In preparation for a Week 9 division matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, Ravens defensive coordinator Don Martindale claimed that the Steelers offense was better without Le’Veon Bell. He boldly asserted, "There are a lot of stats [since 2015] that the Steelers are actually better without him. That might be why he’s riding a jet ski down in Miami right now." Although Martindale may have just been talking trash in preparation for a big game, his statements might have some validity—the Steelers offense has excelled in Bell’s absence, averaging 31 points per game this season compared to 26.4 last season.

To analyze the accuracy of Martindale’s assessment, we need to look at certain aspects of the Steelers offense. There are three distinct differences that can be measured from before and after the departure of Bell this offseason. The first is the style of which Bell runs: he is much more patient and demands an effective zone blocking scheme, whereas Conner is much is one-cut running back, meaning he hits gaps quickly rather than waiting for a play to develop. The second is the increase of using no-huddle and quick passes under new offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner which has helped with the emergence of Smith-Schuster as an elite slot receiver and helped lift Ben Roethlisberger's production. Finally, the stark improvement of the Steelers red zone offense, ranked first in red zone efficiency, has them on pace to break the franchise record for points. While the Steelers with Bell in previous seasons have had no problem racking up yards, they had struggled in the red zone, finishing 18th in the league last year with a 53% TD scoring rate. Although Bell is an undeniably dynamic ball-carrier, this year's Steelers have proven that they are capable of using James Conner and adapting their game plan to achieve comparable if not superior results.