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Steelers running back James Conner did not have much to do in the Ravens' home defeat on Sunday night (Fred Vuich / Associated Press)
It now seems obvious that the Pittsburgh Steelers and half-guard Le'Veon Bell need each other.
The Steelers need Bell. If it was not obvious until Sunday night, it became obvious when the Raven defeated Baltimore, who firmly set the Steelers on the hunt in the AFC North. The Pittsburgh offense was virtually non-existent, James Conner, the attacking midfielder, gained 19 yards in nine races. The Steelers fell to the Ravens, 26-14, to finish third with the Cleveland Browns, while the Ravens joined the Cincinnati Bengals early in the divisional control.
And Bell apparently needs the Steelers, at least if he wants to play football in the near future. His contract with the team continues because he still has not signed his franchise agreement with the Steelers. The Steelers would be listening to commercial offers for Bell, but have not received any offers that would make the deal imminent.
[The Steelers are now actively trying to trade Le’Veon Bell]
Bell drops more than $ 855,000 a week by not showing up to play. Nobody should blame Bell for wanting to earn as much money as possible, as soon as he can. Tyler Eifert and Earl Thomas once again emphasized how fragile a career in the NFL was. The window allowing a back-ball to be productive – and to make this productivity profitable – is particularly narrow.
When Thomas, who was waiting for a training camp while he was asking for an extension of contract, was fired from the field on Sunday with a broken leg, Bell took this opportunity to assert that his own support was linked to a wider cause. He was, he wrote in a reply on ESPN's Instagram account, ready to "continue to be the" villain "for us all."
But how effective will Bell's approach be? Many in the league ask about it. Will he be able to catch up this season? The approach adopted by quarterback Kirk Cousins, while he was with the Washington Redskins, told other NFL players – or maybe she should have – to play under the banner of Franchising was not necessarily something to fear or resist. The cousins continued to take the Redskins' money one year at a time and ended up placing the team in a position in which she had no choice but to allow her to leave as a player autonomous. Cousins then signed a three-year, fully-guaranteed $ 84 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings.
The $ 14.544 million that Bell was earning this season under his franchise contract was not the contract he wanted. But it's a very good amount of money, especially considering that the veteran running market is not as robust, comparatively speaking. Maybe he should be wondering if what he could earn by continuing to stay away compensates for what he loses.
In the meantime, things just do not work for the Steelers without Bell. Their record fell to 1-2-1, putting them on a par with the Browns. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for 224 yards in the first half against the Ravens, but managed only 50 yards in the second half and the Steelers could not follow. It has become highly dubious that they play a role in this ranking race if Bell does not show up soon.
[NFL Week 4: Texans, Bengals, Titans, Cowboys win late in crazy finishes; Mitchell Trubisky throws 6 TDs in Bears win]
The Ravens had a very good performance on Sunday night, led by quarterback Joe Flacco, who had 28 assists for 423, 363 yards and two touchdowns. They raised their record to 3-1, placing them in first place with the Bengals. The Ravens did not play well in the loss of Week 2 in Cincinnati. But they were very good in the first quarter of the season as they tried to return to the playoffs after a three-season drought.
The Bengals won a spectacular victory Sunday in Atlanta. They have been the best team in the division so far, considering their victory over the Ravens. But the loss of Eifert significantly hinders their offense. Nobody firmly controls this division at this stage.
If the Browns had retained their lead on Sunday in Oakland instead of letting it slip and lose in overtime against the Raiders, they might have been positioned to play a role in the division race with rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield heading . Instead, the Browns will likely have to settle this season to reach respectable status after taking a 1-31 handset in the previous two seasons.
At this point, the respectability of the Browns puts them on a par with the Steelers. This is not exactly where the Steelers expected to be a quarter of the season. Their best solution at this point would be to find a way to solve the problems with Bell.
Learn more about NFL:
Earl Thomas passes his hand to the Seahawks' side line when he gets fired
The Bucs showed up so badly Sunday that the head coach claims his own shot
Colts coach Frank Reich made the boldest – and most lethal – decision of the NFL season
The Patriots just reminded the rest of the NFL that they had not finished yet.
The Giants played on Eli Manning and a rebound season. Until now, they are losing.
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