Pittsburgh Steelers Studs And Duds: Le'Veon Bell Excels, Wide Receivers Have Struggled
By Danny Cox
It's really no surprise that the injuries to numerous players have ended up hurting the Pittsburgh Steelers in ways that are almost impossible to come back from. Sure, the season is just about only halfway over and they are sitting at 4-3, but return dates aren't even known for some big-time starters, such as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, and that is a great cause for concern.
Still, there are other players who have been out there and it's time to see which ones have been the studs for the Steelers so far in 2016, and which ones have been the duds.
Rising: Le'Veon Bell, Running Back
Le'Veon Bell missed a great deal of time in 2015 and his numbers dropped drastically from his rookie and second seasons. Now, he has been working endlessly to get back to where he needs to be, and so far it's showing. In what is an absolutely ridiculous stat, Bell has accounted for nearly 40 percent of the Steelers' total yardage in the last four games (Weeks 4-7).
His numbers would likely be a lot higher over those four weeks except for the Steelers abandoning the run at times due to falling behind or being without Roethlisberger. Even with missing the first three games of the season, Bell is on pace for 2,356 total yards this season, which comes close to Chris Johnson's record from 2009.
Rising: Vince Williams, Linebacker
Linebacker Vince Williams' career high for tackles in a single season is 53 from his rookie season and through seven games this season, he already has 40 total. His career high for sacks in a season came last year when he had just half a sack, but he already has two so far in 2016.
Williams is the second leading tackler on the team behind Lawrence Timmons and he's only getting better as the year goes on. Back in early October, he amassed an incredible 16 total tackles and one sack as the Steelers defeated the Chiefs.
Falling: Antonio Brown, Wide Receiver
In 2015, Antonio Brown was at the top of the league's receiving charts with 136 receptions, more than 1800 yards and 10 touchdowns. This season, he is on pace to finish with about 500 yards and about 20 receptions less, and it's obvious he isn't happy about it. In three games this season, he was held to just four receptions and there were two games in which he was held to less than 40 yards receiving.
Brown still has a lot left in the tank, but his production and play have been off this season and it's obvious by his numbers. If the Steelers could get themselves healthy and going in the right direction, it's possible he could bounce back in the second half of the season.
Falling: Markus Wheaton, Wide Receiver
Due to injuries, Wheaton has played in just three games this season for the Steelers, but his numbers are far from good in those three games and he's become the subject of trade talk. In the last two seasons, Wheaton has seen his numbers continue to rise, but he just can't get anything going in 2016.
In the three games he has played this season, he has just four receptions for 51 yards and one touchdown. His drops are up in the past few weeks and his play is not matching up to his salary, so it's possible he could end up on a different team before the year is out.
