Great News! No Ligament Injury for Bell!!! (article)

Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell got good news from an MRI on his injured knee: There is no ligament damage from the hard hit he took from Cincinnati’s Reggie Nelson on Sunday night.

That’s the word from Adam Schefter of ESPN, and it corresponds with what Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said before the MRI today: The Steelers felt fortunate that Bell had not suffered a major injury.

Still, Bell’s knee is hurting badly enough that he might have to miss a game. Schefter reports that it would be “difficult” for Bell to return on Saturday against the Ravens.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/12/29/no-ligament-damage-for-leveon-bell-but-may-miss-saturday/


I, for one, am so freaking happy to hear this. Even though he probably won't play this week, I am thankful he didn't sustain an injury that would require surgery and possibly hamper his game in the years to come.

Get well soon Le'Veon!

We will have to beat the Rats without him. Harris and Archer will have to step up. RB by C. I'm real glad to hear The injury is not serious. It sure looked bad when it happened.

Here comes Ben Tate...

Le'Veon Bell hoping to face Ravens




PITTSBURGH -- Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell is hoping to play in his first postseason game less than a week after his career flashed in front of his eyes.

Bell did not practice Wednesday but he said he did some light jogging and rode a stationary bike as he works his way back from a hyperextended right knee.

Bell Is Steelers' Running Attack

Le'Veon Bell has accounted for 77.7 percent of his team's rush yards this season, the second-highest percentage in the NFL.

Bell is questionable at best to play Saturday night in an AFC wild-card game against the visiting Baltimore Ravens but the second-year man is walking without a limp.

"My leg feels great," said Bell, who left the Steelers' 27-17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday night after taking a helmet shot on his knee. "It feels good to be able to move around and not think about it much."

Bell said the key to playing against the Ravens is getting his knee strong enough so he isn't thinking about it when he is on the field.

"I don't want to play fearing my knee getting hurt," said Bell, who led the AFC with 1,361 rushing yards this season. "It's not an injury like an MCL where you go out there and play and it gets worse. That doctors have told me that's not what it is, that it's not something that can get worse if [I] do play so that's a good thing to hear. If I feel ready I'm definitely going to try to get on the field and play

More at;  http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2014/story/_/id/12104562/leveon-bell-pittsburgh-steelers-feels-great-hoping-play

And him thinking about his knee is the #1 reason to not play him on Saturday, or at a minimum make his touches limited and unique. Occasional run, Occasional pass, but nothing definitive so the ratbirds can't key on him. Then let Tate carry the load.

Let's face it, Tate is playing for job in 2015. He's healthy, and he's ready to pound a few players (at least he should be). What a better time to prove himself worthy of entering training camp for another team than by laying a beat down on a defensive unit like the ratbirds.

If the line blocks well, then Harris and Tate should have no issues getting ENOUGH yards to help us win.

We don't need a breakout game by anyone, we just need ENOUGH.

Just get ENOUGH.

#ENOUGH

I'd be surprised if Bell does not play tomorrow night. I had a similar injury in college and it's amazing how something that looks and feels so bad when it first happens can turn around fast. At least for me, I was at about 100% within 4 days of the injury.

Bell won't be worried about that knee after kickoff ... he won't be thinking about something the feels totally fine once he's in game mode.

The two biggest reasons I want to see him in that game are his pass catching and blocking skills. It's a huge advantage to have Bell running routes, especially when he's matched up with a LB. As good as Mosley is, he can't cover Bell.

And if Bell doesn't play, I think you'll see more Harris than Tate. Harris is going to be good. I love the way he sets up the blockers when he runs. Not with the hesitation Bell displays, but with head-fakes and changes in direction. He doesn't have top end speed, so don't expect him to outrun fast defensive backs, but he has explosive speed ... he goes from 0 - 100 in a flash. And here's what I like best about this kid: he has a chip on his shoulder. He had the talent to get drafted, but his coaches at Wake Forrest blackballed him. They trashed him to the pro scouts and coaches prior to the combine ... behind his back. So the kid goes undrafted and discovers he was stabbed in the back. If you haven't seen him run, just do a Youtube search and include Virginia Tech ... that was a fantastic game he had.

Tate is good and I'm glad we got a talented, experienced back who has motivation to play well. But he won't have all the plays down in less than a week and you don't want Ben worried about the guy knowing what he's doing.