Why Le’Veon Bell will go over his rushing yards total in 2020

Le’Veon Bell had a down year in his first season with the New York Jets. He rushed for 789 yards on a career-low 3.2 yards per carry in 2019. That was his first time rushing for less than 1,000 yards in a season since 2015, when he tallied 583 rushing yards while playing in just six games for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Bell sat out for all of 2018 in hopes of signing a big deal with the Steelers and might’ve been a little rusty in New York. He didn’t record a single 100-yard game for the first time in his career. That led DraftKings Sportsbook to set his over/under for total rushing yards in 2020 at 875.5. He has a good chance at reaching that mark.

Prediction: Over 875.5

Bell’s ability to be patient and his exceptional vision sets him apart from other running backs, but he wasn’t able to thrive in 2019 behind the Jets’ subpar offensive line. New York is looking to improve its front line via this month’s draft and in free agency. Bell will be in better football shape, and he should have better blocking if New York addresses its needs correctly. Sam Darnold needs better protection, and the departure of Robby Anderson could cause the Jets to place more emphasis on their ground attack.

Bell also missed three games last season. If he played the entire season, he could’ve gotten closer to 1,000 rushing yards in 2019. I wouldn’t bet against Bell getting back on track with a year in New York’s system under his belt.

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