he had a chance to make the club, and I said, Absolutely. You

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Josh Harris could tell by the silence that it was serious. There was no need to glance at the replay.The instant the helmet of Cincinnati safety Reggie Nelson slammed into the right knee of Pittsburgh running back LeVeon Bell in the third quarter Sunday night, the bubbling euphoria that gripped Heinz Field only moments earlier vanished.Bell, the budding second-year running back, lay in agony on the turf. Harris, an undrafted free agent turned unlikely backup, suddenly found himself prepping to go into the biggest game of the season.It was a shock at first, Harris said.For the rest of the Steelers, too. Pittsburgh held on to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals 27-17 and win the AFC North. Coach Mike Tomlin stressed there was no major structural damage to Bells knee, but the Steelers (11-5) head into Saturdays wild-card game against Baltimore (10-6) wondering if their chances for a seventh Vince Lombardi Trophy hinge on Harris and Dri Archer.Thats couple of rookies who have combined for 56 yards rushing in their brief careers.No pressure or anything.At the end of the day, they have me here to do what Im here to do, Harris said.Maybe, but the Steelers are hoping Harris doesnt have to clock in. Bell underwent further testing Monday to judge the severity of what the team is calling a hyperextended knee. While the 22-year-old has joked in the past that hes a quick healer, bouncing back on a short week on a bum leg to face the Ravens appears daunting.Injuries happen, centre Maurkice Pouncey said. If he cant go the next man has to step up and play just like him or better.Good luck with that.Bells constantly churning knees were so vital to Pittsburghs resurgence that in the vote for team MVP, the Steelers selected him over quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and wide receiver Antonio Brown. They did so even though the two established stars put up numbers hard to duplicate in a video game, let alone real life. Bell set club records for all-purpose yards (2,215) and receptions by a running back (83). Oh, and he did it without fumbling once.His talent became so prevalent the Steelers considered LeGarrette Blount expendable. Pittsburgh cut the well-travelled veteran in November after Blount headed to the locker room with the clock still running in a win over Tennessee, a silent but deliberate protest over a lack of touches.The Steelers didnt go looking for a free agent to replace Blount, instead promoting Harris from the practice squad. Harris shared backup duties with Archer, a third-round pick who has struggled to find any traction. Neither saw much action after Blount left. They had six carries combined following Blounts departure until Bell half-jogged/half-limped to the sideline in the third quarter Sunday night.Harris appeared to provide a momentary spark in the fourth quarter, sprinting over right guard for a 60-yard gain. The play was called back due to a holding penalty on Ramon Foster, though it did little to dampen Harris optimism that he can play.It was just great blocking up front, I just made one cut and I was out, he said. It (stinks) that it was called back, but the fact that run happened showed everyone I can actually play and do things like that.Harris managed just 7 yards on five carries on the runs that did count, while Archer caught two passes for 19 yards. Not exactly Bell-like with the NFLs fourth-ranked run defence looming.The Steelers will need to get something going on the ground to prevent Baltimore pass rush specialists Elvis Dumervil and Terrell Suggs from teeing off on Roethlisberger.The quarterback tossed six touchdowns in a 43-23 victory on Nov. 2, the second half of a two-game stretch in which Roethlisberger found the end zone a league-record 12 times.He has cooled off considerably since as the Steelers became more reliant on Bell to eat up clock and yardage behind a rapidly improving offensive line. That formula will have to be altered if Bell is forced to sit.We can grow at every point, Pouncey said. That means sticking with what were always good at and letting Dri be the man he got drafted for.___Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Rob Gronkowski Jersey ." The game can be seen live on TSN starting with Monday Night Countdown at 6:30 p.m et/3:30 p.m. pt. 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Irving Fryar Youth Jersey .com) - The Carolina Panthers won for the first time in seven games last week, were without Cam Newton due to a car accident this week, but somehow sit atop the much-maligned NFC South.MINNEAPOLIS - After joining Cleveland for the final month, Jason Kubel found himself in a familiar place in Minnesota when the Indians finished the regular season. During that series with the Twins, Kubel stopped in the home clubhouse to see some of his old teammates and coaches. Manager Ron Gardenhire got to the point. "I said, Why arent you in this clubhouse?" Gardenhire recalled. "He said, Well, lets talk over the winter. And we talked." Less than three months later, Kubel signed with the Twins. Hell be at spring training next month on a minor league contract, but if he is added to the 40-man roster he would receive a $2 million base salary. There are bonuses built in, too: $150,000 each for 300 and 350 plate appearances and $200,000 for 400 plate appearances; and $150,000 each for 30 and 60 days on the active major league roster, excluding time on the disabled list, and $200,000 for 90 days on the active major league roster. Thats an extra $1 million waiting for him if hes healthy and productive enough to re-establish himself as an everyday player. "The guy can put some swings on the ball and put it in the seats. He can carry a ballclub," Gardenhire said. "Im not saying hes here to do that, but I think hes going to be very valuable for us if he comes and proves that in spring training that hes still good and healthy." Kubel isnt the only former Twins standout whos back for a second time. Shortstop Jason Bartlett was signed to a minor league deal and will be in camp vying for a spot. General manager Terry Ryan also confirmed over the weekend the team has maintained interest in two-time American League Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana, who is recovering from a second surgery on the left shoulder that kept him out of the 2011 and 2013 seasons. Santana probably wont be ready to pitch until the summer, and hed surely have other teams to pick from. But the theme the Twins are following is clear: leadership ability and winning experience, two important traits theyve largely lacked the last three years while losing at least 96 games each time. Bartlett and Kubel are past their prime, a decline accelerated by injuries, but if theyre healthy they could help enhance the roster. Pedro Florimon is a slick fielder, buut even for a shortstop a .dddddddddddd78 career on-base percentage wont cut it for long. If the 27-year-old wins the job again, Bartlett could still be in line for a utility spot, competing with Eduardo Escobar. "I feel like a rookie again," Bartlett said over the weekend at the teams annual fan festival, held at Target Field for the first time. Bartlett was traded to Tampa Bay before the 2008 season. He went to the World Series that fall and had a career year in 2009. But his production sharply decreased in 2010, and he was traded to San Diego. Limited by a sprained right knee in 2012, Bartlett was released that summer batting just .133. He didnt play at all in 2013, and he thought his career could be over. He had surgery to fix the knee, though, and the 34-year-old said hes been working out pain-free since. Before choosing the Twins, however, he had to talk to the boss. "He was concerned about if he had a chance to make the club, and I said, Absolutely. You come into my spring training and you prove youre healthy, I know youre a winner. I know you know how to play," Gardenhire said. Kubel signed shortly after Bartlett. "Jason Tyner called me and said, Whats going on? Is this an old-timers game? Do I need to pack my bag or what?" Bartlett said. "That was funny. We have good memories here." Including, of course, the 2006 season when the Twins went 96-66, one game behind the New York Mets and Yankees for the best record in baseball. "We both have been on this team when we were doing well," said Kubel, who also spent time at TwinsFest. "They kind of wanted to bring that attitude back. Theyve got the right guys to do that with." Kubel signed with Arizona for two years and $15 million prior to the 2012 season, but last year he was bothered by knee and quadriceps trouble on his left leg and stumbled to career lows in every significant statistical category. He was designated for assignment and then traded to Cleveland. Just two years ago, though, he hit 30 homers and drove in 90 runs for the Diamondbacks. There are openings in the outfield for him to fill. "It just didnt work out last year," he said. "Healthy now. No issues. ... Im just really excited to get started." ' ' '