/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/20880775/20130819_ajl_au3_272.0.jpg)
It has been a while since the Steelers have seen any consistency from a running back on the team. Maybe that has led Ben Roethlisberger to make a stretch of a comparison of Le'Veon Bell with Adrian Peterson.
To be fair, Roethlisberger would only say that Bell showed glimpses of skills that Peterson has. But this isn't just about how Bell ran for two touchdowns against the Vikings; this is also how Bell is doing the little things right.
No. 7 has been struggling to find any remote from of a pocket from Pittsburgh pass protection, so any help would be appreciated. Bell did help in that regard, consistently finding his assignment in the protection scheme to help Roethlisberger have more time to find open targets.
Pretty much every Steelers fan has been waiting for Bell to come in and bring back a strong rushing attack to the Steelers' offense; but what may be one of the more unsung contributions he can bring to the field is his ability to fulfill his responsibilities as a whole. It's great to have a strong runner, but a halfback who can effectively block in coordination with a protection as a rookie may show promise of fitting into the system.
That's what Roethlisberger likes most from Bell, that the game "didn't seem to big for him." As the Steelers start to rotate in their next generation of players, it's going to take more players who quickly adapt to the NFL's fast paced style of play. Not just in terms of how physically fast players are, but how quickly a player must discern what their assignment is upon an adjustment.
If Bell can continue to show those glimpses that Roethlisberger speaks of, and make them more consistent, he can become a leader in the youth movement that is needed in Pittsburgh among their latest top draft picks.
More from Behind the Steel Curtain:
- Steelers vs. Jets: Everything you need to know
- "Their Life's Work" should be required reading for Steeler Nation
- 5 Burning Questions on the Pittsburgh Steelers
- 2014 NFL Draft: Getting familiar with a few prospects
- Heyward over Hood: It's about time
- Ben likes what he's seeing from Bell
- Jets favored by three points
- Steelers gave Stevenson Sylvester a workout this week
- A second straight losing season could put Steelers on 'Hard Knocks'
- Heyward to start over Hood
- Willie Colon's peak-and-valley time in Pittsburgh
- Foster's high school number retired - after this season
- Thomas to receive more playing time with the Steelers base defense