Couldn’t ask for more than what running back DeAngelo Williams gave the Steelers during his short stay in Pittsburgh.

“If only the Steelers had a viable backup plan at running back!” many may have said the night Pittsburgh fell to the Ravens in an AFC wildcard game at Heinz Field that followed the 2014 campaign.

The final game of the 2014 regular season was also at Heinz Field. The Steelers outlasted the Bengals on Sunday Night Football to claim their first AFC North title in four years. Unfortunately, Pittsburgh’s playoff fate was sealed before its AFC North championship was even a certainty thanks to a hyperextended knee suffered by all-everything running back Le’Veon Bell, an injury that put him on ice for the aforementioned wildcard clash with Baltimore.

Without Bell, who amassed over 2,000 yards from scrimmage and was the focal point of Todd Haley’s weekly game-plan (especially down the stretch), the Steelers offense was helpless against an always stout Baltimore defense.

The Steelers answer for a backup plan was unknown Josh Harris and has-been Ben Tate, which led to a less than potent ground game in a 30-17 loss.

If only LeGarrette Blount were still around and not off with the Patriots helping them win yet another Super Bowl. If only Blount wasn’t a total unprofessional with the Steelers (in more ways than one) and hadn’t left the field early and disgusted due to his lack of carries in an important win over the Titans on Monday Night Football.

Blount was the Steelers original “Break Glass in Case of Emergency” backup plan in the event Bell was injured.

Too bad Blount was Blount and not the consummate professional as the veteran running back who was willing to accept his role as Bell’s backup when he signed with the Steelers in the spring of 2014.

As they went free agent shopping in the spring of 2015, the Steelers needed not just a quality backup running back, they needed someone who could begin the season as the starter and not have it totally cripple their offense. Why? Because Bell was facing a two-game suspension to start the year. This is where Blount may have come in handy. Unfortunately, he was complicit in Bell’s suspension thanks to the two of them getting pulled over and cited for marijuana possession the previous August.

Thankfully for Pittsburgh, the Panthers were set to part ways with DeAngelo Williams, who would enter the open market with nine years of experience and over 6,800 rushing yards on his resume.

The Steelers quickly snatched the 31-year old up and hoped that he would not only be the veteran backup who was accepting of his role, but that he would also have a lot of tread left on his tires.

Turns out, Williams was a lot of both.

Williams proved to be a sound investment right away by rushing for a combined 147 yards and scoring three touchdowns in the two games without Bell.

But it would be in the second half of the 2015 season when Williams really saved Pittsburgh’s bacon. Bell suffered a season-ending MCL tear in a Week 8 loss to the Bengals at Heinz Field, and Williams was thrust to the top of the running back depth chart.

Over the final eight games, Williams posted 900 yards from scrimmage—including 613 rushing and 287 receiving.

All-in-all, Williams rushed for 907 yards on the year and led the NFL in rushing touchdowns with 11.

The offense didn’t miss a beat without Bell; Pittsburgh averaged over 30 points a game in the second half of the season, while posting a 6-2 record and just barely making the playoffs as the sixth seed.

Sadly, just like the season before, the Steelers lost their starting running back in the final regular season game—only this time, it was the backup to the starter—as Williams suffered a foot injury against the Browns.

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Even if Blount would have had a good attitude, as a player he was a horrible fit for the steelers, since he can not catch the ball, something a thing that is important for the steelers since Arians left, but for the rest, yes I agree that Williams had been important to the steelers, especially in 2015