Steelers must spell Mendenhall

[hawaiiansteel]

Re: Steelers must spell Mendenhall

Arians comfortable with depth at RB

August 15th, 2011
by Mark Kaboly - TribLIVE Blogs



If you are not comfortable with the Steelers’ running back siuation behind starter Rashard Mendenhall, you don’t share the same concern as offensive coordinator Bruce Arians.

B.A. likes what he has.

Arians said Monday that he is quite comfortable with the depth behind Mendenhall with veteran Mewelde Moore and second-year guy Isaac Redman — even if either were asked to carry the load for an extended period of time.

“Isaac is coming on like gangbusters,” Arians said. “We went to the Super Bowl with Mewelde running as our feature back for more than a month (in 200 so I know what he can do. He is a quality guy.”

The Steelers have no desire to bring in a proven running back to back up Mendenhall, who has 539 regular season carries over the past 22 months.

When Moore has been asked to fill in for long periods of time before, he has been succesful.

Moore filled in three times in 2004 as a rookie with Minnesota and ripped off games of 92, 109 and 138 yards. The next year, he had games of 122 and 101 yards.

With the Steelers during the Super Bowl-winning year of 2008, Moore filled in for an injured Willie Parker and went for 99, 120 and 84 yards then later in the year added games of 57, 56 and 67 yards.

Redman had an 4.8 yards per carry average last year as a rookie and caught the game-winning touchdown against Baltimore. He has carried that momentum into this training camp as he ripped off a team-high 42 yards including an 22-yard touchdown run against the Redskins last week.

“And don’t forget Jonathan Dwyer, he is making a nice move,” Arians said. “He is getting in shape and he has running skills. It gives us quality depth. Redman and Mewelde are proven guys. They took us to the Super Bowl last year. Every time Red got the ball, it was positive plays. And Mo is Mo.”

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[steelfin]

Re: Steelers must spell Mendenhall

I am excited about Redman and expect big things this year from him if he gets the ball.

Moore is a quality 3rd down back for now.

Dwyer not so sure I want to rely on him.

Would be really nice to have some other horses in the stable fighting to make the team....

[ikestops85]

Re: Steelers must spell Mendenhall

I'm okay with our top 3 running backs but when BA said this I have to wonder

“And don’t forget Jonathan Dwyer, he is making a nice move,” Arians said. “He is getting in shape and he has running skills.

I didn't see anything that Dwyer did in the game that showed he was an NFL running back. When your coach has to say that "he is getting in shape" you have to wonder about his desire to play. I'd rather us keep Clay even though he didn't show anything either.

[hawaiiansteel]

Re: Steelers must spell Mendenhall

Steelers' Mendenhall moves on from Super fumble, comments

By Gary Graves, USA TODAY
August 25, 2011



Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall says he's moved on from a turbulent offseason.

PITTSBURGH – Impressive as those consecutive 1,000-yard seasons look upon reflection, Rashard Mendenhall remains focused on the ground he wants to cover.

That philosophy applies to many areas for the Pittsburgh Steelers running back, especially after an eventful offseason. Mendenhall faced heat on numerous fronts this summer, starting with controversial tweets in which he criticized what he felt was the public celebration of Osama bin Laden's death and questioned whether a plane demolished the Twin Towers in the 9/11 attacks.

Then came stinging comments from Steelers linebacker James Harrison in a Men's Journal magazine interview. Harrison called Mendenhall a "fumble machine," referring to the back's fourth-quarter turnover in Super Bowl XLV. The play led to the Green Bay Packers' insurance touchdown in a 31-25 victory. However, the cumulative blowback resulting from that fumble and his comments, as well as those from Harrison, seem not to affect the fourth-year veteran, who has become adept at compartmentalizing things.

"It was what it was, but you just learn from that, move on, and here I am," said Mendenhall, who clarified his remarks and apologized for any harm they caused but ended up losing an endorsement deal with Champion sports apparel.

"You can choose either to ride the roller coaster or just remain yourself and try to do the best you can, and that's what I try to do."

Back on the football field, Mendenhall is curious to see what his offensive role will be after a season in which he set career highs for yards (1,273), touchdowns (13) and carries (324). At first glance, his muscled torso looks ready to absorb the punishment that comes with being the featured, every-down back.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said the Illinois product was also capable of catching more passes, though his preference is Mendenhall carrying the ball. Still, there is room to grow after a strong 2010.

"He's becoming a mature player and a complete player, a guy that's capable of doing a lot of things well," Tomlin said. "He was a 20-year-old guy when we got him, and he's a 24-year-old veteran now if there's such a thing.

"He's working at all areas of his game, what he does when the ball's not in his hands, and his blitz pickup, route running and ball catching has been exceptional.

"He's just working at being a complete football player. I think that's what he desires to be, and that's what we desire him to be."

Doing so involved a rare instance of looking back for Mendenhall, who spent part of his extended offseason, created by the lockout, reviewing the Super Bowl video and the hit by Packers linebacker Clay Matthews that forced his fumble.

Just as he did after the game, he accepted it for the good defensive play it was and began looking ahead to life after the lockout.

Not knowing when that end would come, Mendenhall filled time with some of his favorite activities, including swimming and hip-hop dance classes he began taking while rehabbing a shoulder injury as a rookie. He cleared his head by writing poetry and short stories.

The result has been a revived, renewed Mendenhall, who appears wiser for his experiences. After a lethargic loss to the Washington Redskins to open the preseason, Mendenhall's bruising side resurfaced last week with a six-carry, 28-yard effort in a 24-14 win against the Philadelphia Eagles.

"To have time off, and extended time off, really helped refresh me," said Mendenhall, who rushed for 1,108 yards in 2009. "For everybody, physically and mentally, to be away and then come back, you find that hunger and the fun of playing after not having it for a while."

While Mendenhall seems ready to start another season, his offensive line remains a work in progress. Just this week, the Steelers re-signed tackle Trai Essex after left tackle Jonathan Scott suffered a minor knee injury. There's also a chance veteran Flozell Adams could return for another season.

Having seen this challenge before, Tomlin insists that things will fall into place. For a coach who is 43-21 in four seasons at the helm, they usually do.

The same could be said for his running back, the difference being that he seems more intent on claiming his space by whatever means necessary.

"Each game is unique in its own thing," Mendenhall said. "I just prepare myself, prepare my body. And whatever I'm called to do on Sunday, I'll be ready to do."

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