Saints RB Mike Bell Cleared To Play After MCL Sprain, Payton Expects Him To Be Full Go After The Bye-Week

Mike Bell rushed for 229 yards and one touchdown in two games with the Saints this season while filling in for injured starter Pierre Thomas.

Bell was second in the league in rushing behind only Adrian Peterson through those two games before an injury to his MCL late in the game against Philadelphia sidelined him for up to four weeks.

Bell however has now been medically cleared to practice with the team, who are currently on their bye-week, and should be ready to go for the Saints week six match-up against the Giants — a pivotal NFC showdown.

Luckily for the Saints Bell’s injury coincided with the return of Thomas who had been rehabbing his own MCL sprain suffered in the pre-season.

Thomas announced triumphantly that he could also run as well as Bell, rushing for 126 yards and two touchdowns in his return against the Bills.

He followed that performance with an 86 yard one touchdown day against the Jets last week helping the Saints secure a 24-10 victory.

With both backs healthy and in the lineup the Saints have a very good problem in deciding how to split their carries, the first time both guys hit the field at the same time could produce massive results.

So far this season the duo of Thomas and Bell have propelled the Saints to their first 4-0 start in nearly ten years while ranking the team second in the league in rushing with 166.2 yards per game.

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