Steelers finally have Bell for the playoffs
PITTSBURGH – You’ll excuse Le’Veon Bell if his face lights up like a kid at Christmas when talking about appearing in his first playoff game.
You’ll also excuse Ben Roethlisberger when he reacts much the same way when talking about having Bell available for the first time as the Steelers head into the playoffs.
The Steelers have been riding the legs of their star running back throughout most of a seven-game winning streak – Bell and Roethlisberger, among others, were held out of the regular-season finale – and that would figure to continue in the postseason.
Roethlisberger knows that if the Steelers (11-5) are to beat Miami (10-6) in an AFC Wild Card playoff game Sunday at Heinz Field and move on to the next round, then a healthy dose of Bell running the ball will be helpful.
“I’m really anxious and excited,” said Bell, who led the AFC in yards from scrimmage despite playing in only 12 games.
“It’s a blessing that I’ve been able to make it to this point in the journey. It’s going to be good to go out there with my teammates and battle with those guys so that we can make a run in these playoffs.”
To drive that point home, Roethlisberger said he spoke to Bell about how a healthy Terrell Davis helped John Elway and Denver win a couple of Super Bowls in the twilight of the Hall of Fame quarterback’s career.
“I think he took it well when I talked to him about that,” Roethlisberger said. “He understood. I don’t even know how old he was when that happened.”
Elway was 37 and 38 years old in his final two seasons when Davis helped carry the load for the Broncos. If his career ended today, the 34-year-old Roethlisberger would likely be a first-ballot selection for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Getting to three Super Bowls and winning two looks pretty good on a résumé, after all.
But Roethlisberger’s playoff track record since taking the Steelers to the Super Bowl at the end of the 2010 season reads more like that of Joe Ferguson than Joe Montana.
Since that last Super Bowl appearance, Roethlisberger is 1-3 in the postseason, having thrown three touchdown passes against three interceptions.
Roethlisberger, who is 11-6 as a playoff starter, will try to reverse that recent trend.
To do so, he’ll have to accomplish something he’s never done in his career – win an AFC Wild Card game at home. Roethlisberger is 0-2 at Heinz Field in the opening round of the playoffs, having lost to Jacksonville (31-29 in 2007) and Baltimore (30-17 in 2014).
To turn that around, the Steelers might want to rely more on Bell, who missed the playoffs each of the past two seasons because of injury.
In the Steelers’ six playoff losses since becoming their quarterback in 2004, Roethlisberger has averaged 298 passing yards per game and 39 pass attempts. In the 11 wins, those averages are 179.8 yards and 26.7 attempts.
To that point, the formula for the Steelers during their current winning streak has been an offense more reliant on Bell and less so on Roethlisberger. After having 20 carries just twice in his first six games after returning from a three-game suspension, Bell surpassed that total in six consecutive weeks. The Steelers are 7-1 when Bell gets 20 or more rushing attempts, the lone loss to New England when Roethlisberger did not play because of injury.
“I’m going to do whatever it takes for us to win, whether it takes seven carries or 37 carries,” Bell said. “I think I separate myself with what I do in pass protection, me being an elite pass catcher out of the backfield and as a running back. That’s the type of player I want to be known as.
“I know exactly how hyped I’m going to be and I think I deserve it. This is my first playoff game. I’m going to be excited, anxious and pumped and I need that. I need my energy up to let my teammates know how much this game means to me.”
Tight end Ladarius Green (concussion) and defensive end Stephon Tuitt (knee) were full participants in practice Wednesday. Not practicing were linebacker Anthony Chickillo (ankle), safety Robert Golden (ankle), defensive end Ricardo Mathews (ankle) and linebacker Vince Williams (shoulder).