Tell Me, WHY do we need SPINderella?

[BradshawsHairdresser]

Backfield of Redman, Dwyer and Moore works for me...

Does anybody else think Mendy might be wearing a different uni next season?

[SidSmythe]

Mendy needs a finess offense. get him in the open field and let him dance.

That doesn't cut it with the Steelers.
Dwyer & Redman like to move the ball forward, not sideways

I agree

[Djfan]

Next year Batch is back, as well.

Mendy is toast.

[Steelerphile]

Redman averaged 3.2 yards a carry today and also spins. He also is not as fast as Mendenhall. The Mendenhall hate is overblown. He is a good back. He's just had a slow start.

[Jooser]

Well, I'm not ready to write off Mendy yet. Redman played a good game and ran hard. However, he couldn't finish the job. He finished the day with 54 yards, while Dwyer had over a hundred. Anyone calling for Dwyer to start? The biggest improvement in the running game was simply due to the dramatic difference in blocking (see Roethlisberger's performance). Redman runs hard and is all heart, Mendenhall has all the potential in the world. Earlier in the year he couldn't find any rhythm in this offense at all. I'm not ready to say goodbye to Mendenhall just yet, give him one good day of blocking and many here would be changing their tune. Give BOTH of these guys a day of good blocking and that's even better.

[BURGH86STEEL]

Appears some of you forget what Mendenhall is capable of doing. Go check out a few of his highlights on youtube. Then people will understand why he is the Steelers best and most complete RB.

[Djfan]

Appears some of you forget what Mendenhall is capable of doing. Go check out a few of his highlights on youtube. Then people will understand why he is the Steelers best and most complete RB.


I don't care what he did then. That is the Limas Sweed excuse. What has he done this year? Not a lot.

[Sugar]

Appears some of you forget what Mendenhall is capable of doing. Go check out a few of his highlights on youtube. Then people will understand why he is the Steelers best and most complete RB.


I don't care what he did then. That is the Limas Sweed excuse. What has he done this year? Not a lot.

That seems exremely short-sighted to me. It's different between college and pro's (Limas Sweed). Mendy has proven himself as a Steeler. Ben himself hadn't been too hot this year and broke out today. What's to say that if Mendy wasn't hurt he doesn't do even better than Redman did? We can't know that one way or the other.

It seems perspective of the season as a whole will be best, IMO.

[DukieBoy]

Red moves the pile and rarely comes down on first contact. He got tough yards today to keep the chains moving, helped keep ball posession. His yardage was modest but they were important yards.

[BURGH86STEEL]

Appears some of you forget what Mendenhall is capable of doing. Go check out a few of his highlights on youtube. Then people will understand why he is the Steelers best and most complete RB.


I don't care what he did then. That is the Limas Sweed excuse. What has he done this year? Not a lot.

It's not really about what he did then. It's the way he is still capable of playing. Mendenhall is the best RB on the team.

Ben didn't do a lot this season up until today. We all knew that Ben was capable of playing better. Same can be said for Mendenhall.

[Snatch98]

Appears some of you forget what Mendenhall is capable of doing. Go check out a few of his highlights on youtube. Then people will understand why he is the Steelers best and most complete RB.


I don't care what he did then. That is the Limas Sweed excuse. What has he done this year? Not a lot.

That seems exremely short-sighted to me. It's different between college and pro's (Limas Sweed). Mendy has proven himself as a Steeler. Ben himself hadn't been too hot this year and broke out today. What's to say that if Mendy wasn't hurt he doesn't do even better than Redman did? We can't know that one way or the other.

It seems perspective of the season as a whole will be best, IMO.

Exactly. I'm glad we have the stable of backs that we do and Mendenhall is a dynamic tail back. Yes he dances but he's trying for the big gain each time. Part his problem and part Arians problem. The line also played really well today and Ben was getting rid of the ball in a hurry. The offense will look A HELL of a lot better if that continues and maybe today helped Ben realize it. All those quick reads and quick strikes paid off massively.

[Herewegosteelers!]

Mendenhall has two years left on the contract he signed as a rookie so unless they can trade him, it looks like he'll be back next year. The fumble in the Super Bowl and his comments in the off-season made me a Mendenhater. I'll admit it. :twisted:

[DukieBoy]

Part of the issue with Mendy, as it was discussed in chat today, is that apparently his contract is up after this year, and being a 1st round pick his 2nd contract may be big, and what impact that would have on the salary cap, especially considering other capable backs on the roster who will probably cost less, and with other needs on the team, and this is a run-on sentence. That is all.

[Herewegosteelers!]

Part of the issue with Mendy, as it was discussed in chat today, is that apparently his contract is up after this year, and being a 1st round pick his 2nd contract may be big, and what impact that would have on the salary cap, especially considering other capable backs on the roster who will probably cost less, and with other needs on the team, and this is a run-on sentence. That is all.

My mistake....I thought there were two years left. Good explaination...

[DukieBoy]

Part of the issue with Mendy, as it was discussed in chat today, is that apparently his contract is up after this year, and being a 1st round pick his 2nd contract may be big, and what impact that would have on the salary cap, especially considering other capable backs on the roster who will probably cost less, and with other needs on the team, and this is a run-on sentence. That is all.

My mistake....I thought there were two years left. Good explaination...

Not sure about his contract remaining ... just reporting what I read on chat today. You may be right about the 2 years for all I know.

[Snatch98]

Mendenhall has two years left on the contract he signed as a rookie so unless they can trade him, it looks like he'll be back next year. The fumble in the Super Bowl and his comments in the off-season made me a Mendenhater. I'll admit it. :twisted:

The fumble in the super bowl can not be blamed on Mendenhall. I don't think there is a back in the league that would have held on to that ball in the same circumstance. Matthews had a free shot and put his helmet right on the ball.

[Djfan]

Mendenhall has two years left on the contract he signed as a rookie so unless they can trade him, it looks like he'll be back next year. The fumble in the Super Bowl and his comments in the off-season made me a Mendenhater. I'll admit it. :twisted:

The fumble in the super bowl can not be blamed on Mendenhall. I don't think there is a back in the league that would have held on to that ball in the same circumstance. Matthews had a free shot and put his helmet right on the ball.

Kevin Greene took Matthews aside before that play and told him that Mendy is a fumble prone back. Matthews purposely went after the fumble, knowing that it was a high percentage possibility.

It's in the NFL films Super Bowl presentation, which is hard to watch.

[Snatch98]

Mendenhall has two years left on the contract he signed as a rookie so unless they can trade him, it looks like he'll be back next year. The fumble in the Super Bowl and his comments in the off-season made me a Mendenhater. I'll admit it. :twisted:

The fumble in the super bowl can not be blamed on Mendenhall. I don't think there is a back in the league that would have held on to that ball in the same circumstance. Matthews had a free shot and put his helmet right on the ball.

Kevin Greene took Matthews aside before that play and told him that Mendy is a fumble prone back. Matthews purposely went after the fumble, knowing that it was a high percentage possibility.

It's in the NFL films Super Bowl presentation, which is hard to watch.

Even still I don't put that on Mendenhall. David Johnson TOTALLY whiffed on his block assignment and Matthews had a clear shot. I wouldn't take those odds with any back in the league carrying the ball.

[focosteeler]

If Mendy wouldve be the RB on Dwyer's long run it would've been a TD. Speed wise he is by far the fastest RB. I think he has his place in our Offense, he just need to get it going. I think he and Redman need to evenly split carries though.

[Starlifter]

until we get consistent O-line performances that produce good holes for running - redman is a better fit. mendy is clearly a more accomplished back. he's faster, quicker, more explosive - but he also produces far more negative plays while trying to get that one that explodes. redman is sturdy and doesn't go down at the first hit. that's always been my biggest problem with mendy. he goes down EASY. heck, i've seen him trip over his own feet and hit the turf without being touched. if there weren't 11 guys on the opposite side trying to tackle him - he'd be a HOF back. but they do, and he falls and needs more out of the o-line than redman to be productive.

it's redman and dwyer as our best tandem right now.

oh, and arians excuse about redmans success seems to have been disproven this week. his ability to run isn't a result of fresh legs in the second half and game adjustments.

[feltdizz]

If Mendy wouldve be the RB on Dwyer's long run it would've been a TD. Speed wise he is by far the fastest RB. I think he has his place in our Offense, he just need to get it going. I think he and Redman need to evenly split carries though.

would Mendenhall see the hole and hit it like Dwyer did? I know Mend has the speed, vision and talent to take it to the house but right now he isn't seeing the holes or hitting them with authority.

[Ghost]

Competition is good! If we're just looking at talent, Mendy is the best back on the team. Maybe sitting on the sidelines watching 2 other guys rip off yardage is just what's needed to crank him into a second gear.

And I have no explanation for the o-line but it was miles ahead of what it's been doing in the last games. RM may have run wild as well since they decided to actually block some folks today.

[phillyesq]

I really enjoy watching Redman run, but Mendenhall likely will, and should, start when he is back to full health.

Predictacbly, given the starting role, Redman's YPC dropped significantly. He ran well, never going down after the first contact and fighting for extra yards on each play, and deserves to keep seeing significant playing time. Redman is more effective when he comes in as a reserve and when the defense is worn down a bit, and a Mendy/Redman tandem should be effective going forward.

[Pahn711]

Appears some of you forget what Mendenhall is capable of doing. Go check out a few of his highlights on youtube. Then people will understand why he is the Steelers best and most complete RB.

:Agree I recall a play yesterday where Redman tried to run outside and wasn't fast enough to get to the edge, was thinking Mendenhall would have made a big play out of that. Redman may be what this offense needs right now to move the chains and get the tough yards, but its not easy for me to forget Mendy's ability to make a huge game-breaking play with his speed and footwork.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

Based upon what he has done thus far this season, I can't see how Mendy would have run as well yesterday as Dwyer and Redman did.

Some credit has to go to the OL ...they played a bit better, IMO. But a big part of the success, I think, was having backs that didn't dance around behind the line, but instead hit the holes with authority.

I'm not a Mendy "hater". Hopefully, he sees what he needs to change and comes back and tears up the league.

But, to the title of this thread... if he keeps running as he has in the first four games, is he going to be worth keeping around? When his contract is up, is it going to be wise to throw him whatever money he commands in order to keep him?

I'm grateful for his contributions in the past, but moving forward, we need to have the players on the field who give us the best chance to win.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

What Redman does better is that if he is hit at or behind the line he struggles forward for a small gain. When Mendenhall gets hit behind the line he is stopped dead.

However, if Rashard gets the hole that Dwyer got then that is most likely a TD. He is our best back in space, but right now we don't have a line or a system that gets him out in a lot of space.

[focosteeler]

If Mendy wouldve be the RB on Dwyer's long run it would've been a TD. Speed wise he is by far the fastest RB. I think he has his place in our Offense, he just need to get it going. I think he and Redman need to evenly split carries though.

would Mendenhall see the hole and hit it like Dwyer did? I know Mend has the speed, vision and talent to take it to the house but right now he isn't seeing the holes or hitting them with authority.

I would hope mendy wouldve seen the hole and hit it...Ray Charles couldve seen it and hit it

[pittpete]

Dwyer & Redman like to move the ball forward, not sideways

In all honesty, I found myself yelling at the TV when Dwyer started doing a Mendy imitation in the 4th quarter.
Redman and Mendy need to split carries IMHO.
Dwyer is still a backup,one run doesnt make him a star

[hawaiiansteel]

Post-Tennessee notes

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 09, 2011
by Dale Lolley

Jonathan Dwyer admitted after the game that he thought he was going to score on his 78-yard run in the second quarter.

But this is the NFL, not the ACC.

That was a pretty big hole right in the middle of the line. I'm pretty sure Rashard Mendenhall would have scored on that play, which is why he'll be the starting back once he's healthy again.

© Isaac Redman did a credible job replacing Mendenhall as well, though he averaged just 3.3 yards per carry.

His biggest contribution with some crushing blitz pickups.

http://www.observer-reporter.com/or/sidelines/

[LouSteel]

Before the season started, I'd say you were insane for even asking. But now...

Mendy's a former 1st round pick and is a proven back. What kind of OL talent could we get out of a trade with him?

Personally, I'd rather roll with Redman/Batch/Dwyer/Moore next season, plus picks or proven talent. If we shore up the OL, it improves our ground game AND keeps our hundred-million-dollar man alive and breathing.

[Eich]

Redman is more effective when he comes in as a reserve and when the defense is worn down a bit, and a Mendy/Redman tandem should be effective going forward.

But maybe the whole running game would be more effective if Redman was the guy to wear down the defense a bit (power running, right at them, legs churning) and then bring in a fresh Spindenhall to gash them?...

[hawaiiansteel]

Steelers should wait to hand off starting job

OCT 12
By Jamison Hensley


Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Rashard Mendenhall will return to practice this week but he declined to answer whether the running back will start Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"We expect him to participate this week," Tomlin said at Tuesday's news conference, "and we will see where that participation leads us."

That's not a surprise. That's just being smart. This isn't an endorsement to bench Mendenhall after he sat out last Sunday's game with hamstring injury. Still, you can't simply go back to handing the ball off to him 20 times a game and act like backups Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer didn't fight for every yard in his absence.

This should be the Steelers' game plan going forward: Stick with the hot running back. Tomlin should tell the running backs that he's not going to decide which one gets the most carries in a game. The running backs will determine that by the way they practice and by way they plan in games. It could be Mendenhall one game, or it could be Redman for one half.

The reason there is a debate about the starting running back job stems from third-down back Mewelde Moore's ankle injury and Mendenhall's slow start. Mendenhall's paltry numbers -- 43.2 yards rushing per game and 3.0 yards per carry -- are more a reflection of poor blocking by the offensive line than his running skills.

Mendenhall remains the most talented running back on the roster, but Redman and Dwyer are the hungrier backs on the team. Too often, Mendenhall would see no lane in between the tackles and bounce to the outside. He is dangerous when he has room. He is sometimes pedestrian when there's not.

In Sunday's 38-17 win over the Titans, Redman proved his toughness and Dwyer showed his breakaway skills. Dwyer ran 11 times for 107 yards, 76 of which came on one exhilarating dash. Redman pounded his way for 49 yards on 15 carries.

Some would argue that the blocking was much better Sunday than it had been for Mendenhall. Others would say Redman and Dwyer were more aggressive in attacking the line of scrimmage.

Redman, who went undrafted out of Bowie State in 2009, never carried the ball more than 10 times in an NFL game before Sunday because of the team's commitment to Mendenhall and Redman's problem with keeping in shape.

While his production wasn't overly impressive Sunday (3.3 yards per carry), his running style certainly was. Redman drove his 6-foot, 230-pound frame into the line and kept his legs churning for extra yards.

The difference between Redman and Mendenhall is their physical running. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Redman averages 2.6 yards after first contact (seventh-best in the NFL) while Mendenhall gets 1.1 YAC.

"I thought he did a nice job but that is kind of what we expected," Tomlin said of Redman. "Isaac is not an unknown commodity in terms of what he is capable of doing with the ball in his hands ... so we were pleased but not surprised."

Dwyer, a sixth-round draft pick by the Steelers in 2010, was inactive for the first four games of the season and entered Sundays' game with 28 career rushing yards. His first run was a 76-yarder, which was the longest by a Steeler since Willie Parker ran the same distance five years ago.

Pittsburgh's offensive line -- right tackle Marcus Gilbert drove defenders inside and left guard Doug Legursky sealed the other side by pulling to the right -- opened a hole big enough for a bus. Well, a hole big enough for a couple of Jerome Bettis' to fit through.

Nevertheless, the run was effective because there was no hesitation from Dwyer. He ran full speed into the lane and sparked the Steelers' third touchdown drive of the game.

"Since Jonathan has been here, I think he has always made it very evident that running the football is something that he does well," Tomlin said. "But we are more pleased with some of the other things that he did in the game and other things that come with being a professional running back. He made two tackles on kick coverage units. He is growing in all areas, and that is what is going to be required for him to continue to move forward and retain his helmet as some of those guys who are injured get healthy."

Perhaps the Steelers will get back a more motivated Mendenhall. He suited up as the emergency running back because of a hamstring injury, and he watched two backup running backs combine for 156 yards against the NFL's stingiest defense in the Titans.

In fairness, one solid game by backups shouldn't wipe away Mendenhall's successful track record with Pittsburgh. The Steelers' first-round draft pick in 2008, he ran for 2,381 yards and 20 touchdowns the past two seasons after his rookie season abruptly ended with a fractured shoulder.

But Pittsburgh has to do what's right for the team now. At this point, Tomlin doesn't need to make a decision. He can put that ball in the hands of his running backs.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/ ... arting-job (http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/46419/steelers-should-wait-to-hand-off-starting-job)

[feltdizz]

Redman is more effective when he comes in as a reserve and when the defense is worn down a bit, and a Mendy/Redman tandem should be effective going forward.

But maybe the whole running game would be more effective if Redman was the guy to wear down the defense a bit (power running, right at them, legs churning) and then bring in a fresh Spindenhall to gash them?...

:Agree

It's not like Redman has 4.3 speed either.... most of Redman's touches come when the D knows he is getting the ball on 3rd and short and he still gets positive yards.

[birtikidis]

I think they need to decrease Mendanstalls carries and increase Redmans. But then, every other team in the NFL has RB by committee why would we do something like that? It's a copycat league, we're just trying to start the next trend.