You know who Le’Veon Bell reminds me a little bit of? Priest Holmes. The Steelers back is so patient with his line it almost looks like he’s on a slow job before he hits the line of scrimmage, tippy-toeing around out there.
Priest used to do the same thing with the Chiefs. He was playing behind future Hall of Fame offensive linemen so he could trust that they were going to open it up. And they usually did.
You can even go back further and mention Marcus Allen, who was similarly patient.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid didn’t mention Marcus Allen or Priest Holmes but he did call Bell “the most patient that I’ve ever seen.”
“He has a unique style about him,” Reid said this week, “that delay to get to the line of scrimmage. It’s been effective for him. He’s really the only one that does it, so it’s unique. The obvious thing is you have to contain him and take care of your gaps, for sure.”
Take care of your gaps in the run game and stop him and you’re good, right? Nope. He’s also a great pass catcher as the Chiefs learned when he lined up out wide in their first matchup. He has at least five catches in nine of the 13 games he’s played this season.
This guy will be a problem. His worst game since October is a 93-yard rushing, 38-yard receiving day. If the Chiefs hold him to that, it’s a win.