Around the NFL

Tomlin: Le'Veon Bell, LeGarrette Blount to play Week 1

Published: Sep 02, 2014 at 06:48 AM

Marc Sessler

While the Pittsburgh Steelers hinted at team-imposed punishments for Le'Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount, only mindless chumps questioned their status for Week 1.

Coach Mike Tomlin confirmed as much Tuesday, telling reporters that his top two running backs will be in uniform against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, per NFL Media's Aditi Kinkhabwala.

Tomlin refused to say if the duo will be punished in another way, but don't hold your breath. Bell and Blount were pulled over by police last month and charged with marijuana possession, just hours before the team was scheduled to fly to play the Eagles.

"Everything's on the table," Tomlin said in August when asked how the runners might be dealt with.

Look for Bell to earn the majority of Sunday's snaps with Blount seeing short-yardage and goal-line work against Mike Pettine's defense. When the Steelers go to the air, Tomlin told reporters that he expects starting wideout Antonio Brown to be shadowed by Browns Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden.

That's exactly what the Steelers saw last year when Haden allowed Brown to haul in five targets for 80 yards a touchdown in Week 12. Based on what we've seen from Cleveland's limited offense, allowing more than one score to Pittsburgh might be enough to short-circuit Pettine's coaching debut.

The latest "Around The NFL Podcast" predicts our Super Bowl champions and the major winners of the regular-season awards.

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