Detroit – For his first NFL preseason game, Broncos running back Mike Bell has been given a list of priorities – no one ranked above the other.
“The first thing he’s got to do is hang on to the ball,” Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. “We’ve already seen what he can do running the ball. But the first thing we want to see is, can he pick up the blitz?”
Shanahan then paused and smiled at what he just said.
“He’s got two first things that he has to do,” Shanahan said.
Bell, 23, may be an undrafted rookie, but he is not confused. He got the message. His week began with a stunning promotion to No. 1 tailback. His week will conclude tonight by lining up behind quarterback Jake Plummer in the starting backfield for the Broncos’ preseason opener against the Detroit Lions.
“My main concern is doing the right thing by protecting Jake and holding on to the ball,” Bell said. “Those are the two necessities. Protect, protect, protect and holding on to the ball. After that, it’s just running hard.”
With all due respect, blocking and not fumbling may be important for coaches. But for everybody else these tasks aren’t the reasons man invented TiVo. Broncos fans want to see Bell run. Perhaps no team has a greater tradition of 1,000- yard rushing seasons – there have been 10 in the past 11 years. Can Bell make it 11 out of 12?
If he does, it would be his first 1,000-yard season since high school (when he finished with back-to-back 2,000-yard seasons at Phoenix Tolleson). Bell had three consecutive seasons of 900-plus yards at the University of Arizona, but never reached the one-comma milestone there.
It must have seemed weird for Bell, in a matter of days, to have gone from a relative unknown even inside the veteran- laden Broncos locker room to bursting between the tackles with all eyes upon him.
“It’s been different. I wouldn’t say weird, just different,” Bell said. “It’s a good different, though. I’m excited. I can’t say I wish this didn’t happen, because it’s definitely a great opportunity. Now I’ve got to make the most out of it.”
