Just read on a quote from Bell in today's postings either rapid round up or something else that his leg is now 90 to 95%, still not 100% from the hit last year. Sounds like wear and tear already beginning to show up. Should a hit like that happen early in a season it would likely end his season, still rehabbing the knee. Do not take this to mean I think he is done I just suspect that nearly all players will be suffering from this wear and tear unless they are truly unusual players. There are only a few in recent memory that I think could qualify as unusual, Bettis, Smiph, Martin, and Walter Payton would be my choices for backs that would have long careers.
Bell staking his claim as the best
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Add Barry Sanders to that list.......
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I considered that but Barry was very unique in other ways than the ones mentioned and if memory serves me well came out on short yardage situations and was replaced by a full back. But he did have a long career and was unbelievable when it came to avoiding hits, hell he avoided being touched. So I will add him but suspect he is so unique he should be on a list that only includes him.
thing is with Bell not getting to play at least two games (not sure how the appeal will shake out) he will have a little extra time to strengthen that injury............
in a weird way it sort of worked out for his benefit....
in a weird way it sort of worked out for his benefit....
I'm not sure about wear and tear but I think he and maybe the Steelers didn't truly disclose how bad the injury was. A knee injury not requiring surgery and as "minor" as they claimed it to be should not take this long to heal. He may have needed surgery back then and didn't get it. My biggest concern is just that. If he needed surgery and didn't get it, he may need it coming up and that will take him out of the lineup for an even longer time. I recall other Steelers players (can't recall who) doing this and they waited all offseason and then, all of a sudden, had surgery. Luckily their surgery didn't keep them out too long. If he is that slow to heal from something not needing surgery, then your wear and tear thought would definitely be true and his career won't last much into his second contract and that would be a shame.
I agree with your reasoning but was thinking along a different line. Bell had lots of carries for the year and yards both receiving and running. I suspect that one is a bit quicker at the beginning of a season than at the end. Things like bruises and bumps and just general fatigue will tend to slow one down a bit at the end of the season. The hit to his knee might not have happened with his foot planted into the turf so firmly in the beginning of the year. A fraction of a second resulting in him being able to unload the weight from that leg might have allowed the foot to move instead of staying planted so firmly and eliminated the injury.
I suspect with all of the save the head worries players are going to be taking more career ending injuries from knee hits than ever before. I am not sure there is a good solution other than to improve the safety equipment rather than change the way the game is played.
Are you implying that injury happened because of wear and tear and because he was tired???
Not tired, just wear and tear prohibited him from reacting as quickly as earlier in the season. The analogy is one from my fighting days. After taking a series of body blows one slows down instead of being able to slip punches they hit solidly. In collisions of the type a football player takes if he can shift weight or unload a limb the hit can be slipped. I think fatigue might be more accurate than tired in this case. I really do believe the longer season is much tougher on the players than many folks think it is.
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I don't neccessarily disagree with your anology, but here's to reason. At the start of the season / fight, you are green, not conducive to game time / fight time speed. As the season / fight progress, you get your timing down, better and better. This allows you to dodge / slip tacklers / punches. LeVion, just got hit in a "freak" like way. I don't think it was fatigue / season wear down. It just happened. Similare to a boxing match of mine. One time, I was clearly winning, I got hit in the throat, had to self retire. I'd never before or after that, been hit in the throat. **** happens, as I think was the case in Bell's injury. Just so you kmow, I have extensive experience as an ameture boxer. So my anology does have experience in it. REGARDLESS of the reason of injury, I do hope Mr. Bell a full recovery and picks up where he left off, pre injury of coarse. HERE WE GO STEELErS HerE WE gO!!!!!!!!
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Bell is very elusive, not the Jamaal Charles type, but he is shifty. Excellent spin moves and he hurdles defenders trying to go low at times. He is exceptional in that as a defender you can't over commit to a vicious hit on Bell because you have to anticipate that he might leap, juke, or spin on you. But that's when Bell is wise enough to truck you instead and he'll when that battle. AB is more valuable than Bell at this point because he is a threat as punt returner.
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Did you see Baltiwhore T up on pass rush as there was NO threat of anything RB option???? AB is all world, but not to the extent of more valuable than LeVeon Bell. They are both VERY valuable, in their own respects, but, AB is easier replaced than Bell.
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