What has changed?

[blackandgoldsc]

What has changed with our run game? In the preseason Mendenhall could run the ball decently. I know people are going to say "It was just preseason". I don't buy it.
When the first string is out there going up against the opposing first string, it doesn't make a difference if it is preseason or not. They are all the starters. Mendenhall and our whole running game looked pretty good in the preseason. How come now I have to be excited when he gains more than 2 yards on a play?

Also, I am not sure you can say because we have lost O line starters. That is certainly a part but going into Indy the only starter we lost since snap 1 of the regular season was Colon. Is Colon THAT great? I don't really think so. So, I realize our O line is not great, but they were good enough in the preseason. So what has changed? Just wanting some help understanding. Thanks

[Fire Arians]

i really don't know unless the opposing side didnt have much hustle when playing them. our first team looked sharp out there so i had high hopes for the season.

[steeltheone]

Thats exactly what it was... pre season.....Antonio Bryant was a 100 yard a game wideout in the preseason also.

[Atlanta Dan]

They played the starters in 2 games - Philadelphia and Atlanta

In addition to preseason games not being relaiable indicators of much of anything, running against the Falcons and Eagles is no great acccomplishment -
Falcons rank #20 against the run/ Eagles rank #30

http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorysta...seasonType=REG

I also recall Steelers could not punch it in against the Falcons in the first quarter after Timmons ran an INT back to inside the 10

[Fire Arians]

3rd game of preseason is usually telling though. Nobody takes that one as if it's bs (as denny green would say). And I'm sure antonio brown would have a couple 100 yard games if he were put in the #1 or #2 slot like he was for preseasson. He almost did that last game as the #4 wr

[tanda10506]

I don't put much into the preseason, but he ran well last year and looked like he was going to break out in the SB till we stopped running. I know he fumbled in the SB but he was running really well up to that point. The line getting shoved into the backfield on running plays doesn't help either.

[Steelerfreak58]

PREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESeaon....

no first stringer wants to get hurt they just want to get through it.

[tony hipchest]

it was just preseason and the defenders we ran against had been back to practice all of 2 -3 weeks after a 8 month layoff.

it really is that simple.

now teams gameplan to stop all of our very predictable runs and put ben into the very predictable of throwing an interception, fumbling, or taking a sack once every 4 dropbacks.

this too, is really that simple.

its what practice and gameplanning do.

[harrison'samonster]

it also might take a while (I'm thinking most of the season) for this O-line to come together and start working well as a team. Who knows, we might be thinking at the end of this season that, yes they are a pretty bad line, but they get the job done.

I think the preseason is pretty unreliable when making predictions for the regular season, but I too had higher hopes for the Steelers offense at this point. I'll give about 13 more weeks though.

[Steeldude]

when you try to get by on journeymen and low caliber draft picks this is the result. at least they drafted pouncey, but now he isn't looking so well.

i have been saying it for years, what do the steelers have waiting in the wings. perhaps gilbert will be bright spot