Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell to be out another month

Jul 27, 2013; Latrobe, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin announced Tuesday that Isaac Redman would get another shot as the starting running back for Monday night’s game in Cincinnati.

That news wasn’t entirely surprising since backup LaRod Stephens-Howling suffered a season-ending injury in the season-opening loss to Tennessee, while veteran rusher Felix Jones didn’t get a touch in the game.

The move made even more sense as of Wednesday morning, when a Steelers team source told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Dejan Kovacevic that rookie second-round pick Le’Veon Bell is likely to miss at least another month with his troublesome midfoot Lisfranc injury.

Bell, who has battled multiple lower-body ailments since training camp opened in late July, figures to be handed the keys to the Steelers’ running game once he returns to some semblance of good health. In the meantime, the combination of Redman, the recently re-signed Jonathan Dwyer and Jones will be charged with reviving an attack that accumulated just 32 yards on 15 carries against the Titans.

Of course, the loss of Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey to a severe knee injury in the opener severely limits how much the Steelers offense can improve, especially in the running game. Offensive line utilityman Kelvin Beachum will fill in at center for at least one week, but it’s clear the pressure to put points on the board in the immediate future will rest primarily on quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and the passing attack.