Steelers want to keep riding Bell
Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell catches a touchdown pass while being defended by Cowboys free safety J.J. Wilcox earlier this season.
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will look to lean on running back Le’Veon Bell Sunday against the New York Giants.
PITTSBURGH – If the Steelers are overly concerned about the possibility of not having All-Pro running back Le’Veon Bell available for games in January, they’re not showing it, at least in the way he’s being used.
Bell, who has yet to play in a postseason game in his career because of season-ending knee injuries in 2014 and 2015, has 68 carries and 21 receptions in the Steelers’ past three games, giving him 89 touches.
It’s a heavy workload, one second in his career only to a stretch he had late in 2014, when he had 96 touches in games against Tennessee, New Orleans and Cincinnati.
Bell suffered what turned out to be a season-ending knee injury three games after that stretch on a hit by Cincinnati’s Reggie Nelson and wasn’t available for the playoffs that year.
But the Steelers (6-5), who are tied with Baltimore atop the AFC North standings, are more concerned about getting to the postseason right now than they are about whether they are riding their star running back too hard.
“He’s never tired,” said offensive coordinator Todd Haley. “The key for us has been to stay on the field. When we’re converting third downs, we’re going to have enough plays to get him those kind of carries. When we’re not, he’s not going to get them. He’s never tired. That’s a non-issue. He’s hungry all the time.”
The Steelers hope to continue to feed Bell when they host the New York Giants (8-3) and the NFL’s fifth-rated run defense at Heinz Field Sunday.
The 24-year-old Bell has produced 323 rushing yards and 154 through the air in the past three games, helping the Steelers to a 2-1 record. He’s averaged an NFL-best 142 yards from scrimmage per game this season and leads all NFL running backs with 57 receptions despite sitting out the first three games of the season while suspended.
“It’s been working out for us,” said right tackle Marcus Gilbert. “If you can stop him, that’s when we’ll start minimizing his touches and find other guys to get the ball to. He’s been busting his tail and doing really good things. He’s taking his role seriously. He can take us really far.”
But, the Steelers also realize they have to be careful with Bell and not overwork him if they’d like to have him available for possible postseason games.
“We have to look out for him, because he is not tired and he’s never going to tap out,” said Haley. “As we progress down the stretch here, that will be something for us to make sure that we manage, because if it’s up to him, he doesn’t want to come out. He conditions himself that way. He prepares himself that way. He is a workhorse back. He was in college. He still is. Those guys, from my experience, don’t want to come out. But sometimes you have to force them to come out.”
His heavy workload in terms of runs and catches doesn’t take into account what he does in terms of picking up blitzers, where the Steelers feel he’s one of the best, as well.
“(Against the blitz) there’s never a fear in my mind when they blitz that he’s not going to get his guy,” said quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. “I think there are probably a lot of quarterbacks in this league that when their running back is blocking, they’re probably a little nervous and peaking over their shoulder. I never have that fear. And I know in the pass game that he’s going to get open, he’s going to make catches and make plays. And then, we all know what he can do in the run game. So he’s just a special back. And to me, he’s the best all-around in the game.”
With backup DeAngelo Williams out the past three games after having his knee scoped following the team’s Nov. 6 loss at Baltimore, Bell has handled 91 percent of the Steelers’ rushing attempts that have not included the quarterback taking a knee at the end of a half.
Williams won’t play again this week against the Giants, meaning little-used Fitzgerald Toussaint will again serve as Bell’s backup. The Steelers hope to have Williams back next week at Buffalo.
“Down the stretch that would be a good situation,” Haley conceded.
In the meantime, Roethlisberger said there are things he can do to take care of Bell, as well.
“There have been times we run the no-huddle and he’s been in there for seven, eight consecutive plays and he’s been very active,” Roethlisberger said. “I can look at him and it looks like he might need a break, so I can, and I’ve told him before, “If we’re in the no-huddle and I’m calling plays and you need one, I can call a play where you’re not really doing as much to get a quick breather. Rather than go out and leave the game, I’ll just call a play that you can get a breather on.”
“It doesn’t happen very often, if ever.”
Guard David DeCastro was added to the team’s injury report Thursday after missing practice because of illness. … Also missing practice were Williams and receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey (foot). … The Steelers are on pace to allow just 20 sacks, which would tie a team-record low. They also allowed just 20 in 1986 and 1997. … The Steelers lead the NFL in red zone defense, having allowed 15 touchdowns in 36 drives (41.7 percent).