Is Le’Veon Bell more than MVP of just Steelers?
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� Le无毛视频橵eon Bell无毛视频檚 true value to the Steelers can无毛视频檛 be measured in a mere team award. Sure, being voted the Steelers无毛视频� most valuable player is a nice honor for Bell, who won by a vote of his teammates for the second time in three years on Wednesday.
But some of his teammates are thinking bigger 无毛视频� like maybe, MVP of the NFL.
Perhaps a more immediate measure of the star running back无毛视频檚 value to his team will be seen Sunday when the Steelers host the Cleveland Browns and Bell, almost assuredly, won无毛视频檛 even play. The Steelers value Bell so much they don无毛视频檛 want to risk losing him again to injury in Sunday无毛视频檚 meaningless regular-season finale against the gad-awful Browns.
In his place, Fitzgerald Toussaint 无毛视频� the Maytag repairman of backup running backs behind Bell and veteran DeAngelo Williams 无毛视频� will likely pad on to his 11 carries this season. Hey, with Bell averaging 26.8 carries per game during the Steelers无毛视频� current six-game winning streak, Toussaint will take any work he can.
无毛视频淲orking behind two of the best in the league is kind of an eye opener for me,无毛视频� Toussaint said of Bell and Williams. 无毛视频淛ust sit back and take notes. Those guys really set the standard. I just go out there and follow their lead.无毛视频�
Despite missing the first three games of the season serving a league suspension, Bell leads all but one other running back in the NFL in two major statistical categories. Dallas无毛视频� super rookie Ezekiel Elliott leads Bell in both total rushing yards (1,631 to 1,268) and yards per game (108.7 to 105.7).
Of course, the rushing numbers only tell part of Bell无毛视频檚 story. Bell also has 75 receptions for 616 yards, compared to 32 for 363 for Elliott.
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 real versatile,无毛视频� Toussaint said. 无毛视频淣ot a lot of backs in the league can do that. He gives you the whole nine. He gives his all and doesn无毛视频檛 come out of the game. He has tremendous heart. He无毛视频檚 special.无毛视频�
That无毛视频檚 why, no offense to Elliott or Pittsburgh无毛视频檚 team award, Bell无毛视频檚 teammates believe he should also be in consideration for league MVP.
无毛视频淗e should definitely be in that conversation,无毛视频� said guard Ramon Foster. 无毛视频淵ou can无毛视频檛 have a guy who无毛视频檚 done what he无毛视频檚 done so far and not be in the conversation, but in this league they go with who无毛视频檚 hot.无毛视频�
According to Las Vegas oddsmaker Bovada, Elliott is currently the consensus favorite at 2/1 odds followed by four quarterbacks: Atlanta无毛视频檚 Matt Ryan, Green Bay无毛视频檚 Aaron Rodgers, New England无毛视频檚 Tom Brady and the Cowboys无毛视频� Dak Prescott, and then Bell at a distant 25/1. Since the NFL merger in 1970, the MVP award has been almost the exclusive property of quarterbacks. Only 14 running backs have ever won, the last being Minnesota无毛视频檚 Adrian Peterson when he became the sixth player to rush for over 2,000 yards. Only one Steeler 无毛视频� quarterback Terry Bradshaw in 1978 无毛视频� has ever won.
Not that awards are weighing heavily on Bell无毛视频檚 mind.
无毛视频淚 think Zeke has had a great season,无毛视频� Bell said. 无毛视频淲atching him, he无毛视频檚 a young guy, he runs hard. You have to give that guy a lot of credit. He put a lot of his team无毛视频檚 yards on his back, and he无毛视频檚 done great things. I think myself, I think I have done a little bit of the same.
无毛视频淢VP, the whole award thing, it is what it is. I think running backs can only do so much. Quarterbacks usually win it, which is deserved. I mean, obviously, the quarterback does a lot for a football team and you need a good quarterback for your team to be good. But we无毛视频檒l see what happens with the MVP thing. I don无毛视频檛 care if I win it or not. I want to win the Super Bowl 无毛视频� that无毛视频檚 the only thing that matters to me.无毛视频�
No matter who wins, the fact that two running backs even have a shot at MVP in what无毛视频檚 become a quarterback-driven league is noteworthy in itself, according to Toussaint.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 a shout-out to those guys,无毛视频� Toussaint said. 无毛视频淭hey无毛视频檙e working hard and showing guys it can be done at the running back position. Those guys work hard for it, especially Le无毛视频橵eon. He deserves that. Hopefully he gets that.无毛视频�