Steelers must look to move on without Bell
PITTSBURGH – Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell was fortunate to come away from a brutal hit on his right knee by Cincinnati safety Reggie Nelson in Sunday night’s AFC North-clinching win without any structural damage according to an MRI performed on him Monday.
That was the good news for the Steelers.
The bad news?
It’s likely Pittsburgh (11-5) will be without its team MVP when it hosts Baltimore (10-6) Saturday night in an AFC Wildcard playoff game at Heinz Field.
Bell arrived at the Steelers’ facility to check in about noon Monday walking gingerly on his right knee, which was hyperextended when Nelson hit him low at the end of a 19-yard reception in the third quarter of the Steelers’ 27-17 victory. While the team did not make an official announcement regarding his possible availability for the playoff game against Baltimore, something that will be addressed by head coach Mike Tomlin today, it’s unlikely Bell will play.
“He’s a key player on our team,” said Steelers Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey of Bell. “He’s the MVP of our team. He got up and ran off the field, so that was exciting for us to see. But injuries happen. If he can’t go, the next man will have to step up and play just like him or even better.”
The next man, or men, in this case, will be Dri Archer and Josh Harris, a pair of rookies, and possibly fullback Will Johnson.
Between them, they have 21 carries for 56 yards and 13 receptions for 64 yards this season.
Those numbers pale in comparison to Bell, who set a Steelers’ record with 2,215 yards from scrimmage this season with 1,361 yards rushing and another 854 receiving on 83 catches. He is the third running back in NFL history to have more than 2,000 yards from scrimmage without a fumble, joining Marshall Faulk and Barry Sanders, a pair of Hall of Fame players.
“I’m highly concerned,” said Steelers Pro Bowl receiver Antonio Brown. “I’ll be praying and have my fingers crossed for him to be healthy.”
Harris, who began the season on the practice squad, would likely get the bulk of the carries, while the diminutive but speedy Archer (5-8, 174) would be used as more of a third-down back and receiver. The Steelers also could choose to use Johnson (6-2, 238) on passing downs to help slow Baltimore’s pass rush.
“I feel like I can do all those things. I can block. I can catch,” said Harris, who was signed to the active roster last month when running back LeGarrette Blount was released.
“I’m going to get with certain people to make sure I’m OK with all of the hand signals and things like that. I feel like we’ll get a lot of extra work in on that. Me being out wide or in the slot, I feel like I can do all of that.”
Harris and Archer stepped in after Bell went out against Cincinnati, with Harris gaining seven yards on five rushing attempts and Archer catching two passes for 19 yards and losing a yard rushing on his only carry.
The Steelers, who have struggled running the ball the past three games, had just 29 yards rushing on 18 carries, though Bell did have six receptions for 80 yards.
But Harris did have a 59-yard run in the fourth quarter negated by a holding penalty by guard Ramon Foster.
“I was mad about it,” admitted Harris. “But that doesn’t take away the actual run.”
It might have showed his teammates and, perhaps more importantly, the Ravens, that they should respect the Steelers’ running game, even without Bell.
“That was huge,” said Pouncey. “I wish that play would have counted. It would have looked like we had a lot more rushing yards than we did.
“I know it was exciting for Josh to get in there and have a run like that. It was probably exciting for him to know that he can do that against anybody. That’s a good sign for us.”
And if the Steelers can get through to the Divisional round the following week at Denver, it’s more likely Bell would be available.
“It all depends on if he’s OK or not,” said Harris. “From the things I heard, he should be OK. If they call my name and say, ‘Josh, we need your to have a few more carries,’ I’ll be totally ready for that.”
Odds and end zones
Saturday’s game will mark the fourth postseason meeting between the Steelers and Ravens, all four of which will have been played at Heinz Field. The Steelers are 3-0 against Baltimore in the postseason. … The Steelers have opened as three-point favorites in the game. … Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh said Monday that defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan is unlikely to play against the Steelers after suffering a foot injury Sunday against Cleveland. The Ravens will, however, get defensive lineman Haloti Ngata back from a four-game suspension for using PEDs.