No, you didn’t read that wrong. If you want to point to the reason behind the Pittsburgh Steelers’ ability to attack down the field with the football, you need not look further than running back Le’Veon Bell. Pro Football Focus broke it down, and the Steelers are the only team to throw for at least 1,000 yards on throws over 20 yards downfield in each of the past three seasons.

While he hasn't led the league, Ben Roethlisberger is the only QB with 1,000+ deep passing yards in each of the last three seasons. pic.twitter.com/3bAci6Gyk2 — Pro Football Focus (@PFF) May 27, 2017

If you think it is just a coincidence the Steelers have had Bell as the team’s feature back in each of those three seasons, you are kidding yourself. Yes, Ben Roethlisberger is great. In fact, he might be the best deep-ball quarterback of all time when all said and done.

And yes this team has had and still does has some supremely talented wide receivers. But when it comes to scheming the deep pass, it is all about how the opposing defense handles the pass with its safeties. When you watch the Steelers play, you can almost call out the play when the offense is humming based where the safeties are.

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If Roethlisberger sees two deep safeties, he will check to a run or a short pass. If there’s just one, that’s a good sign it might be bombs away. The presence of Bell helps dictate that as much as anything. After watching Bell run all over the league last season, don’t be shocked if there is even more of this in 2017 as teams overcompensate for the run game.