Le'Veon Bell Emerging as Explosive Dual-Threat Running Back for the Steelers

The more we get the chance to watch Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell play, the more we can appreciate how fantastic of a football player he's become.

In the team's 30-23 Monday Night Football win over the Houston Texans—Pittsburgh's 16th straight win over that program—Bell once again emerged as a dual threat for this offense.

His 145 total yards of offense consisted of 57 rushing and 88 receiving. He also tacked on a huge touchdown late in the second quarter when he caught a two-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger. 

Traditionally, when you think about Steelers running backs, you think about powerful guys like Franco Harris and Jerome Bettis. What Bell represents is a change in that philosophy. He can push defenders back thanks to his 225-pound frame, but more often than not, he uses his fluid movements and shiftiness to make people miss in open space.

The Steelers aren't a team that has a ton of playmakers it can lean on. Antonio Brown is as good as they come in that department, but second-year wide receiver Markus Wheaton is still a work in progress and Lance Moore isn't the same player he was with the New Orleans Saints.

Bell fills a vacuum for offensive coordinator Todd Haley. Desperate for impactful plays, Bell's the person they call on to help this offense find its swagger.

Not counting the game against the Texans, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) measured the percentage of snaps he's been out on the field this season. That total came in at 78 percent.

It will be interesting to see if that number fluctuates as the year rolls on considering that when he gets his hands on the ball, good things tend to happen.

On 105 rushing attempts, he's behind only Dallas Cowboys workhorse DeMarco Murray in yards with 542. His 5.2 yards-per-carry average also ranks him second in that category amongst halfbacks—Justin Forsett of the Baltimore Ravens is ranked No. 1 with 5.8.

Catching passes, he's been equally dominant. Bell's 28 catches on the year have gone for 251 yards receiving.

Producing on both ends of the spectrum, this offense has to find a way to manufacture more touches for its second-year back. He's way too gifted of a player—especially in the open field—not to design a game plan for.

Tonight game as a wake-up call for head coach Mike Tomlin and the rest of his staff. Down 13-0 early to the Texans, the Steelers offense looked tranquil and unresponsive. Facing another third down deep in their own territory, Big Ben dumped off a short pass to Bell and watched as he dashed upfield for a crucial 43-yard gain.

Tomlin talked to the media after the game about how big of a play that was. ESPN's Scott Brown tweeted what he said:

That's what Bell can do that a lot of running backs in this league have trouble with. The mere fact that he's able to turn something so minuscule into a tremendous gainer in a matter of seconds just by using his vision and quickness is what the Steelers need to be successful.

If you put on the All-22 tape and went through all of the top-tier runners in the game today, Bell would easily jump to the top of that list. He has that superstar, LeSean McCoy, Jamaal Charles, Matt Forte-like quality to his game.

ESPN Stats & Information pointed out on its Twitter account just how excellent he's actually been. Alongside Murray, he's the only other player in the NFL to produce 100 yards from scrimmage in each game so far this season: 

The numbers don't lie and neither does the tape. We are witnessing the birth of a true superstar dual-threat halfback in Le'Veon Bell.

With a 4-3 record to their name, the Steelers would be smart to lean on him even more moving forward.

Unless noted otherwise, all game scores and information come courtesy of ESPN.com.