Ron Cook: Timing of wide receiver's 4-game suspension could not be worse for Steelers

Ron Cook: Timing of wide receiver's 4-game suspension could not be worse for Steelers

So you want to be mad at somebody? Forget Michael Vick. At least he will be with the Steelers Sept. 10, eager to help and ready to go, if necessary, against the New England Patriots in the season’s opening game. Be furious with Martavis Bryant. For that matter, be angry with Le’Veon Bell, too. They won’t be available for their teammates in that first game because of thoughtless, selfish actions that have embarrassed them and the organization.

Bryant was suspended Thursday by the NFL for four games for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. His suspension follows Bell’s two-game ban because of a marijuana charges last August. Throw in the fact that center Maurkice Pouncey and kicker Shaun Suisham will miss the New England game with injuries, and the Steelers offense won’t be recognizable. Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown are really good, but it’s not fair to expect them to be good enough to make up for those losses. That’s especially true if the Steelers often-maligned defense doesn’t show significant improvement between now and Sept. 10.

Bryant and Bell have no legitimate excuse for their suspensions. Bell has taken full responsibility for his foolish actions — getting high and then driving to the airport to catch the team flight to Philadelphia for an exhibition game — and apologized. Presumably, Bryant will do the same. But that doesn’t make it all right. Football is the ultimate team game. Bell and Bryant have made it much harder for the Steelers to win in New England. Bell still must have a hard time looking his teammates in the eye. Certainly, Bryant will. And imagine how those teammates must feel? They worked hard in the offseason and through training camp to get ready for what they believe will be a Super Bowl year. Now they must start it without two players? Shame on Bell and Bryant.

Bell was an All-Pro last season and the Steelers’ most valuable player. We saw his value when the team didn’t have him because of a knee injury in its playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The offense was impotent.

At least the Steelers have had time to prepare for Bell’s absence this season. They knew his suspension was coming virtually from the minute he was arrested. They brought in veteran DeAngelo Williams, formerly of the Carolina Panthers, as a free agent to be the starter for the first two games. He should be fine, but the problem is there is not much behind him. Mike Tomlin felt the need this week to publicly scold presumed backup Josh Harris by suggesting the exhibition game at Buffalo Saturday against the Bills would be a dandy time for him to step up. What does it say about Harris that he needs such a suggestion?

But Bryant’s suspension came at a really bad time, just two weeks before the New England game. Clearly, he had something special going with Roethlisberger. He became the top deep threat midway through last season and was going to be even better this season. There is no one on the roster to adequately replace him.

Bryant’s absence will hurt the Steelers beyond the loss of their home-run hitter. Opposing defenses will have an easier time trying to keep the great Brown under control. Safeties will be able to shade toward his side of the field without worrying about the deep threat from Bryant.

The Steelers’ best hope at New England might be that the Patriots — the defending Super Bowl champions — also have their share of knuckleheads. The Patriots will be without their suspended running back, LeGarrette Blount, who was a member of the Steelers last summer when he was arrested with Bell on that joyride to the airport. You also might have heard the Patriots will be without their star quarterback, a man named Brady. He is facing a four-game suspension for his role in Deflategate during the playoffs last season, although no one will be shocked if a federal district judge overturns that suspension.

So we’re looking at the highly anticipated kickoff to the NFL season going on without Brady, Bell, Bryant, Blount and Pouncey.