2016 AFC North Rankings by Position: Running Backs
By Joe Serpico
No 1: Pittsburgh Steelers running backs Le’Veon Bell and DeAngelo Williams
You might have read the teaser from the previous slide that said “best in the game.” In my opinion, that man is Bell. Some will argue that Adrian Peterson deserves that title, but to me, there is no running back in the league that has the talent of the Steelers workhorse.
Bell has terrific patience in the backfield and hits the hole hard. He has the speed to take it the distance on any play and his hands are better than some NFL wide receivers. That’s what makes him one of the toughest players in the league to defend. His problem, like many running backs, is making it through a full season.
We can go on and on about how great Bell is, but what makes the Steelers have the best running back group is having DeAngelo Williams as the backup. Williams played fantastic in place of Bell, who was suspended for the first two games of the season and missed most of the season after suffering a knee injury against the Bengals in Week 8. All Williams would do is tally up 1,274 total yards and score 11 touchdowns. Not too shabby for a player many felt was washed up once he left the Carolina Panthers.
Heading into the 2016 season, the Steelers will have both players ready to go. Bell should be ready for the regular season and Williams will take on a bigger role to start the season as the Steelers will ease their star back into the thick of things. With Bell and Williams to go along Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant, the Steelers might have the most explosive offense in the NFL.
Next: The Bengals One-Two Punch