After two weeks, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell has 119 rushing yards. That is far off of what you are used to seeing from Bell, who averaged 105.7 yards per game in 2016. It has many questioning what the reasoning could be and whether or not we will see the old Bell in the near future. Have no fear Steelers Nation and Bell fantasy owners, week three should be a week where Bell gets his groove back.
Le’Veon Bell Could Be in for Bounce Back Week
The Minnesota Vikings played a precise game in Week Two against Bell. They crowded the line of scrimmage, they stayed gap disciplined and they finished with strong tackles. The Chicago Bears, however, have questions about their run defense entering this game.
When comparing the performances of these two opposing run defenses in week two, the big noticeable difference was where the linebackers were by the time the running back touched the football.
In this run against the Vikings, by the time Bell gets the ball every lane is clogged. The team’s best tacklers in space, Eric Kendricks, 54, Anthony Barr, 55, and Harrison Smith, 22 are all untouched, filling different gaps and in space to make any tackle. This is great run defense.
After one week, the Bears had to go their reserves at linebacker when their team leader Jerrell Freeman was placed on injured reserve with a torn pectoral muscle. In a crazy series of events, his backup Nick Kwiatkoski tore his pectoral very early into his start in Week Two. It left the Bears with Danny Trevathan, who is playing in his second game off of patellar tendon surgery and third-string middle linebacker Christian Jones. It is safe to say that they did not fill gaps with the same precision as the Vikings cast of characters.
In both pictures, the Bucs’ linemen already have their hands on the linebackers when the running back gets the ball. In the first picture of the Bears defense, Danny Trevathan was just cleared out of the way for Jacquizz Rodgers to pick up yards. Below, he is losing his feet and putting himself well behind the play. In both pictures, Jones is locked up by a lineman by the time the running back touches the ball.
Back to the Vikings. This is what Le’Veon Bell saw all day long. He touches the ball and is immediately staring down the 6’5″, 255 pound Barr. Smith is making sure Bell cannot leak outside, and Kendricks is hiding on the other perimeter waiting for Bell to make his cut.
For the Bears, Jones is once again locked up by the time the running back touches the ball. A fullback is lined up one-on-one against Trevathan and Rodgers has the path to either follow his fullback and get Quintin Demps one-on-one in open space or cut back and get Eddie Jackson in the same situation.
Last season, the Steelers ranked third in the NFL in run blocking efficiency, while the Buccaneers ranked 21st. Even if the Steelers regressed a bit while the Bucs improved from the year before, the Steelers should have a better unit. They should be able to get this push and get lineman into the second level in the same way this week. They can clear paths for Bell in ways that they could not in Week Two. Expect a big bounce back in a plus matchup for the dynamic Steelers running back.
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