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SPORTS Wednesday, November 14, 2018 East Oregonian Page 3B NFL Pittsburgh RB Le’Veon Bell refuses to sign tag, out for 2018 By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer Saints on top of Pro32 poll; KC stays 2nd; Rams move up to 3rd By SIMMI BUTTAR AP Sports Writer PITTSBURGH — Le’Veon Bell won’t play in 2018. The star running back declined to sign his one- year $14.4 million fran- chise tender with the Pitts- burgh Steelers by Tuesday’s deadline, making him ineli- gible to suit up for the AFC North-leading Steelers or anyone else this season. The unusual decision to sit out won’t prevent Bell from becoming a free agent next spring, when the three- time Pro Bowler hopes to cash in with a contract that would make him the high- est-paid back in the NFL. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin seemed resigned to Bell’s decision shortly before the 4 p.m. deadline, saying simply “so be it” when asked about the pos- sibility of Bell never return- ing to the team that drafted him in the second round of the 2013 draft and helped mold him into one of the league’s top players. “Even when we don’t understand it, we’re sen- sitive to it, so we’re not shocked when things hap- pen from a business stand- point, no,” Tomlin said. The Steelers, who have won five straight to sprint to the top of the division head- ing into a visit to Jackson- ville on Sunday, will turn to second-year back James Conner and reserves Stevan Ridley and rookie Jaylen Samuels to help shoulder the load with Bell out of the picture. All season Tomlin stressed he was focused on the players in the locker room and not the ones out- side it and hardly seems bothered by Pittsburgh’s AP Photo/Michael Wyke, FIle In this Dec. 25, 2017, file photo, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell (26) warms up before an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, in Houston. quest for a postseason berth without the talented 26-year-old Bell. “That train has left the station,” Tomlin said. “We’re comfortable with how we function, the peo- ple at our disposal, the divi- sion of labor and our ability to ready ourselves for the challenges.” The Steelers drafted Bell with the 48th overall pick in the 2013 draft, won over by his youth, size and ver- satility. Along with wide receiver Antonio Brown, Bell became the linchpin in which the Steelers rebuilt themselves on the fly as the franchise’s identity shifted away from the defense that Now fueled You three Super Bowl appearances See It ... in six years from 2005-10 toward an offense that ranked among the most dynamic in the league. The makeover relied heavily on Bell, whose worked extremely hard” patient running style in an attempt to get some- became his trademark while thing done. When it didn’t helping Pittsburgh to four happen, he skipped train- straight playoff berths. ing camp again, just as he Bell is one of only three did in 2017. His teammates players to be franchise stressed it was no big deal, tagged in consecutive sea- confident Bell would show sons. The first two — line- up in time for the regu- backer Karlos Dansby and lar-season opener. quarterback Kirk Cous- Only he didn’t. And ins — played all 16 games when preparations for Pitts- during their second season burgh’s Week 1 trip to under the tag then went and Cleveland began without cashed in elsewhere in free Bell, several of his team- agency. mates — particularly the As his star rose, Bell offensive line — vented insisted he wasn’t merely their frustrations publicly. a running back, pointing The anger eased as the to his success as a receiver weeks passed and Conner — he finished 10th in the thrived in Bell’s absence league with 85 catches in while Bell remained in Flor- 2017 — as Now proof You that he ida, where encounters cap- should be paid far above his tured on social media found Don't! peers. him riding a Jet Ski or hit- When Bell and the Steel- ting the club. He returned ers failed to reach an agree- to Pittsburgh last week and ment on a new deal last even played some pickup • One of the smallest custom at hearing summer, he said “both sides basketball a fitness center. Tiny Micro-Chip Now In The Ear: Available! NEW YORK — For the past two months, the rest of the NFL has tried to slow down Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. And no one has been able to figure out how. The Saints (8-1) rolled to their eighth consecutive vic- tory with a 51-14 pummel- ing of the Cincinnati Ben- gals on Sunday. The Saints kept the No. 1 spot in the latest AP Pro32 poll. They received 10 of 12 first-place votes and 382 points in balloting Tuesday by media members who reg- ularly cover the NFL. “Drew Brees has planted himself firmly in the MVP race. With 21 touchdown passes and just one inter- ception — one! — Brees is playing some of the finest football of his awe-inspiring 18-year career,” Newsday’s Bob Glauber said. The Kansas City Chiefs received the other two first- place votes and remained at No. 2 with 368 points. The Los Angeles Rams were a close third with 366 points. These two 9-1 teams are scheduled to meet on Mon- day night in a highly antic- ipated matchup to close Week 11. The game was originally set to be played in Mexico City, but because of concerns about the playing field at Azteca Stadium after recent rain and several big events, it was moved to the Coliseum in Los Angeles. The Pittsburgh Steelers, who have won five in a row, climbed three spots to No. 4. The Steelers (6-2-1) have surged to the top of the AFC North despite the absence of two-time All-Pro running back Le’Veon Bell. Bell missed a 4 p.m. deadline on Tuesday to sign his one-year franchise tender and is ineli- gible to play this season. The Los Angeles Char- gers moved up a spot to No. 5. The Chargers (7-2), who have quietly won six in a row, have not garnered much attention despite hav- ing one of the top records in the league. Instead, the dominance of both the AFC West rival Chiefs and their neighbors in LA, the Rams, has received most of the headlines. “Shaking off a 1-2 start, the Chargers have remained firmly in KC’s rear-view mirror with a well-balanced attack and impactful rookie safety Derwin James,” said Ira Kaufman of Fox 13 in Tampa, Florida. The New England Patri- ots, who were tied for No. 2 last week, dropped to No. 6 after their 34-10 loss at Tennessee on Sunday. The Titans made a major jump, moving five spots to No. 12. The Patriots (7-3) have a bye this week before facing the New York Jets on Nov. 25. The Minnesota Vikings (5-3-1) moved up a spot to No. 7 during their bye week and return to action on Sun- day night at NFC North rival Chicago. The Bears (6-3) rounded out the top 10 for the second consecutive week. The Carolina Panthers (6-3), coming off a 31-point loss to the Steelers, dropped three places to No. 8. 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