From 2013 through 2017, Le’Veon Bell of the Pittsburgh Steelers was one of the best running backs in pro football. The Michigan State alum mystified enemy defenses with a running style that alternated between patient and explosive, and receiving chops unparalleled among players at his position. I’ve said before that Bell could have succeeded in the NFL if he were just a slot receiver.
Then, there was the contract dispute. The Steelers gave Bell the franchise tag for the second straight season in 2018, and he sat out the entire season in response. He then signed a four-year, $52.5 million deal with the New York Jets before the 2019 season, and that put him in head coach Adam Gase’s sights. That match did not go well at all — Bell ran 245 times for just 789 yards and three touchdowns in his first season with the Jets, and managed just 74 rushing yards on 19 carries in 2020 before the team released him.
Gase was not highly regraded as an offensive mind when he was the head coach of the Jets or the Miami Dolphins before that, and as Bell revealed on social media this week, there was one particular play call that drove him nuts.
I still randomly think about how PISSED I used to be in the huddle when Adam Gase would call “21 dive” on 2nd & 10 …
— Le'Veon Bell (@LeVeonBell) June 20, 2024
“LeV I just need you to get 3 for a third and manageable” – Gase
the reasoning behind the HB dive 😂 I kid you not
— Le'Veon Bell (@LeVeonBell) June 20, 2024
It’s not uncommon for players to blame their coaches at least in part when play designs don’t work, but Bell had a point. 21 Dive, which required Bell to hit the line between the tackles as quickly as possible to try and get yardage that way, is generally more of a short-yardage and red zone concept that takes advantage of penetrating defensive linemen. Gase seemed to think that it was just fine for disadvantageous situations.
And in Bell’s case, it REALLY wasn’t.
https://t.co/rtF5viuyXg pic.twitter.com/DKPEc0txSk
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) June 21, 2024
Le'Veon Bell on runs in second-and-10 or more situations in 2019: 32 carries, 105 yards, hit at the line 12 times, seven stuffs, and a league-low EPA of -10.84 (-0.34 per attempt). https://t.co/QpUemu4cAB
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) June 21, 2024
Bell retired after the 2021 season, but it’s clear that this one play call still gets quite a distance up his nose.
