Rashard Mendenhall, the second year 1st round pick from Illinois is set to start against the undefeated Minnesota Vikings. This is the first time in Mendenhall’s career that he is set to start when both he and Parker are healthy. According to head coach Mike Tomlin, Mendenhall has officially passed Willie Parker on the depth chart by indicating that Mendenahll has the “hot hand”.
This has been an incredible turn of events for Mendenhall. Less than a month ago, Tomlin didn’t play Mendenhall one snap against the Cincinnati Bengals because he didn’t feel comfortable that Mendenhall knew his assignments and lacked game time preparation throughout the week. Now, Mendenhall has impressed coaches, teammates, and fans alike with his running style that’s been averaging over 5 yards a carry. Mendenhall has showed a great, and decisive burst through the hole, speed, hands (in the passing game), and the ability to break tackles. He’s been one of the pleasant surprises this year along with Mike Wallace.
Mendenhall will have a difficult task this week against a very strong Vikings defensive front. Many critics of Mendenhall say that his success is due to the weak run defenses of the San Diego Chargers, Detroit Lions, and Cleveland Browns. This week, Mendenhall has the opportunity to silence those critics.
