Bell ignites Steelers’ run game
When Pittsburgh Steelers veteran defensive end Brett Keisel re-signed with the team late in training camp, second-year tailback Le’Veon Bell’s eye-popping explosiveness convinced him Bell was a young star poised for takeoff.
Keisel wasn’t surprised when a quicker Bell, who shed 20 pounds during offseason conditioning, combined with tag-team partner LeGarrette Blount to gut a vaunted Carolina Panthers defense for 265 rushing yards and a touchdown in Sunday night’s 37-19 blowout.
Bell, Blount and a promising, young offensive line imposed their will on the Panthers, providing a blast from the Steelers’ smash-mouth past. Bell bolted 81 yards to set up one touchdown, and Blount bulled 50 yards as the precursor to his 8-yard, fourthquarter touchdown.
“Le’Veon is faster than Eddie George and can make people miss better than Eddie could,” Keisel said. “Le’Veon has got incredible potential.
“That one-two punch with those guys is great for the team, great for our defense.”
A bitter 26-6 Week 2 loss to the Baltimore Ravens stuck in the Steelers’ craw. After 10 days to plan for the previously undefeated Panthers, Bell darted for 147 yards on 21 carries and Blount hammered out 118 more on 10 runs as the first pair of Steelers 100-yard rushers in 28 years.
Bell leads the league with 461 yards from scrimmage.
Bell and Blount ran to redemption one month after they were arrested on marijuana charges en route to the team charter flight for an Aug. 21 preseason game at the Philadelphia Eagles.
Bell reminded a national television audience why the Steelers selected the former Michigan State player 48th overall in last year’s draft. Despite missing three games because of ankle and knee issues in 2013, Bell finished with 1,259 yards from scrimmage, passing Franco Harris for the most by a Steelers rookie.
“I told Le’Veon he can be as great as he wants,” said Panthers receiver Jerricho Cotchery, a former Steeler. “He’s going to be a great one.”