With an improved OL, I think he will fit just fine. With our present OL, I agree that he's not such a great fit. For the remainder of this season. I wish Gase would run more 2-back formations, send Bell out as a receiver more often, and let Powell get more carries.
I think this is dead right. I was decidedly uncertain on the signing for precisely this reason and I didn't expect the Jets to see anything like his best. There was one play yesterday, early on, where he put his hand on the back of the OL and followed him churning out 6 or 7 yards. He used to do this all the time in Pitt and I can't recall any other time I've seen him do it this year. You can see that Powell is hitting the gaps with speed whereas Bell is waiting for a gap to present itself and they just aren't with this line.
Bell is still really really good. He always makes the first guy miss and an extra yard or two falling forward like Curtis always used to do. That play at the end of the half where he lined up wide and caught a 20 yard bullet from Sam was beautiful. I would love to see him line up wide more often. Once we get a better OL Bell can be much more productive. But Sam throwing the ball down the field also opens up the running game. I am looking forward to seeing Bell Herndon and Crowder together next year with an improved line and a better Sam. Give Sam a clean pocket and he can shred a defense which will really help Bell next year. I love the way Bell runs the ball but I also love his attitude and leadership. He was a very good signing.
I would LOVE to see him line up wide more often. Either you put a LB on him and you get a huge mismatch or they stick a DB on him and Crowder gets a LB. Hopefully we see more of it in the future games.
What does Powell's size have to do with his style of running? We all know Powell is a bruiser. Yes, he is shifty, but he also does not shy away from hits. Bell has always been a patient back who finds a hole. Notice how Bell never goes down hard after a hit. I don't think he is any different than he always has been. His style of running requires a stout offensive line, something we do not have. Give him a good line and all your worries will be gone
I saw a decent amount of 2 back sets yesterday with Bell and Powell. I think Bell's ineffectiveness has to do a lot with his running style not matching our OL which you mentioned earlier, and he looks banged up. It just doesn't look like he has that explosiveness when he decides to hit the hole. I'm surprised we're not setting him up in the screen game more, get 2 or 3 offensive linemen out there with him and let him go to work.
I just don't view Powell as a bruiser whatsoever. He runs hard, he's quick in the hole and he takes contact well. When I think of bruiser, I think Derrick Henry, Chris Carson style runners. But I guess we don't have to agree.
He hit the holes quick, but Powell isn't a bruiser. Bruisers punish people and lay down the hammer, Powell doesn't do that.
I agree. Bell is the best RB we have at protecting Sam on passing downs. Bell always seems to be picking someone up who has a clear run at Sam. Look at what a great job Sequin Barkley did last week keeping Adams off Daniel Jones (not!). Bell is 10x the protector. It'd be hard to lose that 5-10 times a game so Bell can drop out into the flat as a safety valve. Maybe on a designed screen 2-3 times a game, but other than that, Sam needs him in the back field on passing downs.
yesterday was the 1st time all year I seen gase use bell out wide and actually throw to him and of course it went for a big play. doing that pulls a LBer out of the middle and creates a mismatch. not many if any Lbers who can cover bell as an outside WR I'd love to see more 2 RB backfields with bell and ty/bilal then split bell out wide. it opens the box and gives a mistmach on the outside for flexability
IMO you have a point, but RB passes develop more quickly than downfield routes. If there more of those types of quick passes, Sam wouldn't need as much time or protection by Bell. Also, on some of those plays, the ball could be handed to Bell and on others, the ball handed off to Powell. Powell is also a pretty fair receiver out of the backfield. Opposing Ds wouldn't know whether it was a run or pass, or who was getting the ball. That should slow their rush down.
Bell is a good player and a great leader so far but he's wasted in this offense so far. I'd like to keep him but they need to make him the focal point of this offense
