Le’Veon Bell is coming back to the field this Sunday. The New York Jets will activate Bell from the injury list, and the running back is expected to have his first appearance following Week 1, with the Arizona Cardinal on the other side of the field.
He didn’t play since the Jets faced Buffalo Bills and lost, 27-17 on the road. The former Pittsburgh Steeler had six rushes for 14 yards and two receptions for 32 yards in that match, without making some notable impression. Even so, Bell will be a major addition to the struggling Jets who have problems in all areas.
Right now, they average 4.1 yards per carry and sit 20th in the league in that aspect. But what is a devastating statistic for the Jets is that they have just on rush over 20 yards, and two TDs on the ground, making them one of the weakest teams when looking at this aspect of the play.
With Bell, who did play below the required level last year, head coach Adam Gase expects improvement and something that could give his team more options on the attacking side of the football. The Jets are in a troublesome situation, as their starting QB Sam Darnold started the season poorly, which is why veteran Joe Flacco stepped in to replace him.
Even though the Jets’ doctors suggest that Darnold has issues with his shoulder, various sources indicate that the 23-year old performances are the real reason for his departure from the starting lineup.
Bell is a three-time Pro Bowl player, earning two First-team All-Pro honors, and one second-team. During his stay in Pittsburgh, he had three 1,000+yards seasons, once eclipsing 2,000+ yards from the scrimmage, and twice being very close to repeating the same.
In 2018, the Steelers put a franchise tag on him, which infuriated the player who wanted a new deal and wasn’t happy with the team’s chemistry. He refused to sign the tag, and decided to sit out for the entire year, forcing his way out from Heinz Field.
The Jets grabbed the opportunity and signed a four-year $52.5 million deal with him, from which $35 million are guaranteed. However, he didn’t justify those numbers so far, starting in 15 games and producing 789 yards on 245 carries, which is 3.2 per snap. He also had 461 receiving yards for four TDs combined. Bell posted a career-low 3.2 yards per carry last season.