Coach must adapt for Bell to ring out
Every Le’Veon Bell supporter is waged in a tug-of-war between what they want to believe and what they fear about the running back’s fate with the Jets. Bell’s optimism after Gang Green’s first non-padded practice Wednesday should be tempered by one inescapable question: Do you trust Adam Gase?
Gase rolled out familiar talking points Wednesday after doing less with more last season. His words would have been encouraging if we hadn’t heard of a version of the same thing last summer.
Bell is a special player. Bell can make things happen with the ball in his hands. Bell has a varied skillset.
Bell was a superstar before Gase entered his world, a dynamic talent that woke up defensive coordinators in a cold sweat in the middle of the night during the week. He was a perennial Pro Bowler, a difference maker and an incredible weapon in Pittsburgh.
Gase was given a player that most coaches dream of, only to deploy him in precisely the wrong way due to a blend of stubbornness and ego.
Gase never wanted Jets brass to sign Bell in free agency last year primarily because he didn’t want to alter his offense to run through a running back. Gase has always preferred a running back by committee approach, a spread-the-wealth philosophy designed to keep defenses off balance. Gase views offenses like a basketball team: The more threats you have on the field, the better.
On paper, it makes sense. But winning coaches make exceptions for other worldly talents. Winning coaches are flexible.
Bell finished with a career-low 3.2 yards per carry. He had 17% fewer touches per game, 19% fewer targets per game and 12.5% fewer receptions per game than his career averages.
Bell has a terrific mindset now despite that disappointment, rededicating himself through a maniacal off-season routine that has him as light (210-215 pounds) as he’s been since high school.
“I’m ready to show this is the best Le’Veon Bell that’s ever played in the NFL,” Bell said Wednesday on a Zoom call. “I think I’ve had a lot of success over the course of my career. I worked hard… to help me get to where I was…. This year I’m expecting a lot from myself… and I hold myself to a high standard. And I’m ready to show everybody.”
Although Bell has wear and tear on his 28-year-old body, it’s easy to believe him. He looks to be in incredible shape.
“I don’t like making excuses,” Bell said. “Everybody just tried making excuses (about) the o-line or Coach Gase not getting me the ball… I’m saying I wasn’t (what) I should have been. I understand that maybe (there were) some runs where maybe I had no chance. But there’s a lot of runs where I had chances… and I didn’t make the play. I can’t let that duplicate this year. I can’t let that happen.”
It’s commendable that Bell took responsibility for his nightmarish first season with the Jets. But this story isn’t that easy.
Bell’s self-confidence is offset by Gase’s track record of refusing to center his offenses on one running back. The Jets didn’t sign 37-year-old Frank Gore to be a sideline cheerleader. Gase wanted him because he believes the 16-year veteran can play an important role in his running back committee approach.
Gase has a penchant for saying the right things in the spring and summer only to abandon his own words when the season begins. Words ring hollow when you don’t actually follow through on gamedays.
Although Gase conceded Wednesday that he did “a bad job” of using Bell early last season, the truth is that the coach never got a handle on how to maximize his best offensive player’s skills all season.
Remember: The Jets ran 19 consecutive plays in the second half of a one-possession game (25 minutes) in Week 17 in Buffalo without giving Bell a touch. Gase’s explanation at the time: “That’s football.”
That’s the most recent piece of concrete proof of how Gase actually feels about using Bell. Everything else is just training camp banter.
“It’s about getting the ball into his hands and letting him go do things,” Gase said Wednesday.
“He’s 28,” Gase added about Bell. “And every year with the running back, you got to make sure that you’re using him the right way in making sure that we’re getting him to 16-plus games… not grinding him out.”
Translation: Bell isn’t going to be a bell-cow for me.
Gase subscribes to the notion that having a weekly game,plan specific ideology is the best way to be successful. So, don’t expect Bell consistently to be the focus of his offense no matter what is said right now.
“There’s always pressure when you have a player of Lev Bell’s status to get him the ball,” offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains said. “But sometimes Lev creates attention that’s going to get someone else open. And you can’t lose sight of that.”
Gase has a second chance to let this special player help him. Whether the coach truly embraces that chance remains to be seen.