PITTSBURGH – Joe Mixon suggested he could have outrushed Steelers star Le'Veon Bell Sunday given the chance.
"Me personally, I feel like I can do way more than (Bell) did,” said the Bengals rookie running back.
Mixon was unhappy that his number wasn’t called in the second half.
"It's frustrating. I feel like I'm seeing (Bell) got the ball 35 times, and I got it seven in the first half and then don't touch the ball again," the Bengals rookie said, according to ESPN.
Mixon ran effectively in the first half of the Bengals’ 29-14 loss and set up a TD with a 25-yard run. He rushed for 48 yards in the first half, before the Bengals went to the pass to play catch-up.
The Bengals attempted two runs in the third quarter, with Jeremy Hill and Gio Bernard combining for 9 yards. With the Steelers defense dominating the second half, the Bengals offense earned 19 total yards in the last 30 minutes.
“Jeremy Hill only got one touch in the second half. It's frustrating to us running backs," said Mixon. "We feel like we're in the room and we feel like we're part of the offense. If it worked in the first half, why not do it in the second?"
Meanwhile, Mixon watched Bell rush for 134 yards and catch three passes for 58 yards.
“Like I said, I only had seven carries. I can't showcase nothing if I don't get the ball. There's nothing else I can say.”
Seven carries was Mixon’s lowest total of the season even with the three-back rotation.
Bengals coach Marvin Lewis was terse when asked about Mixon’s disappearance in the second half.
"He was there in the third quarter," Lewis said. "Whatever plays are called are called."
