LE'VEON BELL
Running Back
To say that the Steelers are running their offense through Le'Veon Bell right now is an understatement. In an incredibly important 29-14 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals today at Heinz Field, a victory that raised their record to 5-2 and gave them a two-game lead over the Baltiomore Ravens and a 2.5-game lead over the Bengals for first place in the AFC North.
In the victory, the Steelers offense ran 68 plays for 420 total net yards, and Bell finished with 38 touches (35 carries and three receptions) for 193 yards from scrimmage (135 yards rushing and 58 yards receiving).
Those totals represent these percentages: Bell was involved in 56 percent of the Steelers' offensive plays in the game and gained 46 percent of the yards. Bell is the Steelers Digest Player of the Week.
Also considered were Ben Roethlisberger, who completed 14-of-24 (58.3 percent) for 224 yards, with two touchdowns, no interceptions, and a rating of 117.4; T.J. Watt, who had six tackles, a sack, and three total hits on the quarterback; Antonio Brown, who caught four passes for 65 yards (16.3 average) and a touchdown; Chris Boswell, who was 5-for-5 on field goal attempts, with his longest being from 49 yards; Joe Haden, who had one tackle and his first interception as a member of the Steelers; Bud Dupree, who had three tackles, one sack, and two total hits on the quarterback; Cam Heyward, who had four tackles, one sack, and two total hits on the quarterback; Tyson Alualu, who had four tackles and a sack; JuJu Smith-Schuster, who caught two passes for 39 yards and a touchdown, and also did some nice work blocking downfield; and the duo of Robert Golden and Darrius Heyward-Bey, who correctly read the Bengals' failure to cover Heyward-Bey on a punt and combined for a 44-yard pitch-and-catch for a key first down in the fourth quarter.
