Bell staying healthy key for Steelers
23 in the fourth quarter.
“That was a result of trying to rest me, yeah. Those guys have been doing a really good job of really coming in and giving me a rest, so that when I am in the game, fresh, I feel good, I’m able to be explosive each and every play. I can rest on a play if I know it’s not coming to me.”
Bell even said his reason for not reporting until the Monday of the first regularseason week was to save himself for later in the year. Injuries kept him out of the playoffs in 2014 and 2015, and then a groin injury kept him out of all but the early part of the 2016 AFC championship.
“I took a rest [in the preseason] to make sure I could fulfill the whole season,’’ Bell said, “and be able to take as many carries and as many catches I need to get for us to win the games, and I feel fresh right now. I mean I feel good.”
He leads the NFL in rushing with 1,221 yards, 21 more than rookie Kareem Hunt. It has been 71 years since a Steeler has led the league in rushing. His 80 receptions are ninth most in the league, lead all backs and are four from breaking his 2014 team record for backs of 83.
Conner’s season is finished because of surgery this week to repair a torn MCL. The Steelers signed veteran Stevan Ridley to take his place.
And with Brown out, not only will the Steelers probably lean on Bell more, defenses are likely to concentrate on stopping him even more.
“We want to run the ball, but we don’t want to have too many carries in my body,” Bell noted. “So we still want to run the ball a lot.
“When James was in there, he was getting some carries, taking some carries off of me but we were still running the ball at them.
“That takes a lot of toughness for a team to tackle guys like me and James. We’re bigger guys running downhill, they have to worry about our offensive linemen. The more runs we’re able to get at people, the better.”
And the more the Steelers can keep Bell healthy, the better.
While Brown is out, who picks up the slack for the Steelers at wide receiver? Is this Martavis Bryant’s chance to shine, to become TheMan?
“We all are,’’ Bryant said. “Everybody put a little piece of the pie together and come out with a win and produce. It’s not just me, it’s everybody. Everybody in the receivers group, everybody in the offensive line, everybody at quarterback, running backs. We all just have to come together and win.”
Bryant has had an inconsistent season after missing all of 2016 under suspension, but he’s coming off his best game since his three receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown in the second game of the season.
His diving catch early in the second quarter against New England carried 39 yards and set up a Chris Boswell field goal to give the Steelers a 10-7 lead. His onehanded catch for a 4-yard touchdown put them ahead, 17-10, after Brown left with his calf injury.
Yet on the Steelers’ final two plays starting at the 10yard line, he was not on the field. And he didn’t complain about it.
“It wasn’t my call,” he said simply. “You know how the game goes, you know how it happens.”
Bryant is tied with Jesse James for fourth on the team with 41 receptions.
His 478 yards are fourth, and he has three touchdowns.