Will Le’Veon Bell Be Ready for Pittsburgh’s Upcoming Game?
Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
Things looked bleak for Le’Veon Bell after he was blasted by Baltimore’s Jimmy Smith on what appeared to be a touchdown run during last Thursday’s game.
Smith made a helmet-to-helmet hit on the rookie running back, and Bell was essentially knocked out cold on the play. Although his helmet fell off after he was hit and the touchdown run was nullified due to a ridiculous league rule, the former Michigan State Spartan still crossed the goal line on what was arguably his toughest run of the entire season.
Unfortunately for Bell and the Steelers, the running back sustained a concussion on the play and his status for Sunday’s game is still up in the air. Thankfully though, Bell is in high spirits, practiced in a limited fashion on Monday, and had the following to say about his injury and the hit in a recent article by Teresa Varley of Steelers.com:
"I feel good. I felt like I started to feel better the next day, … After the hit I was out of it a little bit, but the next day I woke up and was feeling better and have felt progressively better each day. It was a bad hit, but I got lucky. I am glad nothing seriously wrong happened. It was an ugly hit and I am lucky to be okay."
Luckily for Bell and his teammates, he will have had three extra days to recuperate before the team can ultimately make a decision on whether or not he can play against the Miami Dolphins.
While Bell has struggled to gain traction on the ground this fall (528 yards and 3.3 yards per carry), his ability to help in the passing game as a receiver (33 catches for 319 yards) and pass blocker cannot be understated.
The Steelers will need some more strong performances from their rookie running back if they wish to keep their postseason dreams alive, and Ben Roethlisberger will need as many play-makers at his disposal during the next four games.
Stats & Contract Info. Provided By: ESPN.com, Steelers.com , Spotrac, and Pro Football Reference
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