Rashard Mendenhall will be starter

[FanSince72]

Rashard Mendenhall will be starter
By Jamison Hensley | ESPN.com

It's unknown whether Rashard Mendenhall will play Monday night against the Kansas City Chiefs, but he will remain the Steelers' starting running back when he's recovered from an Achilles injury, running backs coach Kirby Wilson told The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on Wednesday.

"Rashard has always been our lead dog and our top runner," Wilson told the newspaper.

After missing the first three games of the season because of offseason knee surgery, Mendenhall returned to gain 101 total yards against the Eagles before injuring his Achilles the next game. In his absence, Jonathan Dwyer has gained 100 yards rushing in back-to-back games, and Isaac Redman produced a career-high 147 yards rushing last Sunday.

There is a chance the Steelers will go with a running back-by-committee approach, and Wilson repeated what coach Mike Tomlin said earlier in the week about giving the ball to the running back who is having the most success during the game. Wilson indicated the first opportunities would go to Mendenhall.

"Rashard is the complete package -- power, speed, explosiveness," Wilson said. "He is the guy who can take a 10-yard run and make people miss and get 20 more. We think Jonathan has things that he is great at. Isaac has some things that he is great at. But Rashard is the complete package. Rashard has proved that he can do it over the long haul."

Mendenhall is considered questionable for Monday's game against Kansas City. A first-round pick by Pittsburgh in 2008, he is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/86...chilles-injury

I've said before that I generally agree that a player shouldn't lose his job to injury, but to say that Mendy will be the starter and clearly imply that neither Dwyer nor Redman are the "complete package" is wrong.

I think if Mendy is healthy, he should be given an opportunity to play.
But I also think that in light of what Redman and Dwyer have been doing, he should have to earn that starting job rather than having it handed to him.

Wilson also goes on to gush about Mendy's explosiveness and ability to turn a short play into a big one.
This may be true, but I could say the very same thing about either Redman or Dwyer and to imply that they don't have such ability disses both of them.

I've always believed that Mendy is better at running to the outside or serving as a pass-catcher out of the backfield than a "through-the-line" power back (think Fast Willie) and I DO NOT see him as having the ability to pound the ball straight ahead as Dwyer and Redman have done.

I think Mendy has a role in this team but I'm not sure that "Starting Running Back" should be it.

Thouights?

[Darkstorm05]

Mendy is a starting caliber back, and the others are not. The coaches is simply confirming this. Again, go watch Dwyers performances int hose big games he had. Any time he had a decent run he was winded and whining to come out. That's not a starting back.

Dwyer and Redman combined have less than half of Mendy's career rushing yards, and what, like a 5th of his TD's? Are we forgetting the early games this year where this awesome duo were putting up a combine 40 yards per game? Yes, the line was bad, but that was the same bad line Mendy has put up multiple 1000+ yard seasons with. And we have yet to see him run from behind the newly cohesive line this year.

[FanSince72]

Originally Posted by Darkstorm05

Mendy is a starting caliber back, and the others are not. The coaches is simply confirming this. Again, go watch Dwyers performances int hose big games he had. Any time he had a decent run he was winded and whining to come out. That's not a starting back.

Dwyer and Redman combined have less than half of Mendy's career rushing yards, and what, like a 5th of his TD's? Are we forgetting the early games this year where this awesome duo were putting up a combine 40 yards per game? Yes, the line was bad, but that was the same bad line Mendy has put up multiple 1000+ yard seasons with. And we have yet to see him run from behind the newly cohesive line this year.

You may be right, but I think that Mendenhall is overrated (always have) and then there's the idea of going with whatever is working or the "hot hand".
I think that although both Redman and Dwyer are more "raw". I think each of them has more long term potential than Mendenhall ever had. Like I said, Mendy - to me - is more of an outside / pass-catching back and has never impressed me as a power rusher.

But like you said, he had a pretty crappy line in front of him and now that seems better, so we'll see if that makes a difference.

[Darkstorm05]

I fully believe Mendy will go elsewhere next year. However, I'm not convinced we'll be ok, as some others here are. If I had to lay money, I'd bet on Mendy leaving, our run game bogging down next year as the current group struggles, then another early round RB pick the following year to address the issue.

[Fire Arians]

i hope he comes back strong this year to prove the doubters wrong. he is our best RB

[Rotorhead]

I have always said Mendy was just wrong for BA's offense, Haleys off may be just what he needed, but if he wants to stay in the Burgh, he needs to string together an exceptional rest of the season to prove his worth, otherwise they will let him walk.

[Fire Arians]

not to mention he had 1000 yard seasons behind that train wreck of an o-line we had in the past few years, he could do some damage behind the one we have right now

those run plays where dwyer / red are getting 10-15 yard gainers could easily be 30+ with mendy carrying the rock, he just has that breakaway speed/acceleration that premier NFL backs have and they do not.

todd haley's offense will get him in space where he's dangerous, and with the improved o-line / will johnson, just watch

[jjpro11]

Mendy will explode in this offense if he is healthy.. Just watch.

[EbonySteel86]

I don't even know anymore.

[steelfury02]

my gut says there is going to be some rust on his part, and some tweaking to do to see what works

I'm not so sure I'd go from him sitting around to carrying the load right away anyways if it were up to me. Put him in for about 10-12 carries and see what he does with it.

Who knows, the solidity of this line might be all he needs to do damage from anywhere

I do agree with you though. I'd like to see him get some opps in the flat