When the Pittsburgh Steelers decided to draft running back Le’Veon Bell in the second round of the 2013 NFL, there was a good portion of the fan base that was upset as it meant that they chose the Michigan State product over former Alabama running back Eddie Lacy.
While Lacy went on to win the 2013 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award with the Green Bay Packers, the Steelers decision to draft Bell over him is starting to look more and more like the right move.
With two weeks of the 2014 NFL season now almost in the books, Bell has managed to compile 22 more total yards (1,563) from scrimmage than Lacy (1,541) has and he’s done so in two less games played.
While Lacy still leads Bell in total rushing yards and touchdowns heading into the third week of the 2014 season, the latter has almost doubled the former in receiving yards.
Unfortunately, Bell does lead Lacy so far when it comes to off the field problems thanks to him being arrested and charged a few weeks ago with possession of marijuana and driving under the influence. Hopefully that poor decision has served as a wakeup call to Bell moving forward.
Sunday night against the Carolina Panthers, Bell has a chance to make the Steelers look even smarter by selecting him over Lacy as the second-year running back needs just 79 total yards to set a new franchise record of total yards from scrimmage through the first three games of a season. That record is currently held by former Steelers running back Willie Parker, who had 382 total yards from scrimmage through the first three games of the 2007 season.
During his 2013 rookie season, Lacy’s best three game stretch when it came to total yards from scrimmage was 370, in case you’re curious.
Career Stats Of Le’Veon Bell And Eddie Lacy Through Week 2 Of The 2014 NFL Season
| Player | G | GS | Att | Yds | TD | Lng | Y/A | Y/G | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | Lng | YScm | RRTD | Fmb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Le’Veon Bell | 15 | 15 | 276 | 1028 | 9 | 43 | 3.7 | 68.5 | 56 | 535 | 9.6 | 0 | 43 | 1563 | 9 | 1 |
| Eddie Lacy | 17 | 17 | 309 | 1255 | 11 | 60 | 4.1 | 73.8 | 40 | 286 | 7.2 | 0 | 34 | 1541 | 11 | 1 |
