Putting ball in Bell’s hands a golden touch for Steelers
“We understand as an offense we have to do that successfully to win games. So we have to run the ball, continue to run it, and obviously that makes the play/pass and dropback pass a little easier for us and our guys up front better to protect.”
Many of Bell’s receptions are really runs, coming on short passes, wheel routes or screen passes. His average of 146.4 yards from scrimmage per game (running plus receiving) leads the NFL this season.
He has three consecutive 100-yard rushing games and with 817 yards, should come close to 1,200 or more despite missing the first three games when he was suspended.
He has 180 runs and 63 pass receptions through nine games, an average of nearly 25 “carries” per game. If he maintains that, he should finish with around 323. That’s far short of the “Curse of 370,” an old theory that once a back touches the ball that many times in one season, he’s likely to deteriorate the following seasons.
Bell did top that number in his All-Pro 2014 season when he rushed 290 times and had another 83 receptions. But that season ended with a knee injury in the final game, and he missed their playoff loss to Baltimore. Then, halfway through 2015, he blew out a knee.
The “Curse of 370” seemed upon him — until this season came along. He has become their workhorse again — his backups have carried just 27 times since Bell’s return in the fourth game. Doesn’t he get tired? “I can’t,” Bell said. “I have no time to get tired. I feel like I’m going to do whatever it takes for us to win the game.
“In the summer and over the course of the season, I do a lot of training, so my body is prepared to stay in the game, all game — run a lot, take a lot of hits and I take pride in that.”
It is no coincidence that without Bell, the Steelers did not advance far in the playoffs the past two years. They lost at home to Baltimore in their first playoff game of the 2014 season, and last season they were handed a victory by the Bengals, then lost at Denver.
With a defense that seems to be emerging and finding its footing but still in transition, it becomes more important for the Steelers offense to run the ball and keep that defense off the field as long as possible.
And when Bell has the ball, it’s almost certain they will maintain possession, at least without a turnover. That is what made his lost fumble at the Steelers 17 in the third quarter Sunday so shocking. He has combined rushing and catching “touches” of 1,042 in his career — toss in his first career pass attempt Sunday against the Giants and add one more. That was his second lost fumble.
“I didn’t have to say nothing,” Bell said of his response when that happened. “Coach Tomlin already knew how I felt. Obviously he wanted to lean on me, give me the ball. He said, ‘We’re going to come right back to you.’ They knew I was a little frustrated.
“I’m just glad my coaches have a lot of faith in me, my teammates have a lot of faith in me and they know that’s not something I usually do. I’m just glad we responded the way we did.”
After the fumble and the Giants touchdown cut the Steelers lead to 14-7, they came right back on the next series and scored on a sevenplay, 88-yard drive. Bell carried three times for 17 yards and caught a pass for 5 more.
His 29 runs against New York were the second-most in his career, topped only by the 33 he had in Tennessee in 2014, that infamous game in which backup halfback LeGarrette Blount walked out on the Steelers before the game ended and was cut the next day.
His 35 combined touches Sunday tied that Tennessee game for the second most in his career. The most occurred Nov. 20 at Cleveland when he carried 28 times and caught eight passes.
He has had 80 runs in the past three games and 98 combined touches, not counting his incomplete pass attempt Sunday.
That’s an average of nearly 33 per game, far above his season average of 25.
Are the Steelers using Le’Veon Bell too much? Not on your life.