff record in rout
Associated Press
PITTSBURGH — Running back Le’Veon Bell spent the last two Januarys watching helplessly while the Pittsburgh Steelers tried to make a deep postseason run without him. He made up for lost time Sunday against the Miami Dolphins.
So did Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown, the other members of Pittsburgh’s “Big Three” together in the playoffs for the first time.
Pounding away relentlessly at a defense that hardly seemed interested in stopping him at frigid Heinz Field, Bell ran for a franchise postseason- record 167 yards and two touchdowns. The Steelers overwhelmed the beaten- up and mistakeprone Miami Dolphins 30- 12.
“We wanted to make a statement,” Bell said.
Bell, Brown and Roethlisberger, who wore a walking boot on his right foot afterward, more than wiped away the bitter aftertaste of a 30- 15 whipping at the hands of the Dolphins in mid- October. Given a shot at redemption, Pittsburgh didn’t let it go to waste. The Steelers led by two touchdowns before the game was 10 minutes old on long touchdown passes from Roethlisberger to Brown. Miami never got closer than 11.
“Le’Veon was beastly,” said Brown, who finished with five receptions for 124 yards and the two touchdowns.
Given a chance to prove their first playoff berth in eight years wasn’t a fluke despite being outgained and outscored in the regular season, the Dolphins never found a rhythm. The problem wasn’t the single- digit wind chill or a vicious hit absorbed by quarterback Matt Moore in the second quarter as much as it was the Steelers.
Pittsburgh sacked Moore five times, forced turnovers on three consecutive possessions in the middle of the game and never really let the Dolphins up off the deck.
“It’s hard to win when you turn the ball over,” said Moore, who completed 29 of 36 passes for 289 yards with a touchdown and an interception. “In the playoffs, you can’t make mistakes, and that’s onme.”
Pittsburgh ran off its eighth consecutive victory to set up a visit to the AFC West champion Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. The Steelers rolled by the Chiefs 43- 14 on Oct. 2.
“We have to understand that the same passion and dedication that we put in this week to beat Miami, that’s how Kansas City is going to try to beat us,” Bell said.
At least Bell will be around for the challenge. He missed the playoffs the last two seasons with knee injuries. All he did in his postseason debut was break Hall of Famer Franco Harris’ team mark for rushing yards in a playoff game.
Harris ran for 158 yards in a Super Bowl win over Minnesota 42 years ago. Bell reached that total by the end of the third quarter.