Ron Cook: Injury to Le'Veon Bell puts more pressure on other Steelers

It was so quiet at Heinz Field you almost could hear the Steelers season slipping away.

“You know it could be something bad when you hear the crowd totally silent like that,” running back Dri Archer said.

Team MVP Le’Veon Bell was crumpled on the lawn midway through the third quarter Sunday night, clutching his right knee after taking a hit from Cincinnati Bengals safety Reggie Nelson. He had picked himself up after each of his 290 runs and 82 catches this season, but he wasn’t getting up now. Players from both teams knelt around Bell as the Steelers medical staff worked on him. Archer was right. The big crowd, excited just a few seconds earlier because the home team had a comfortable lead and was on its way to a 27-17 win and the AFC North title, was silent.

Suddenly, Bell jumped up and jogged off the field. The fans roared even though he was limping. The chants came pouring down. “MVP! MVP! MVP!”

But Bell didn’t come back in the game. Coach Mike Tomlin described the injury as a hyperextension and said it could have been much worse. Even if it’s just a minor injury, Bell might not be able to play in the wild-card playoff game Saturday night at Heinz Field against the Baltimore Ravens. If the Steelers are going to be more than a one-and-done postseason team, they might have to do it with Josh Harris or Archer as their running back.

Never did a fourth consecutive win — a division-clinching win — feel so rotten.

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/r...s/201412290149