Hillis

[fezziwig]

I never gave any thought about Hillis being white. It never seemed that way to me before so I'm going to have to say, Hilis gets the attention because of his performance on the field and not his snowy white smile.

It's funny this topic came up. Today while driving and being white with my black passenger friend we were listening to the radio/news and they were annoucing the local crime. My buddy said after hearing one brodcast, " you know he's black and then the next story he goes, "you know he's white. " We couldn't stop laughing because most likely, he was probably right. I'm sorry if this offends anyone but we couldn't stop laughing.

[Mister Pittsburgh]

Tell me why I'm wrong? Just like Jason Sehorn. If he wasn't white as a CB he wouldn't have stood out either. Mike Alstott at Tampa when he played? Same thing.

Hillis had about 100 yds less in about 50 less carries compared to Mendenhalls best season & also had more TD's. Plus he played for the Browns whose passing threat is inferior to the Steelers. To say the only reason anyone cares is because he is white is a racist comment. He averaged 4.4 per carry. Dude was a beast.

[Wallace108]

I'd prefer to have a real fullback.

[Mister Pittsburgh]

I'd prefer to have a real fullback.

I am wondering how Owen Schmitt would look in the black & gold.

[Wallace108]

I am wondering how Owen Schmitt would look in the black & gold.

He's got the right mentality.

[Crash]

I prefer we use our skill and our $100 million QB and quit worrying about playing Bill Cowher football that never won anything with it's beloved fullback.

[Wallace108]

I prefer we use our skill and our $100 million QB and quit worrying about playing Bill Cowher football that never won anything with it's beloved fullback.

-86287d256a4515f9.jpg

I don't think it has to be either/or when it comes to running and passing. I'd like to see them do both effectively.

[Crash]

The FB offense in SB XL did nothing. The ONLY decent run Willie Parker had all day? 3 wide and a TE.

The running game for the majority of that post season was nothing, it was passing and defense that won us that ring.

[Wallace108]

The FB offense in SB XL did nothing. The ONLY decent run Willie Parker had all day? 3 wide and a TE.

The running game for the majority of that post season was nothing, it was passing and defense that won us that ring.

I agree that the defense was key in winning SB XL, but I wouldn't give Ben too much credit. He was 9-of-21 for 123 yards, 0 TDs, and 2 interceptions.

Both Parker and Mendenhall wanted Arians to utilize a fullback.

Willie Parker said Wednesday that the Steelers may need to take a different approach to establishing the run and added that he would welcome an increased role for the fullback in the offense.

"We bring in two tight ends now, without a fullback, and (opposing defenses) know where it's going," Parker said of the Steelers' running game. "I just know when we get in two (tight end sets), it's not very successful. They definitely know where it's going."

Read more: [URL="http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_602428.html#ixzz1p9knPWfd"]RB Parker targets Steelers' philosophy - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review[/URL] [URL]http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_602428.html#ixzz1p9knPWfd[/URL]

Rashard Mendenhall did anything but lobby for a fullback Wednesday after practice.

But the soft-spoken Steelers' running back said he prefers to have a fullback as a lead blocker instead of a tight end.
His comments were not a knock on Heath Miller, Matt Spaeth, Sean McHugh and David Johnson, all tight ends who line up in the backfield from time to time in Bruce Arians’ offense.
They did shed some light on why running backs generally prefer fullbacks to lead the way for them.
“A fullback in the backfield he can probably see a lot of things a tight end couldn’t,” said Mendenhall, who rushed for 1,108 yards and seven touchdowns in 2009, his second season in the NFL. “(Fullbacks) being ballcarriers they know what you’re trying to do, they know where you’re trying to go and they can get there before you so a lot of times the fullback will end up at the same place after reading a play.”

Read more: [URL="http://blog.triblive.com/view-from-the-press-box/2010/05/26/mendenhall-endorses-use-of-a-fullback/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaig n=Feed%3A+triblive%2Fblog%2FViewFromThePressBox+%2 8View+from+the+Press+Box+Blog%29"]http://blog.triblive.com/view-from-the-press-box/2010/05/26/mendenhall-endorses-use-of-a-fullback/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaig n=Feed%3A+triblive%2Fblog%2FViewFromThePressBox+(V iew+from+the+Press+Box+Blog)[/URL]

I understand what you're saying, and I don't want a return to Cowher Ball either. But we need to have a more effective running game than what we've had in recent years.

[Chadman]

Interior OL blocking improvement, the return of Willie Colon & a RB group that doesn't dance around so much behind the line- those 3 things will get you an effective running game.

Crash is right- no need to return to the FB driven running game mentality- not when the strengths of the team are in the arm & hands of your passing offense.

But an effective running game is a great compliment.