Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell admits that he didn’t know very much about new offensive line coach Mike Munchak prior to him being hired during the offseason, but now that he’s on board, the second-year Michigan State product is excited about the changes being made on offense which should include a much heavier dose of the outside-zone.
“The majority of what I ran in college was outside-zone,” said Bell in a recent interview with steelers.com. (Munchak’s) going to do a great job of getting the O-line on the same page so they can make creases up front. I just have to do my job and find the holes. This year, hopefully, barring injuries, we stick with it and I get comfortable with it and we get the same chemistry going and we get this running game going.”
The loss of starting center Maurkice Pouncey for the year just eight plays into the 2013 season combined with Bell being slowed by a foot injury to start his rookie season resulted in the Steelers offense barely running the outside-zone scheme at all last year. That figures to change right from the start this season with everybody back healthy and Munchak now in charge of the offensive line.
“The things he’s bringing to the offense, there are a lot of things changing in the playbook because of him,” said Bell. “We’re adjusting to him. It’s a good adjustment, and I think there are going to be major changes this year.”
While some of those major changes have likely already been conveyed to the players verbally, the full implementation of them will begin this week with the first set of OTA practices now underway.
As for Bell, who set a Steelers rookie running back yards from scrimmage record in 2013, he’s looking to pick up where he left off last year even though he still doesn’t consider himself worthy of being called the team’s feature back just yet.
“No, I don’t. I still have to go out there and work,” he said. We have LeGarrette Blount. We have Dri Archer. I have to go out there and earn it and continue to work hard.”
