In this week's edition of Patriots opponents' revisionist history/wishful thinking, we have Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell.
Bell told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith on "First Take" on Friday that if he had been healthy against the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, it would have been a Steelers-Falcons Super Bowl.
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New England, of course, won its fifth Super Bowl title with a record 25-point comeback against Atlanta, with help from Lady Gaga, if you believe Falcons receiver Mohamed Sanu's theory from last week.
Bell left the Steelers' 36-17 AFC title game loss to the Pats with a groin injury after gaining just 20 yards on six carries.
"I think we beat them," Bell said, when asked what the outcome would've been if he hadn't been hurt.
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"When I was out there, I wasn't feeling well at all," Bell said. "Their game plan was so different just because of the fact I was out there. If I go out there healthy and we go out there and do what we do, the way we've been doing it the whole season, especially in the playoffs, running the ball, running play-action, leaving [Antonio Brown] one-on-one ... I think the outcome would have been different. We'll get back to that next year."
New England Patriots
In the Patriots' Week 7 visit to Pittsburgh they held Bell to 81 yards rushing (though he had 10 catches for 68 yards receiving) in a 27-16 New England victory. The Steelers were without starting QB Ben Roethlisberger for that game.
The Patriots will visit Heinz Field again in the 2017 regular season.