The running back is back in vogue.

Cowboys rookie Ezekiel Elliott has a lot to do with it. But before Zeke there was Le’Veon Bell, and of the two of them he’s the only one left with a shot at the Lombardi. Bell was drafted three years before but 44 spots after Elliott. But that was before running backs got taken in the first round. He’s part of the reason they do now.

Bell was outstanding in the regular season despite missing another chunk of games, the first four of the season, to suspension. His per-game rushing totals projected to be 60 more than Elliott’s over the course of a full 16 games. If he can put the offseason transgressions that have haunted his last two off-seasons behind him, some intrigue could be added to the rushing title race next season.

He’s carried that momentum into the playoffs thus far – granted just one game – with 170 yards on the ground in Kansas City.

His next task will be the toughest, they often are. The Patriots finished the third best team against the run this season, giving up yards on the ground at a much stingier pace than the Chiefs – 88.6 to 121.1, per game. New England’s defence is also not one to be scored on. They were tops in the league this year at keeping opponents off the scoreboard, averaging less than 16 per game.

Bell has typically been held in check by the Patriots. His two games against New England have resulted in 37 carries for 155 yards, a 4.2-yard average, and no scores. Suspension robbed Bell of a third meeting with the Pats, and perhaps a more definitive answer to who has the upper-hand.

Bell will be a major key to victory for the Steelers in the AFC Championship come Sunday night.

The edge in the passing game can be argued either way. Tom Brady is the best at his position at least until Aaron Rodgers makes another last-minute miracle throw. But Big Ben is pretty good too, and he has the best receiver in the game at his disposal in Antonio Brown.

Pittsburgh’s defence has been at least decent all year and pretty good lately. But they still don’t stack up to Bill Belichick’s unit as a whole.

The Steelers are running out of matchups they have the clear upper-hand in.

Winning the ground game won’t be easy though. Neither LeGarrette Blount nor Dion Lewis are Le’Veon Bell, but put together they come pretty close. Blount has quietly developed into one of the best power runners in the league during his time in New England, and held up surprisingly well with a near-full workload this season. But when Lewis returned from injured reserve this year he added a missing element to the Pats run game, and really the offence as a whole.

Lewis can be typecast as any number of backs – the change-of-pace, third down back, or receiving back – but that fails to tell his whole story. Lewis proved it best last Sunday against the Texans with his 13 carries, two receptions, and special teams play; he’s most of all a dynamic playmaker.

Bell’s an upper echelon back though. One of the few superheroes at his position that doesn’t need a sidekick. Elliott’s there too, but Bell’s reputation isn’t hampered by the best offensive line in the league.

The running back is back. We’ll see that again come late April when as many as three running backs get taken in the first round. But it’s going to take more to steal some spotlight from the QBs. Elliott did his best last week, and that spin move he pulled on Clay Matthews might still be getting play on SportsCentre had Rodgers not outshone him with an even better highlight a couple minutes later. Bell has the opportunity come Wednesday, with the biggest spotlight there at Gillette Stadium for the taking.