You couldn't have asked for more from DeAngelo Williams in Pittsburgh's season opener.
The former Panthers back filled in for suspended superstar Le'Veon Bell against the Patriots and carved up New England for 127 yards on the ground. He'll make his second start this Sunday against the 49ers -- and it won't be the last we see of him.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger hinted this week that Williams will see more work than LeGarrette Blount did behind Bell one season ago.
"It's something we're very happy with what he did, but we all kind of knew what we were getting in DeAngelo," Roethlisberger said, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "He puts the work in every day. He's a great a football player. When L. Bell comes back, it doesn't mean we're going to put him on the shelf.
"I think he's proven he can be a guy who can help give Le'Veon breaks. If he's tired, he won't be nervous to come out because he knows he has a guy who can step up right behind him and do great things."
Only DeMarco Murray and LeSean McCoy saw more carries than Bell's 290 totes in 2014. We don't expect that figure to drop much, but saving Bell's legs for an almost certain playoff run makes sense.
Bell is arguably the finest runner in the AFC and the centerpiece of Pittsburgh's high-powered attack. He'll be needed weekly in massive doses, but having Williams -- an upgrade over Blount's moody, mediocre run with the Steelers -- will come in handy for a team littered with weapons.
