Rashard Mendenhall will be starter

[lardlad]

I defend Mendenhall a lot to people I talk to about the run game. But my biggest issue on who should start are, if there isn't a hole, Mendenhall isn't going to make one. Sure he is a home run hitter, but these other guys will get first downs. Seems Mendenhall gets his in chunks, and IMO the running game is about getting first downs, use Wallace for the home runs.

[LVSteelersfan]

I honestly think Mendenhall does not have a nose for finding the holes. Instead of just powering through a small hole like the others do, he will dance around and try to find a bigger hole. And that is not going to be there. You have to hit it fast and hit it hard in the second or two there is daylight. Redman and Dwyer are both good at that. I am just not convinced Mendenhall is as far ahead of the other backs as people want to think he is.

[Hawaii 5-0]

Steelers figuring out how to handle their running backs

Posted by Josh Alper on November 8, 2012



The Steelers have one of those good problems with their running backs right now.

They’ve had a running back run for more than 100 yards in each of the last three games with Jonathan Dwyer doing the trick twice and Isaac Redman pulling it off in Sunday’s win over the Giants. Both of them were put into the feature back role as a result of injuries and both of them produced, leaving the Steeler with a tough choice to make between them when everybody’s healthy.

Complicating matters even more is the fact that Rashard Mendenhall is still the guy that running backs coach Kirby Wilson considers to be the starter. Mendenhall has missed most of the year with knee and Achilles injuries, but Wilson told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that Mendenhall has the “complete package” and would be first on the depth chart when he’s healthy. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has expressed a desire to stick with one back instead of going the committee route, so it would seem Mendenhall, who seems unlikely to play again this week, would get the first chance at that job when he returns to the lineup.

Assuming, of course, the Steelers don’t try a different approach. Redman agrees that the Steelers should ride one back, but also suggested going with two tailback looks that the team practiced during training camp.

“We did a lot of it,” Redman said, via Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I’m surprised we haven’t done more, but everybody’s been banged up. Maybe when we get everybody back and everybody rolling maybe we’ll starting seeing two running backs.”

Dwyer and Redman both appear to be on track to play this week, so perhaps we will see some of those looks on Monday night. Or we’ll just see more of the same for a team that’s averaging 155 yards on the ground in their last three games. Either way, having too many backs and a successful running game is the kind of issue that should sort itself out just fine for the Steelers.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...running-backs/

[Fire Arians]

^ good post, we do have a 'good' problem right now. I'm a little disappointed in baron batch, although he's been money in pass protection.

[FanSince72]

Originally Posted by lardlad

I defend Mendenhall a lot to people I talk to about the run game. But my biggest issue on who should start are, if there isn't a hole, Mendenhall isn't going to make one. Sure he is a home run hitter, but these other guys will get first downs. Seems Mendenhall gets his in chunks, and IMO the running game is about getting first downs, use Wallace for the home runs.

BINGO!

Mendy may very well have great breakaway speed and could turn a 10 or 15 yd. run into 30-plus (as someone said earlier). But Mendy's problem is GETTING that 10 or 15 yds. to begin with because he simply doesn't have the chops to be able to create holes through which to run.

What was everyone's biggest complaint about him?
That he stopped behind the line as if waiting for an elevator door to open.

Dwyer and Redman don't do that. They just slam into whatever opening is there and either force their way through, or they change direction in an instant and go through the next available gap. They do this because they have the power to do so. Mendy is absolutely great in the open field and has the chops to accelerate quickly and make guys miss, but first he has to GET to the open field. That's why I think his real value would be either as a pass-catcher out of the backfield or as an off-tackle runner because in each instance he's already in a less populated area of the field and wouldn't have to break through a ton of linemen.

But as an "A-gap / B-gap" runner?
Not so much. He just doesn't have the power for it.

The only way I can see him being a consistent through the line is if he can take advantage of excellent blocking and be given good sized gaps to run through. But if he has to create a gap or widen a small one, he won't be able to do that consistently enough to say it's worth having him in that role.

Basically, if you're thinking "Steeler Football" (like with Jerome), then it's Dwyer / Redman.

But if the play is more "West Coast", then Mendy is the first choice by far.

I think Haley is trying to create an offense that can be both "Ground and Pound" as well as have the ability to open up into a more West Coast style and if that's true, then Mendy (along with Rainey and some TE's) will have their roles and Dwyer / Redman along with a fullback will have theirs.

[steeltheone]

Originally Posted by Fire Arians

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

He is, plain and simple!

[teegre]

Originally Posted by Fire Arians

^ good post, we do have a 'good' problem right now.

That's exactly what some of us were discussing in another thread (what a nice "problem" to have).

[Darkstorm05]

Let's check out how Dwyer and Redman did before the bye, prior to the line beginning to put up some proper play...

Vs Denver

Dwyer: 9 attempts for 43 yards
Redman: 11 attempts for 20 yards


VS The Jets

Dwyer: 12 attempts for 28 yards
Redman: 12 attempts for 25 yards


Vs Oakland

Dwyer: 3 attempts for -1 yards
Redman: 9 attempts for 27 yards

Hot damn, these guys are surely pro-bowl bound! Truly, because Redman is on track to put up 550 yards this year...a personal record for him! And then it gets better, because after the bye we actually managed to open a hole, and Dwyer ran for a whole 24 yards before his legs literally came apart under the strain of this Olympic feat.

So does that paragraph right there seem really silly? Because it's dialed down to about a 3 compared to saying Mendy should be benched for these two. To be perfectly honest it isn't even physically possible, because they both have showed that they can't take that many consecutive carries without gassing out big time. Mendenhall's WORST full season behind the crappiest run plays Arians could could copy from his Madden 09 playbook he still put up 930 yards and more TD's than Redman and Dwyer combined.

Go look at the replays on the big running games of the last few weeks. There's quite a few instances where we almost have a gap, then our new lead blocker pops it clear and springs Dwyer or Redman, who picks up some good yardage before being run down. Just wait for it, and see what happens when they spring Mendy on a few of those plays.

Why do we have to have this argument every time a backup has a couple good games? Seriously, there are people here who think our 2nd, 3rd, AND 4th string RB would all be starting anywhere else in the league if they weren't stuck here being held back by Mendy.

[tanda10506]

Originally Posted by Darkstorm05

Let's check out how Dwyer and Redman did before the bye, prior to the line beginning to put up some proper play...

Vs Denver

Dwyer: 9 attempts for 43 yards
Redman: 11 attempts for 20 yards


VS The Jets

Dwyer: 12 attempts for 28 yards
Redman: 12 attempts for 25 yards


Vs Oakland

Dwyer: 3 attempts for -1 yards
Redman: 9 attempts for 27 yards

Hot damn, these guys are surely pro-bowl bound! Truly, because Redman is on track to put up 550 yards this year...a personal record for him! And then it gets better, because after the bye we actually managed to open a hole, and Dwyer ran for a whole 24 yards before his legs literally came apart under the strain of this Olympic feat.

So does that paragraph right there seem really silly? Because it's dialed down to about a 3 compared to saying Mendy should be benched for these two. To be perfectly honest it isn't even physically possible, because they both have showed that they can't take that many consecutive carries without gassing out big time. Mendenhall's WORST full season behind the crappiest run plays Arians could could copy from his Madden 09 playbook he still put up 930 yards and more TD's than Redman and Dwyer combined.

Go look at the replays on the big running games of the last few weeks. There's quite a few instances where we almost have a gap, then our new lead blocker pops it clear and springs Dwyer or Redman, who picks up some good yardage before being run down. Just wait for it, and see what happens when they spring Mendy on a few of those plays.

Why do we have to have this argument every time a backup has a couple good games? Seriously, there are people here who think our 2nd, 3rd, AND 4th string RB would all be starting anywhere else in the league if they weren't stuck here being held back by Mendy.

No reason to only use those first few games. In the beginning of the season NOBODY could run the ball due to the O line. There was never a hole. I understand that you like Mendy, but use the more current stats of Dwyer and Redman to compare the situation. The way we run in the next game is more likely to be the way we ran the last, not the way we ran 5 or 6 games ago.

I was neutral on Mendy till this offseason when I re-watched the entire 2010 season on NFL rewind. Mendy is likely the most "talented" back, and I do believe he has the capability of being a great back, even here if the O line does their part. He was our offense in most of the 2010 AFC Championship game and the O line was playing nothing like it is playing now. So I agree that Mendy should get some carries, I think we are all curious to see what he can do behind a good O line like we finally seem to have, but fixing something that's not broke often turns into a problem. We'll find out. If Mendy hits the first hole and dances after that then he has the potential to still have a 1000 yard system, but if he dances first like in 2011 he will end up back on the pine. I don't care who's running the ball as long as it's succesful.

As for the Wilson implying that Dwyer and Redman are not the complete package, it seemed like more of a complement to Mendy then anything else, but even if Dwyer is not the "complete package" who cares, the Bus wasn't the complete package either and that turned out pretty damn well.

[Darkstorm05]

Originally Posted by tanda10506

No reason to only use those first few games. In the beginning of the season NOBODY could run the ball due to the O line. There was never a hole. I understand that you like Mendy, but use the more current stats of Dwyer and Redman to compare the situation. The way we run in the next game is more likely to be the way we ran the last, not the way we ran 5 or 6 games ago.

I fully understand what you're saying here, but it isn't possible to compare. The O-Line couldn't have opened a gap big enough to let a fly through those first 3 games. Then we had the bye. then we had Mendy and the line was almost cohesive. Mendy had a good game, but went down injured again.

Meanwhile Dwyer was benched for poor performance. He can't offer up a comparison here, other than to point out that the coaches felt his efforts didn't warrant dressing for these games. So he comes back, the line gets it together, and he does great, but he's gassed constantly, and goes down just from what appears to be the strain of carrying the running game as the #1 back. Redman is finally uninjured and comes back to the line doing their job, and has a big week.

So, what we really have as a body of work here is Redman with 1 big game, Dwyer with 1.75 big games and injuring himself, up against Mendy and his multiple 1000+ yard years, and more TD's than Dwyer or Redman could even count.

The reason it irks me is because everyone blows off Mendy's several 1000 yard rushing seasons just because Redman finally had a big day. The day either of these two sees 1000 yards and 10 TD's in a season, then go open threads all day long about them being better backs. We should throw out the first 3 games this year because it isn't fair to mention them, but should instead count the single game Redman came to play?