The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in an unfamiliar position at the bottom of the AFC North. They're also one of the worst rushing teams in the NFL, but that could improve with rookie Le'Veon Bell getting the start this week.
NFL news roundup: Le’Veon Bell to start, Reggie Bush on pace for Sunday
It’s a running back-heavy news day, with the Steelers rookie ready for action while the Lions are poised to get back an offensive weapon.
Al Messerschmidt
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
Bell was selected with the 48th pick in April’s draft, and was the second running back taken overall. He’s a player in the mold of former Steeler great Jerome Bettis, as Bell likes to use his 244-pound frame to drive the ball between the tackles. This is something Pittsburgh has missed the first three games of the season, when the offense has managed to average just 3.0 yards per carry.
The Steelers face the Minnesota Vikings in London's Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
The Detroit Lions will get a significant offensive boost as running back Reggie Bush is on pace to start against the division rival Chicago Bears.
Bush injured his knee in a Week 2 game against the Arizona Cardinals. This forced him out of the Lions' seven-point victory over the Redskins last week. He told the media that he would not miss the Lions' second divisional game of the season, and Bush's participation in practice this week indicates that he should start.
In two games, he’s amassed 260 all-purpose yards and a touchdown.
Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown is always ready to take a shot at the former Browns running back, whom he called "ordinary" shortly following the 2012 draft.
Now that Richardson is in Indianapolis, it was only a matter of time before Brown took another jab at the second-year player. He called Cleveland’s trade “brilliant,” explaining that Richardson couldn’t carry the load the Browns needed.
Perhaps someone should ask his opinions on Willis McGahee, who managed to run for 9 yards on eight carries in Cleveland's offense last week.
The New York Giants are reeling following a 38-point loss to the Carolina Panthers, and things are about to get more difficult. The team's offensive line could be without two veterans as both Chris Snee and David Baas were unable to practice Thursday.
Eli Manning was sacked seven times in last week's game and faces another strong pass-rushing team this week in Kansas City. The Chiefs have 15 sacks in three games, including 7.5 from outside linebacker Justin Houston.
Matt Flynn took first-team reps on Thursday, but it appears Terrelle Pryor could start on Sunday after being cleared to practice. The third-year quarterback sustained a concussion on Monday night against the Denver Broncos.
Pryor has been a pleasant surprise for the Raiders this season, throwing for 624 yards and running for 198. He's also been very efficient passing the ball, completing over 65 percent of passes.
Flynn took over late in Monday’s game, managing to complete one pass in two attempts. There is a chance he could start this week.
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