If Bell is absent, others will do more
different plan in place for Bell once he does report around Labor Day. Even though Bell had another terrific season he got off to an uncharacteristically slow start, and the Steelers offense fought through an early season funk as a result.
“I think we did learn something,” offensive lineman Ramon Foster said. “I learned we have to give a little bit more, and I’m OK with that. The guys are OK with that. Coach [Mike] Tomlin said whatever you gave last year; expect to give a little bit more.”
The Steelers once again finished the 2017 season with one of the top offenses in the NFL, but things did not start well. In the opener against Cleveland, the Steelers had to eke out a 27-24 victory without much help from the running game. Bell had 10 rushing attempts for 32 yards and James Conner added just 11 yards on four attempts. The Steelers did not score an offensive touchdown until 45 seconds remained before halftime, and they were held scoreless in the fourth quarter against a team that would not win a game all season.
After Bell rushed for 87 yards in a Week 2 win against the Vikings, the offense struggled again in a 2317 overtime loss to the Bears. Bell ran for just 61 yards, and the Steelers once again failed to score a touchdown in the fourth quarter against a bad team.
After three games, Bell’s rushing average was just 3.4 yards per carry. He finally knocked the rust completely off in Week 4 when he rushed for 144 yards in a victory against the Ravens, but the Steelers were lucky to be 2-1 after the first three games given their offensive struggles, most of which could be traced to an ineffective running game.
“Reflecting on what transpired last year — and we did play against some good defenses early in the year, I will say — but I think we have to know we have to bring it a little more than them,” Foster said. “As great as Le’Veon is, we have to supplement what he does also. We have to make his job a lot easier. The fact that he’s not here, all of us are OK with that because we know what he’s bringing to the table. He comes right every year. He might take time to get going, but we have to be better prepared for that.”
New offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner has some options. He could give more carries early in the season to Conner and Bell’s other backups, although that seems unlikely with the Steelers paying Bell $14.5 million on the one-year franchise tag.
He could commit more to the running game than Todd Haley did early last season. In those first three games last season, the Steelers averaged just 22 rushing attempts per game, including just 17 against the Browns and Bears. By force-feeding Bell early the Steelers theoretically could knock the rust off of Bell sooner. Or at the very least, it might get the running game into a better rhythm sooner.
“Even though the first couple of games were a struggle he showed signs of turning it on real fast,” offensive lineman Marcus Gilbert said. “He’s capable of doing so. Hopefully this year is different than last year.”
While Foster and Gilbert support Bell’s right not to report to the team until after training camp they both admitted there are consequences for Bell and the team. Bell takes care of his body as well as any player in the NFL so it’s not an issue of whether he will be in shape when he does report. The bigger issues are being on the same page with the 10 other players on the field who have been working together for weeks before that.
“It’s getting into a rhythm, calls, comfort level, him committing to the cause … that physicality part of it,” Foster said. “Other than that, the show is there. We know what he’s going to bring. That’s why no one is worried about it. We just have to give a little bit more.”
Added Gilbert: “There’s being in shape, and there’s being in football shape. He’s not taking many hits in preseason any way. It’s being in sync with the guys. He’s one of those rare players that can do it. He has to do what he has to do. He has a family.”