How Pittsburgh Steelers Can Get the Most out of Le'Veon Bell in 2014
The Pittsburgh Steelers may be a pass-first offense, but that does not mean that the running game is not important. With Le’Veon Bell in the backfield, the Steelers have one of the most dynamic running backs in the NFL—and one that is the key to their offense.
In only his second year in the league, Bell has already established himself as one of the top all-purpose backs in the league. His 1,563 yards from scrimmage falls just behind some of the elite running backs in the league, including LeSean McCoy, Jamaal Charles and Matt Forte.
When the Steelers put the ball in Bell’s hands, they win football games. Over his 15 career games played, Pittsburgh is 6-0 when he carries the ball at least 20 times. By comparison, they are 3-6 when he has fewer than 20 carries.
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| 20 Carries or More | Fewer Than 20 Carries | |
| Wins | 6 | 3 |
| Losses | 0 | 6 |
| Carries | 116 | 140 |
| Yards | 517 | 511 |
| Touchdowns | 5 | 4 |
This trend has held true so far in 2014, with the Steelers winning the opener when Bell carried the ball 21 times for 109 yards and a score while he was limited to just 11 carries for 59 yards in their Week 2 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
With an offensive line struggling to protect Ben Roethlisberger—he has been sacked five times in two games—a strong running attack behind Bell can only help.
Bell came into training camp in the best shape of his career after losing 20 pounds during the offseason (h/t Behind the Steel Curtain). Despite the weight loss, he maintained his power and added a speed element to his game, which has been very noticeable early on in the season.
Bell’s additional speed is evident in his ability to create his own yards. For instance, against the Ravens, three defenders bottled him up, and he appeared to stop him for a three-yard again, however, a quick spin and a burst to the outside resulted in a 21-yard gain.
His ability to make defenders miss is what has made him so dangerous so far in 2014. More than 65 percent of his total yards have come after contact.
Another example came against the Cleveland Browns in the opener. Lined up in the shotgun, Bell took the handoff, made a cut, and burst through a hole before breaking a tackle en route to a 38-yard touchdown run.
Both of these plays came on first downs—an area, which plagued the Steelers against the Ravens. According to Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (subscription required), the Steelers had nine of 13 first-down “plays of three yards or fewer and seven of one yard or fewer.” In the second half, they had five of 11 first-down plays of three yards or less.
Bell was not perfect on first downs, but he did have two of the three biggest plays—a 19-yard reception and a 21-yard run—and averaged over two yards per play more than the offense as a whole. By putting the offense in manageable second-down situations, they will certainly have more success.
For instance, against the Browns, Bell had 105 yards on 18 first-down touches. Half of those plays went for four yards, as the Steelers went on to produce 30 points on offense, however, those numbers could be even better if the Todd Haley becomes less predictable.
Of Bell’s 32 carries this season, 24 of them have come on first downs. Only four of his 11 receptions have come in this situation. Rather than continue to give Bell the bulk of his carries to start the series of downs, Haley needs to mix it up and find different ways to get the ball in Bell’s hands early.
One of the ways to accomplish this is to get Bell more involved in the passing game. His patience and vision make him a dangerous option when operating out of the backfield.
He demonstrated this against the Browns and Ravens on two big plays on first downs.
Deep in their own territory, Bell lined up to the left of Roethlisberger in the shotgun formation, patiently waited for the play to develop and found a hole in the zone before receiving the ball and picking up 19 yards.
In a well-designed play against the Ravens, the Steelers were in need of a big play as they were down by 10 points. The two outside receivers and Heath Miller ran streaks to clear out the defensive backs while Roethlisberger faked a screen to Antonio Brown, who was in motion. That left the entire middle of the field wide open for Bell, who gained 19 yards on the play.
These plays illustrate Bell’s development as an all-around running back. His combination of patience, vision and burst make him a dangerous weapon for any defense to defend against, and the more he touches the ball, the better it will be for Pittsburgh’s offense.
With 43 touches for 304 total yards and a touchdown already in 2014, Bell is just touching the surface of his potential and there is no asset more valuable to the Steelers’ offense right now.
Note: Unless otherwise noted, all stats are courtesy of ESPN.com and all roster information is courtesy of Steelers.com.
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