Remember a few weeks ago when Ben Roethlisberger was questioning whether or not rookie running back Le'Veon Bell would be able to contribute to the team? The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback had no idea what the youngster would do on field after he sat out the first few weeks with a foot injury. Well, no one is questioning Bell now as the running back has become a game changer for the Steelers.
The past three weeks, Bell has emerged as the top running back for the Steelers. As a result, Pittsburgh announced the release of Isaac Redman. Back in 2012, Redman was the leading rusher for Pittsburgh. He was selected over Jonathan Dwyer, who was released and then re-signed, and appeared to regain that role in the 2013 season as well. Between 2010 and 2012, Redman had 1,136 rushing yards in a somewhat limited role. However, Redman took a backseat to Bell and is now without a team.
Since coming off a foot injury, Bell has been the best running back of the bunch. The Steelers originally intended on running a three-man rotation with the rookie, Dwyer and Felix Jones, but Bell has shown he can be an every-down back, leaving Roethlisberger very impressed.
"He really can be a very dynamic back in more ways than one," Roethlisberger said on 93.7 The Fan. "I don't think he's scratched the surface of how good he can be as a runner, as a complete back. If he keeps putting that on film, it's going to make defenders sit there and kind of second guess and then he can give those moves."
Bell certainly showed all of his talents to the Baltimore Ravens this past Sunday, putting up a strong performance against the defending Super Bowl champions. Bell put up 93 yards on 19 carries while showing fast cuts throwing off every defender of the Ravens. He was the leader of the Steelers 143-yard ground game.
"The game is still fast, but it's starting to slow down for me," Bell said, via the Post-Gazette. "The more I play, the more comfortable I feel. I had a great week of practice and I think it showed today. I'm going to continue to get better."
Bell is now averaging around 20 touches per game, something Steelers fans are pretty happy with. The rookie is convinced that he and Roethlisberger will keep the offense moving at an aggressive pace. With two wins under their belts, Bell believes they have the momentum and he does not plan on slowing down. Pittsburgh clearly showed a strong amount of faith in him with the release of Redman so he better not stop. Fantasy owners would be smart to stay invested in the rookie for the remainder of the year.
