Le’Veon Bell Can Run Pittsburgh Steelers Into the Playoffs
By Vinny Lanni
@vinnylanni
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A lot of people were quick to write off the Pittsburgh Steelers after putting up an 8-8 record in 2013, but behind Le’Veon Bell, they’re a dangerous team to watch out for in 2014.
The Steelers took care of business against the Houston Texans on Monday night and proved to the rest of the NFL that they are hungry to get back into the playoffs.
The 22-year-old Bell came into Week 7 with 542 rushing yards and 251 receiving yards to his name. Once again, this time against the Texans, Bell did a little bit of everything. The Steelers’ running back had 57 yards on the ground, 88 yards in the air and a touchdown against a pretty solid defense. Bell remains one of the best young backs in the league and it’s only a matter of time before he creeps his way up the list of the NFL’s best running backs.
Not only is it Bell that is having a good season, but Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is having another quiet, but productive season. The veteran quarterback has a solid 10:3 touchdown-to-interception ratio and even though his best days are probably behind him, he still has plenty left in the tank.
Bell has been a blessing for Roethlisberger who relies on him whenever the team needs a jolt on offense. The young running back is such a dangerous weapon in the Steelers’ offense because he has great elusiveness and hands out of the backfield. Opposing defensive players must know where Bell is on every play because, if not, he can burn them.
Right now, the Steelers sit at 4-3 and they have a pretty tough two-week stretch coming up against the Indianapolis Colts and the Baltimore Ravens, but I’m not counting them out in either of those games. The Steelers’ defense may not be what it used to be, but as long as the team has No. 26 in the backfield on offense, I like Pittsburgh and their playoff chances as the season progresses.
Vinny Lanni is a New York Jets writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter or add him to your network on Google.
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