NEU » dd Elliott, who had planned to match

PITTSBURGH -- The pieces are all there. The footwork. The vision. The patience. The instinctive ability to read a defender, plant a cleat in the ground and go get the ball.And to think, wide receiver isnt even LeVeon Bells natural position. At least, not yet.I tell him all the time, when he turns 30, when they talk about running backs being done, for the next five years (receiver) is the thing he should do, Pittsburgh Steelers teammate Darrius Heyward-Bey said.And Heyward-Bey wasnt kidding, a testament to the seemingly tireless Bells versatility.Nearing the end of his fourth season, the 24-year-old is still finding new ways to expand his game for the Steelers (6-5).If that means splitting out wide, so be it. If it means standing next to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and taking out a blitzing linebacker, thats fine too.I think there are probably a lot of quarterbacks in this league that when their running back is blocking, theyre probably a little nervous and peeking over their shoulder, Roethlisberger said.I never have that fear. And I know in the pass game that hes going to get open, hes going to make catches and make plays. And then, we all know what he can do in the run game.Meaning pretty much whatever he wants. In the midst of a tailspin in early November, Pittsburgh turned it around by turning to Bell.In the span of five days, Bell touched the ball 63 times (51 carries, 12 receptions) and piled up 343 yards and a couple of touchdowns in victories over Cleveland and Indianapolis .No play went longer than 22 yards, yet Bells ever churning legs kept the ball moving, the clock running and his teammates grasping for superlatives.Hes the best all-around in the game, Roethlisberger said.One who is balling out the cage as the aspiring hip-hop artist put it on the recently released track Rappin Athlete .A year removed from a torn ligament in his right knee that forced him to miss the second half of 2015, Bell looks as if hes all the way back to the All-Pro form he showed in 2014 when he put up 2,215 yards of total offense.While hes well aware of the heavy workload hes carried lately, hes also hardly bothered by it. Last he checked, the Steelers paid him to have the ball in his hands.Im just kind of used to playing, Bell said. I dont ever think about the snap count in my head. I feel like at any moment in the game one play can change everything, so I want to be in the game and I can be the reason why the game changes.And potentially changing the way the game is played.While there have been running backs who are productive in the passing game before -- most notably Roger Craig and LaDainian Tomlinson -- Bell is a man apart.When the Steelers go to a five-wide set, Bell will find his 6-foot-2 frame across the line from a smaller defensive back and let his route running and exceptional hands go to work.His first touchdown reception of the season came against Dallas three weeks ago when Bell lined up on the outside, stutter-stepped then ducked inside on a quick slant to beat Cowboys safety JJ Wilcox for a 2-yard score.Perhaps the most startling thing about the play was the way Bell caught the fastball from Roethlisberger, casually stretching his hands out in front of him with an assured confidence to rival superstar teammate Antonio Brown.The crazy thing is he doesnt even know why hes doing it, Heyward-Bey said. Once he figures out why hes doing it, youre talking about a running back weve never seen before.New York coach Ben McAdoo, who brings the streaking Giants (8-3) to Heinz Field on Sunday, described Bell as a magnet.One playing the best football of his still-brief career at a pivotal time. Twice suspended by the league for violating the substance policy, Bell will be a free agent next spring.The Steelers declined to offer Bell a new deal last summer -- something they regularly do to stars entering the final year of their contract -- wanting to make sure Bells off the field issues were firmly in the past.Bell is hesitant to talk about his long-term future. For now simply trying to get Pittsburgh back to the playoffs is enough. Its a place hes never been thank to knee injuries that cut each of his past two seasons short.Finally healthy, the guy who goes by Juice is determined not to miss out this time around.Weve been doing what we need to do to win games, he said. Whether its running, catching, blocking, we just want to make sure we win the game.Game notes Pittsburgh gave Brown the day off Wednesday. Heyward-Bey (foot) and backup RB DeAngelo Williams (knee) did not practice. TE Xavier Grimble (quadriceps) and S Shamarko Thomas (groin) were full participants.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Phoenix Suns Jerseys . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. George King Jersey . But by the time the game started, the Toronto Raptors forward felt even worse. And, for three quarters, it showed as Gay shot a woeful three-for-13 from the field. http://www.officialsunsfanstore.com/richaun-holmes-suns-jersey/ . Nine days before the opening ceremony, organizing committee chief Dmitry Chernyshenko said Wednesday that Sochi is "fully ready" and will deliver safe, friendly and well-run games that defy the grim reports that have overshadowed preparations. Grant Hill Jersey . James, who turned 29 on Monday, injured his groin Friday during the Heats overtime loss at Sacramento. He sat out the following game, a 108-107 win Saturday in Portland, before coming back to help send the Nuggets to their seventh consecutive loss. Elie Okobo Suns Jersey .H. -- Matt Kenseth made it 2 for 2 in the Chase, holding off teammate Kyle Busch to win Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr.?and Steelers running back LeVeon Bell took to Twitter on Monday to express their surprise with the NFLs decision not to fine Cowboys running back?Ezekiel Elliott?for celebrating a touchdown Sunday by jumping into a giant Salvation Army donation kettle.The Cowboys were penalized 15 yards on the ensuing kickoff for unsportsmanlike conduct, but the NFL said Monday that Elliott would not face further sanctions.Bell responded to Beckhams original post, tweeting a pair of messages, the second of which referred to Steelers teammate and receiver?Antonio Brown.Elliotts celebration came after his franchise-record-setting 13th rushing touchdown of his rookie season in the Cowboys 26-20 win over the?Tampa Bay Buccaneers.?Elliotts score broke Tony Dorsetts team record for most touchdown runs by a rookie in Dallas history. The 2-yard run on third-and-goal gave the Cowboys a 10-3 lead in the second quarter.The publicity surrounding the jump into the oversized kettle was worth at least $4 million in equivalent advertising exposure for the Salvation Army, according to Apex Marketing Group, a sponsorship evaluation firm.Elliott was flagged for excessiive celebration, which usually carries a fine of $12,154, but NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy tweeted Monday morning that Elliott would not be fined.dddddddddddd Elliott, who had planned to match a fine with a donation, tweeted he would still donate.Cowboys receiver?Dez Bryant?didnt see an issue with the celebration, saying, Why not let it be legal? Were just having fun. Lets not make it the No Fun League.Elliott, asked Sunday if he would hop into the kettle again, said it was a one-time gesture, citing the penalty and the frustration of Cowboys coaches with the move.Lets give Zeke credit for that. It is certainly fun, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Monday. We have those kettles there because we do want the visibility of reminding everybody, certainly at this time of year, how doing the most good is putting a dollar in that red kettle. To have gotten that attention in front of probably 20 million or so people [Sunday] night for the Salvation Army was just wonderful.Information from ESPNs Todd Archer and Darren Rovell was used in this report. ' ' '