Bell says playing on knee won't hurt it further.

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 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."

Coach Mike Tomlin has said the Steelers won't rush Bell back from the injury that did not leave the 6-foot-1, 225-pounder with any ligament or structural damage. Bell has to show the Steelers that he is able to protect himself, Tomlin said, before the eighth-year coach allows him to return to action.

The Steelers signed fourth-year veteran Ben Tate as running back insurance Tuesday. Rookie Josh Harris, who had been on the Steelers' practice squad until getting signed to the 53-man roster last month, is in line to start Saturday night if Bell doesn't play against the Ravens.

Bell said Harris, who had a 59-yard run against the Bengals negated by a holding penalty, is ready if the Steelers need the undrafted rookie to anchor the ground game.

But Bell also said not to count him out as far as playing in the Steelers' first postseason game since 2011.

"I didn't expect to be feeling this well this early," Bell said after the Steelers' first practice of the week. "When [the injury] happened so many thoughts went through my head. It was scary. It was more scary than anything. I feel great. If I can do more [Thursday] I'm going to try

 

graet news. I too think he plays.

 

I have a feeling he plays, he would have been ruled out by now

 

I love his heart and I am sure someone is trying to calm his fears about he can't hurt the knee further . That is simply not a true statement . Anytime you have any swelling or inflammation the risk of injury is higher.

One of the most common things is to hurt something else that's what your body does when 1 thing is not right . Most common is a high ankle sprain or a pulled Hamstring. This is what I have seen the most when guys with knee injuries are rushed back.

Coach T will not let him play you can bank on it.....

 

Bell may or may not play, nobody here knows one way or another for certain. We don't have the privilege of a medical degree and an examination of the patient. You have no idea how severe the injury is or is not to make that type of assessment.
So unless you're Bell's Dr. (which you're not) I'll go with Bell's account of the situation.

 

Of course you can go with his account ,but I do have 30 plus years of Football and have seen this type of thing at least a 1000 times over that span . So I think that does give me just a bit of insight into the situation . When the Coach says he should be able to protect his self that means having the ability to cut and plant and nearly 100 % normal knee range..I don't need to see the MRI for that .

And most Coaches on the High School and College Teams would like this to occur at minimum 3 days before the game to allow time for swelling or inflammation . Only way to know for sure if the knee can stand up .

The injury seems minor and even a very minor one to a cutting slashing RB will take longer than 6 days. Remeber when Ben had one he came back to quick and went right back out without any major damage . This short of a week the risk is just way to high regardless of what Bell says...

I get it , he wants to play , he will say and do anything to get back out there , but I am telling you Coach T will do the right thing and shut him down.

 

Yeah dude there is actually a medical condition called "Cybercondriac" and they say the people that have it get online and type in their symptoms and "diagnose" themselves. I had a runny nose only to find out it was the later stages of Mesothelioma! I'd Better Call Saul! LOL!

 

Bell had 10 rushes for 20 yards and 38 yards receiving the last time the Steelers and Ravens played. He is a big part of the offense but if Ben and the WRs are on the offense can still score a lot of points.

 

All that is meaningless since you don't have the privilege of examining the Patient. Nor do you have access to any of the test results.

 

He can pass protect like crazy though and that's something we're really gonna miss. Maybe that is really what they are planning on using Tate for more than anything.

 

Lol

 

Is your name Doug?

 

Do I need to examine you to see that you are short ? Nope it is clear I can see it in your picture .

Same thing for Bell I don't need to see the MRI or the knee , I saw it on the TV screen and used the other 1000 cases I have seen and I have never seen anyone come back in 6 days.

Also me being a former Coach has a lot to do with it. It is the job of the Coach to protect his players this I know first hand Bell as he admitted has never been through this before so he doesn't understand the Coach is going to shut him down .

 

Furthermore the Dr said he will do no more damage to it.

 

I don't know which Dr but in the article bell said the Dr told him this isn't like an MCL or anything where you can do more damage.

 

Perhaps structurally, but anytime there is pain, your body will try to prevent that pain from continuing. This might result in a very slight limp, but that very slight limp can result in an injury to something else, like an ankle or hammy. That's common sense and I don't need to be a doctor to know that, nor do I need to examine Bell. It's not specific to Bell, it applies to everyone. His knee might not get further injured, but if he is feeling pain when he steps or cuts, he risks injuring a different part of the body.

 

But bell himself said its getting to the point that he doesn't even think about it.

 

What a great doctor . Your knee is not healed , but there is no way to damage it further .I am not a DR. but it is a common injury and all the medical science I have heard is there is a greater risk of damage . They always told me to watch out for high ankle sprains and hamstrings when dealing with hyper extended knees as well.

The bottom line to me is if he is not close to 100 % and Coach T puts him out there I will loose a lot of respect for him . I am sure he wont because he used the magic phrase protect him self . Bell will not be able to prove that by Saturday ...

 

I posted yesterday on a diff thread ( Bell update) that i thought he would play, with the majority on here saying he will not play, now seems like everyone is flip floping, .. lol The Only way he wont play is if the dctrs dont clear him. As far as tomlin sitting him , is a load of crap... He ran parker till he broke his leg and ended his carear.. Tomlin doesnt have that much integrity as u might think.. like i said he will play, but he wont get the bulk of the carries....

 

I'm 6' tall. More proof that you're full of crap!

 

I coached High school baseball for years ran a highly successful traveling team and currently coach legion Baseball.
I was an All-State football player in an inner city St. Louis High school, also played baseball and basketball.

Most of you don't know any of that cause I don't need to get on here and act like some kind of Super Genuis.

All that don't matter cause I can guess, but could never tell anyone what exactly is wrong with Bell's knee. I'm not a Dr. And could never consider that based on something I only seen through a television.
The responsible thing to do as a coach is to send the player to the Dr. Let him do a thorough examination,exercise some common sense and then make a decision from there. And that's exactly what Tomlin is doing.