Bell ready to ring against Bengals
PITTSBURGH – The last time Le’Veon Bell faced the Cincinnati Bengals, he was helped off the field, having suffered a hyperextended right knee following a vicious hit from safety Reggie Nelson.
The Week 17 injury ended Bell’s season and led to the end of the Steelers’ season a week later with a defeat against Baltimore in the first round of the playoffs.
Now healthy and leading the AFC in rushing despite serving a two-game suspension, Bell said he harbors no ill will toward Nelson.
“I don’t think he intended to hurt me,” said Bell, who has gained 511 yards in five games. “He chose to go low. I had gotten him earlier in the game when he tried to go high. I’m a bigger guy. The way my body was positioned, it was an ugly hit. But it wasn’t as bad as it looked.”
The Steelers took umbrage with the hit and head coach Mike Tomlin yelled at Nelson as the teams exited the field following the game.
On Sunday, Bell and Nelson will be on the field together when the Steelers (4-3) host the Bengals (6-0) in a key AFC North game at Heinz Field.
Bell’s injury came at the end of a 19-yard catch in the third quarter of the Steelers’ 27-17 victory last December at Heinz Field that gave the Steelers a season sweep of the Bengals. The sweep helped the Steelers win the division title.
If they have any hope of catching the Bengals this season, a victory Sunday is a must. For that to happen, the Steelers will need a big game out of Bell, something he does regularly against the Bengals.
“He’s got great vision, great patience,” said Cincinnati head coach Marvin Lewis, a McDonald native and Fort Cherry High School graduate, of Bell. “He’s strong, he’s big and he’s long. He’s an outstanding runner.”
Lewis should know. In three career meetings with Cincinnati, Bell has averaged 147.3 yards from scrimmage with four touchdowns.
With Ben Roethlisberger set to make his return this week after missing the past four games with a sprained knee, the Steelers might want to lean on their star running back a little more against the Bengals.
And while Cincinnati’s defense has been good this season, the Bengals are susceptible to the run, allowing 4.9 yards per carry.
Bell had 26 carries for 185 yards and six receptions for 50 yards against the Bengals in Cincinnati last season, as the Steelers continually bashed Cincinnati’s defense with a power counter run in a 42-21 victory.
The Bengals were ready for that play in the second meeting a few weeks later, limiting Bell to 20 yards on eight carries before his injury. He did, however, have six catches for 80 yards before leaving the game.
“The first game, I don’t know, I would say we ran it 10 or 12 times, in some form of it,” said Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley of the counter play that typically had right guard David DeCastro pulling around the left end.
“It’s one of those things, when something is working, you keep doing it until they fix it. But the second game, they worked a bunch at it and they did a much better job of stopping it.”
Especially without Bell in the game, even if his knee will never quite be the same.
“I go into every game anxious and ready to play,” said Bell, when asked if he was concerned with paying the Bengals back.
“I don’t think (the knee) will ever probably feel the same again. I’m bearing the injury. I’m able to play through it. I have take care of it. But it feels a lot better than what it used to be.”
Roethlisberger was a full participant in practice for the second consecutive day. … Cornerback William Gay (shoulder) returned to practice on a full-time basis after sitting out Wednesday. … Defensive end Stephon Tuitt, quarterback Mike Vick and linebacker Terence Garvin did not practice Thursday for the Steelers. … Cornerback Leon Hall (back) was limited for the second consecutive day for Cincinnati.