That KC game was a masterful job on their DC's part.
They sort of played 'Rope a Dope' with Bell. This is the technique that Ali used with Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle fight. Or if that is too esoteric for some of you think of it too as the classic bend but don't break defense. Their DC did not want to give up quick cheap points, no quick scoring plays. Steelers want to run the ball, feed Bell? Go ahead, we will easily give up plays, give Bell his touches and yards but when you cross our 30 we are going to clamp down hard on your ass and stop Bell.
So, yeah, Bell had 30 carries for 170 yards, a 5.6 yard average and 0 TDs
This supposedly great pass catcher who is like a #2 WR had 2 catches for -4 yards and 0 TDs
Yeah, Bell got his touches and got his yards, rushing at least, but what happened when we got within the redzone? Where was that finisher? Where is that stud RB who scores TDs?
First quarter, we are at the KC 5 yard line, 2nd and 2, Ben throws to Bell, incomplete. We end up settling for a FG. First quarter, were get down to the 20 yard line and again, settle for a FG. Bell is not targeted at all, KC doing a good job in coverage on him. Second quarter, we are down to the KC 18 yard line, 2nd and 10, Bell carries for -1 yard, next play incomplete pass to Bell. We settle for a FG. Second quarter, we are down to the KC 25 yard line, 1st and 10, Bell carries for 1 yard, next play a completed pass to Bell... for -3 yards. We settle for another FG. Third quarter, we are down to the KC 25 yard line, 2nd and 10, Bell carries for 1 yard, next play a completed pass to Bell... for -1 yard. We settle for a ANOTHER DAMN FG! Fourth quarter, we are down to the KC 21 yard line, 1st and 10, Bell carries for 2 yards, next two plays not targeted at all, settle for a FG.
KC absorbed the blows of Bell, allowed him to get his yards but when he got to the 25 yard line, the redzone, KC mounted their offensive and took him out.
6 instances of being down there in scoring position and Bell had 4 carries for 3 yards, and was targeted 4 times and it produced 2 incomplete passes and 2 catches for -4 yards.
You may look at Bell's 170 yards rushing that game and get stoked, me?, I yawn, that was actually pretty piss poor game to me, just sort of incapsulates the lie, the con of Leveon Bell.
Feed me, feed me, I need my touches but then you end up not finishing the deal, where are the touchdowns? It reminds me of that old Wendy's commercial with Clara looking at competitor's hamburgers and saying, "Where's the Beef?"
I look at Bell, remove the top bun, look down at the puny beef patty (touchdowns, explosive plays, etc) and think to myself where is the beef? WHERE'S THE BEEF?
I look at his 66 career games and I see 4 touchdowns over 20+ yards. That is pitiful, it is not that uncommon for a RB to have much, much more than that. There is no rule that says you can't rip off a 35 yard TD run, or a 50 yard TD catch, but Bell almost seem allergic to doing it. Or is it that he CAN'T do it?
DeAngelo Williams played in 143 career games and he had 26 touchdowns over 20+ yards. That is a pretty huge discrepancy and Williams is not a HOFer, once in a generation type of player that people claim Bell to be.
The offensive approach, the way we teach our O-line to block for Bell may be doing a disservice to our offense as a whole. Most of the time your explosive plays happen because it is bang-bang play, your O-line makes a crack, the RB explodes through it and you get a 50 yard TD. But with Bell, these slow developing, excruciating long plays sort of nullify the possibility of having those explosive runs. Bell should really get up everyday and kiss Mike Munchak's feet. Once Bell move on in free agency he is going to really come to appreciate how Munchak and his blocking system made him the RB that he is. Once Bell is with a new team, that has an inferior O-line coach and can't replicate what we did with our offensive line and approach to the run game, he will be just another guy. He will be lucky to rush for 800 yards and probably average less than 4 yards a carry. It will not end well for him.
And in terms of the passing game, we targeted him 106 times last year in the passing game and we got 31 first downs for our trouble and just 2 TDs. That is pretty scary. I have always got up on the table and stomped my feet for a multi-dimensional RB who could catch 60 passes a year and be that threat in the passing game, but the Steeler have taken it to excess with Bell. We are not getting good returns on that investment. My guess is that most defenses are fine with us targeting Bell so much, makes their job easier. It isn't like he is going to score any TDs, or have any long pass catches, and hell, he is only getting a first down 29% of the time on his targets. That is playing into the defense's hands, making their job easier.
_________________ Munch for HC!!!
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