Bell says Steelers didn’t run enough against Jacksonville
Le’Veon Bell is not happy. He says it is because the Steelers lost on Sunday, but he said other things that left little doubt he was not happy with the game plan in a 30-9 upset loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Specifically, he thinks the Steelers abandoned their running game against the worst run defense in the NFL.
“I don’t think we had enough attempts,” Bell said Monday. Why? “I didn’t get any explanation. I just go out there and play.”
Bell ran just 15 times for 47 yards against the Jaguars. He had nine carries in the first half, which the Steelers trailed, 7-6. On the first series of the second half, the Steelers reached a first down at the 5 and did not hand it off to him, passing three times and making it only to the 2 before making a 20yard field goal.
This came one week after Bell ran 35 times for 144 yards and two touchdowns in Baltimore.
Was it tough running against a Jaguars defense determined to stack the line of scrimmage to stop it?
“No,’’ Bell said. “I felt there was room in there. The stats don’t really show what really happened because of the fact there were several runs where we lost yards, but I feel like we were running the ball effectively.
“Of course they came out trying to stop the run. It really doesn’t matter. I feel we’re a good enough team to wear guys out whether they know we’re running the ball or not.”
Bell said it was not in the game plan to stick to the ground against Jacksonville, and he did not ask his coaches why they did not run more.
“Nope. I’m just a player. ... It doesn’t really matter what I think. I just go out there and play.
“I don’t get frustrated anymore. I just go out there and play. When my number’s called, I’ll be ready. When it’s not, I’ll go out and do what they ask me to do.”
If his coaches would ask Bell — as reporters did Monday in the Steelers locker room — his opinion on how running more helps his team, they’d get this explanation:
“I think that’s just the formula for winning,” Bell said. “The Jaguars, they ran the ball a lot of times. You see over the course of the game, it’s wearing down the defense. Running the ball shortens the game and opens up the offense, it makes passing the ball easier, it gets you in third and manageable downs.
“I think just over the course of the season you’ll see the teams that run the ball heavy win games.”
Jacksonville rookie Leonard Fournette ran 28 times for 181 yards and two touchdowns against the Steelers Sunday. As a team, the Jaguars ran 37 times for 231 yards.
The Steelers play Sunday in Kansas City, the only unbeaten team in the NFL. Does Bell think they might run him more in that one?
“I don’t expect anything, I just go out there and run the football.”
It just wasn’t as often as he preferred against Jacksonville.