New York Jets OC Dowell Loggains Said Le'Veon Bell is a 'Huge Part of the Gameplan'...except that he hasn't been

If the New York Jets are going to start winning some games, then they likely are going to need to start utilizing their bell cow. Le'Veon Bell, the marquee offseason signing, needs to start being employed as the impact player he is and not merely an afterthought in the offense.

There is no denying that Bell might be the biggest threat on the Jets offense, a reason why they made a healthy $52.5 million investment in him this past offseason to be a focal part of their offense for the next four years. Bell is a solid runner who can play between the tackles or bounce outside and find space.

He's patient, has a good pad level and is tough.

Bell is also one other thing – he is being grossly underutilized in the Jets offense.

If the Jets are going to improve on their 1-6 record – and they have a golden opportunity this weekend at the winless Miami Dolphins – then head coach Adam Gase and offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains need to get Bell consistent, steady touches.

“We talk throughout the game as an offensive staff and coach [Gase] asks during the game, ‘Hey, how many touches does [number] 26 (Bell) have?’ He's aware of it and we need to do a good job communicating that stuff, which we do talk about,” Loggains said.

“The way the game played out, you get down like that, you'd love to have more touches for him, but as the game was going, it didn't present itself. Then, you get yourself in a hole and now all of a sudden you're throwing the ball a lot more than you want to, you lose a little bit of your balance.”

In 2017 (Bell didn’t play last year due to a contract dispute), he averaged 21.4 carries per game for the Pittsburgh Steelers, a career high. In the last three games with the Jets, Bell has averaged just a little over 12 carries a game.

The excuse that the Jets were behind in the last two games (both losses) certainly has some merit as that changes how Gase and Loggains will call a game. But that doesn’t excuse Bell’s lack of an impact in the passing offense.

A solid receiver out of the backfield, Bell has a combined 10 targets in the last three games, five of which became receptions. He has a total of 21 receiving yards in those three games.

In last season in Pittsburgh, Bell averaged just under 44 receiving yards a game.

That Bell is barely being utilized as an option to catch balls out of the backfield is something that can and should change for the Jets.

“I think there was one game where he had double-digit catches, I believe. We're asking him to stay in protection a little bit longer, here and there, because we've needed help chipping and doing different things that way,” Loggains said. “We go in and sometimes we have to make adjustments. He goes in as a huge part of the gameplan.”