Aug 19, 2013; Landover, MD, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
It was bad enough that the offensive line, particularly the starters, looked awful during Pittsburgh’s second preseason contest. The worst part happened when the apparent “solution” to Pittsburgh’s running game “problems” exited the game with a foot injury after only one series this evening.
And yes, for those of you playing the home game, it was the very same Le’Veon Bell who suffered a knee injury last week. Apparently the running back, who is a robust 6’1″ 244 lbs., is apparently not a solidly built as he appears. Bell exited the game after only nine yards on four carries in his preseason debut, and he failed to record a run longer than four yards!
According to Ed Bouchette of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Bell will undergo an MRI tomorrow to determine the severity of his injury before the team can make any further decisions. I certainly hate to be a “Negative Nancy,” but the cupboard is pretty bare for Pittsburgh at the running back position at the moment.
Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer are nothing more than short-yardage battering rams who lack breakaway speed, LaRod Stephens-Howling is a solid third-down option but lacks the size to tote the rock on a consistent basis, Baron Batch was in danger of being released before Bell went down, and Alvester Alexander and Jeremy Wright are battling each other for a spot on the practice squad. While I was not as “ga-ga” over Bell as many in this fanbase were when he was drafted, I still thought that his addition could only help Pittsburgh’s running back corps this fall.
For now though, we will have to wait for the MRI and hope that Bell is not out of the lineup for an extended period.
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