KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Le'Veon Bell's first public remarks as a running back for the Kansas City Chiefs took a look backward, with acknowledgment that his last stop was an objective bust. With recognition that somehow, after four years as one of the most dynamic backs in football, he became one of its statistical worst.
But that occupied about 10 seconds of a 10-minute video press conference Wednesday afternoon.
The theme for the rest: Bell is betting things will be different in Kansas City than they were in New York.
He's betting he will be different.
He illustrated a facet of reasons, followed with praise of just about everyone in the organization shy of the ticket takers. But a deeper analysis, a read-between-the-lines assessment of his answers, evidenced his primary rationale.
Usage.
The Jets turned a versatile playmaker into a predictable, plow-straight-ahead ball-carrier. In head coach Adam Gase's lowest-scoring offense in the NFL, defenses have come to know what's coming, an act that plays out on film.
So after his initial nine minutes talking to reporters via computer Wednesday, Bell responded to the final question — one on why this will provide a better outcome — with detail.
"I think it will be a lot different," he said, before launching into the explanation. "We run a little more open sets here. I think (in New York), when we ran (the ball), it's kind of a little more downhill. Here, it's kind of horizontal, reverses, misdirection, all types of things.
"Defenses don't really know if you're coming inside, outside or way outside. Screens, all types of things. In this offense, so many guys carry the ball so many directions, it's kind of hard to prepare for one guy. I think that's the biggest thing for me."
More weapons in Kansas City, sure. But more creativity with them, too.
There was an article in New York media four days ago titled, "Hey, Adam Gase, it's time to open up the Jets' playbook." The Newsday piece further argued, "Running the ball up the middle hasn't worked."
Bell, 28, turned into an unrecognizable version of himself with the Jets, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry in 17 starts. He never reached 100 yards. Gase never quite figured out how to employ his high-priced asset.
If you've found optimism the Chiefs will be acquiring more of the early-career version of Bell than the most recent one, it likely begins there — the usage.
Bell owns some of the blame, too, of course. Football Outsiders ranked him as the second-worst running back in the league in 2019, with an advanced metric that takes into account the Jets' offensive line woes. And NextGen Stats say Bell totaled 99 fewer rushing yards than expected over the course of the season, when compared to what the average NFL ball-carrier might have gained on the same plays.
It would be misguided, in other words, to think Bell arrives in Kansas City in his 2015 form that Football Outsiders labeled the best in football. But it might be equally imprudent to think he doesn't have at least a chance to be better than he has been in New York.
In the simplest of terms: it could be different here because it is different here.
Bell watched the Chiefs beat the Bills on Monday, and thought to himself, "This is unbelievable," he said. It's pick-your-poison football.
It's been awhile since he has felt that.
"It's kind of just reinventing myself," Bell said. "I played at a high level for so long. I've had two years where it's not been on a high level. I just want to get back here, get my feet back under me, get in a good offense and get the ball when I can in some space. Not have too much pressure on me. Just go out there and play football. That's really what I want to do. I think coming here is going to give me the opportunity to do that."
