Jets’ offense could be seeing a lot more of Le’Veon Bell
There’s only one thing worse than losing for Le’Veon Bell. Losing without being given a chance to reverse the result.
That was how he felt Sunday after he received a season-low 11 touches in an ugly loss to the Jaguars, leading the four-time Pro Bowl running back to avoid the media and reach out to coach Adam Gase about his disappointment over his lack of involvement.
“I’m always frustrated at a loss, but this was a little different because I wasn’t involved and we lost,” Bell said on Thursday. “I want to be a main reason to helping the team win. I don’t like not being used and we lose the game. I felt I couldn’t really help my team out.”
That was just part of his wide-ranging 15-minute media session in which he touched on the Jets fielding trade talks for him prior to Tuesday’s deadline, his feelings about the state of the team and take on teammate Jamal Adams’ bitterness toward general manager Joe Douglas for involving the safety in trade talks.
Bell texted Gase on Sunday night and the two discussed what went wrong in the loss, a microcosm of his first season with the Jets in which he has scored just two touchdowns and hasn’t rushed for more than 70 yards in a game. Gase told him it was on the coach to make him a bigger part of the offense.
“I want to help my team win,” Bell said. “That’s why I came here in the first place. I’m not upset at all if I’m not touching the ball and we’re winning, but lately we haven’t been winning and I felt like I wasn’t able to help. That’s why I had to express it a little bit, but we’re fine.”
Tuesday night, Bell posted a video on social media, telling fans he was “happy as hell to be a New York Jet.” After the deadline passed, Douglas called Bell, explaining what went down, which he appreciated. On his Uninterrupted “17 weeks” podcast, Bell said his agent told him the Chiefs, Texans, Packers and even the Steelers looked into trading for him.
Despite the ugly 1-6 record, Bell said he is happy to still be wearing green and never really thought he would be moved, in part because of the large contract he signed in the offseason and the Jets’ high asking price.
“I can be a guy that can help change this whole thing,” Bell said. “I enjoy that and I embrace the challenge of it. I’m looking forward to it and that’s why I won’t shy away from it.”
As for Adams, Bell understands his reaction. The Pro Bowl safety met with Douglas and Gase last Friday, telling them he wanted to be part of the Jets’ long-term future. Adams thought they were in agreement, but on Monday Adams said he was told the team was shopping him. He has accused Douglas of going behind his back and has yet to talk to him or Gase since the deadline passed.
“When I was 24 years old, I probably would’ve felt the same way he felt,” Bell said. “He knows one organization. He feels like, ‘I put my heart, blood, sweat and tears in this game for this organization, so for somebody to try to shop me,’ he probably felt a little hurt by it or disgruntled, I don’t know the word for it, but if I was that age when I was with the Steelers, I’da felt the same way. … I understand where he’s coming from, I understand where Gase and Joe are coming from also, because I understand the business of [football]. Both sides have to deal with it. They gotta learn to work together, squash it, and move forward. Period.”
Bell said he hasn’t spoken to Adams, aside from joking around with him during his press availability on Wednesday. It didn’t seem like he had an issue with Adams, though he did use an interesting choice of words when talking about Douglas, saying, “it was nothing like he went behind my back or nothing.” Adams, of course, accused Douglas of doing exactly that to him.
When asked if the safety’s decision to speak out publicly against the front office could be a distraction, Bell said it wouldn’t bother him, but could affect others.
“It may distract some people,” he said.
For more on the Jets, listen to the latest episode of the “Gang’s All Here” podcast:
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