Ben Roethlisberger placed his deep pass down the sideline in a perfect spot and the receiver leaped over the cornerback to make a perfect Antonio Brown catch.
Except that was not Antonio Brown who caught that ball Wednesday in Steelers practice, it was halfback Le'Veon Bell. And to hear him say it, there might be more like it starting Sunday night at Heinz Field.
"It was a 'go' ball," Bell said, describing the deep pass. "Ben threw a great ball. I did a great job tracking the ball, getting my feet in bounds and making the catch."
Bell is back from his three-game suspension and he has added even more to the versatility that made him an All-Pro back in 2014. He caught 83 passes that season but rarely was he sent on deep routes.
"I want to be a player for all aspects of the game," Bell said. "I want to catch short passes, down the field, whatever it may be. Run after (the catch), everything."
Everyone knows he can run, as evidenced by his 1,361 yards rushing in that 2014 season. It's his versatility as a receiver as well that prompts many to call him the best back in the NFL. Now, he and the Steelers are trying to expand that role.
"I think this year we started in camp and OTAs running (deep patterns) a lot more," Bell said. "Obviously the offensive coordinator trusts you, the head coach trusts you and Ben trusts you. Now they all put a lot more trust in me so we'll see a lot more.
"I feel I can get open. I feel the fact I play running back it makes me that much different of a player."
He can line up in the backfield, in the slot and split wide. That versatility also will allow the Steelers to use Bell on the outside and DeAngelo Williams in the backfield on occasion.
"He's a guy who should be out there," Bell said of Williams, "whether it's me as a receiver blocking for him or if I'm at receiver and he's in protection and I'm running the routes.
"Whatever it may be, I feel like it will give teams different looks and different things they have to prepare for and not knowing what personnel they want to put out there to defend both of us, so we'll see what happens."
Bell has a role model he credits for helping his game as a receiver, especially on those deep routes.
"A lot has been having the best receiver in the league," Bell said of Brown. "I've just been watching him a lot. I really like watching A.B. the way he releases, gets in and out of his breaks. He's definitely helped me a lot. I just kind of watch him. I kind of put that in my game."
