How much do we downgrade Mendenhall's night... (1 Viewer)

[Judge Smails]

It's not as if anybody in Pittsburgh has been hugely successful running the ball lately. After watching the Dolphins run all over the Chargers last week in SD, I knew they would get stomped on tonight via the ground, and it happened. I did see power and burst from Mendenhall, but I'm not sure the O-line will open holes like that against anybody else (maybe if they play the Texans, they're probably as bad right now against the run).

Was this a defining game of the a new era in Pitt, with Mendenhall the guy from now on, or was it a mirage?

 

[Spark026]

Yes and no.

Mendenhall won't be the guy from now on this year unless Parker's injury lingers. However, tonight's performances showed enough flash from Mendy, that you can comfortably hold that roster spot(in dynasty) for Mendy until he WILL eventually be THE GUY in Pittsburgh.

What tonight did do for this year is kill Parker's value, as it's hard to imagine they don't give Mendy at least some carries every game from now on if he keeps his head on straight.

 

[Neil Beaufort Zod]

I think we downgrade Parker, because I doubt he would have had the same night. Parker doesn't bring enough to the table anymore to keep him off the field too much.

 

[Mavzfan]

I don't have stats but I have never heard of anyone having a great year with TurfToe. In fact, quite the opposite. It ruins seasons and careers even.

 

[NatronIsMean]

This thread feels like one of those "he only averaged 3.6 yards per carry when you take away his 40 and 60 yard runs" comments... You won't be giving Mendenhall breaks when he plays tough teams, so give him this game. There's a reason Forte did what did today. There's a reason that Michael Turner did much better last year than he will this year. Schedule matters, but the players get credit for production regardless.

 

[Kitrick Taylor]

Coaches love explosive plays. They are generally defined as plays greater than 20 yards. If you include all of 2008 and this season to date, Willie Parker has had 6 explosive plays in 259 touches. Mendenhall has had four such explosive plays in his 39 touches so far this season.

I think we have already seen the changing of the guard at RB in Pitt.

 

[The Gray Hood]

the chargers have feelings, too, y'know........

I'm sure if they played pittsburgh 10x they'd win 9.

 

[War Eagle]

Coaches love explosive plays. They are generally defined as plays greater than 20 yards. If you include all of 2008 and this season to date, Willie Parker has had 6 explosive plays in 259 touches. Mendenhall has had four such explosive plays in his 39 touches so far this season. I think we have already seen the changing of the guard at RB in Pitt.

I think we have too. Turf toe is no joke! That is a debilitating injury. Mendenhall showed good burst, powerful running, and you could see his confidence increasing as the game went on. e otherdetail....Moore didn't hardly touch the ball. Pittsburg looked rejuvenated on offense with Mendy running hard.He will at the very least start next week. If that is another big week....to the bench goes FWP.

 

[Ozymandias]

Coaches love explosive plays. They are generally defined as plays greater than 20 yards. If you include all of 2008 and this season to date, Willie Parker has had 6 explosive plays in 259 touches. Mendenhall has had four such explosive plays in his 39 touches so far this season. I think we have already seen the changing of the guard at RB in Pitt.

I think we have too. Turf toe is no joke! That is a debilitating injury. Mendenhall showed good burst, powerful running, and you could see his confidence increasing as the game went on. e otherdetail....Moore didn't hardly touch the ball. Pittsburg looked rejuvenated on offense with Mendy running hard.He will at the very least start next week. If that is another big week....to the bench goes FWP.

And it's Detroit next week.

 

[Texican]

Coaches love explosive plays. They are generally defined as plays greater than 20 yards. If you include all of 2008 and this season to date, Willie Parker has had 6 explosive plays in 259 touches. Mendenhall has had four such explosive plays in his 39 touches so far this season.

I think we have already seen the changing of the guard at RB in Pitt.

I think we have too. Turf toe is no joke! That is a debilitating injury. Mendenhall showed good burst, powerful running, and you could see his confidence increasing as the game went on. e otherdetail....Moore didn't hardly touch the ball. Pittsburg looked rejuvenated on offense with Mendy running hard.He will at the very least start next week. If that is another big week....to the bench goes FWP.

At the very least???? I would have to disagree here. If FWP is healthy, I would imagine he starts. Tomlin is a very loyal guy (to a fault almost). I don't see him benching Parker due to injury + Mendenhall's performance. FWP put up approx 115 and 150 yards against SD last year. Let's not get carried away just yet.Did Mendy look sharp? You betcha. But let's not over-react to 1 game. He earned more playing time. How much? That depends on Parker's toe.

Edited to add: I bet Parker miraculously feels a lot better.

 

[stbugs]

Earlier this year (January) Willie Parker had... 27 - 146 - 2td ...against the Chargers.Just throwin' it out there.

Not that Mendenhall played bad, but the Chargers have a lot of D-line (NT on IR, I think)/LB injuries this year, including losing one LB early in the game. The announcers were talking about how many injuries they have had when they started.They are giving up on average 150 yards, 4.6 ypc and 6 rushing TDs in 4 games. The Raiders had about 150 and 1 TD on about 30 carries and look how well they have done since. The SD D is not impressive this year and definitely a team you want to run against.One other observation from the game was that the announcers pointed out how well the Pittsburgh OL was run blocking and showed a series of 4-5 runs by Mendenhall where the OL created chasms to run through. I am not a Steelers fan, but I think most, if not all, Steelers fans will agree that their OL is not a stout run blocking unit. Mendenhall, like Parker, can have good games against bad run defenses, but I wouldn't think he is going to fare any better than Parker against good defenses.

 

[War Eagle]

Coaches love explosive plays. They are generally defined as plays greater than 20 yards. If you include all of 2008 and this season to date, Willie Parker has had 6 explosive plays in 259 touches. Mendenhall has had four such explosive plays in his 39 touches so far this season.

I think we have already seen the changing of the guard at RB in Pitt.

I think we have too. Turf toe is no joke! That is a debilitating injury. Mendenhall showed good burst, powerful running, and you could see his confidence increasing as the game went on. e otherdetail....Moore didn't hardly touch the ball. Pittsburg looked rejuvenated on offense with Mendy running hard.He will at the very least start next week. If that is another big week....to the bench goes FWP.

At the very least???? I would have to disagree here. If FWP is healthy, I would imagine he starts. Tomlin is a very loyal guy (to a fault almost). I don't see him benching Parker due to injury + Mendenhall's performance. FWP put up approx 115 and 150 yards against SD last year. Let's not get carried away just yet.Did Mendy look sharp? You betcha. But let's not over-react to 1 game. He earned more playing time. How much? That depends on Parker's toe.

Edited to add: I bet Parker miraculously feels a lot better.

I don't think it's an overreaction at all. Loyalty doesn't win games. Tomlin knows that. He'd find a role for FWP, definitely. But we may have seen the last game with FWP as the featured back. He was pedestrian last year and struggled to stay healthy. 2 of his 3 good games were against Cleveland...Cleveland. I don't think Tomlin would have been so passionate about Mendenhall stepping up and getting motivated last week if he didn't want him in the game.

This is all I'm saying...TURF TOE = doom

Mendenhall can take the featured role...loyalty doesn't win games or give Pittsburg the best chance to win games.

Mendenhall - 70%

FWP - 25%

Moore - 5%

 

[War Eagle]

Earlier this year (January) Willie Parker had... 27 - 146 - 2td ...against the Chargers.Just throwin' it out there.

Not that Mendenhall played bad, but the Chargers have a lot of D-line (NT on IR, I think)/LB injuries this year, including losing one LB early in the game. The announcers were talking about how many injuries they have had when they started.They are giving up on average 150 yards, 4.6 ypc and 6 rushing TDs in 4 games. The Raiders had about 150 and 1 TD on about 30 carries and look how well they have done since. The SD D is not impressive this year and definitely a team you want to run against.One other observation from the game was that the announcers pointed out how well the Pittsburgh OL was run blocking and showed a series of 4-5 runs by Mendenhall where the OL created chasms to run through. I am not a Steelers fan, but I think most, if not all, Steelers fans will agree that their OL is not a stout run blocking unit. Mendenhall, like Parker, can have good games against bad run defenses, but I wouldn't think he is going to fare any better than Parker against good defenses.

It's not about the stats. It's how he ran. He was patient, he didn't make mistakes. He made good blocks. He finished runs. He made short yardage gains when needed. And he was explosive. Showed good break away speed.That's what the coach sees first!Tomlin gets paid to win games. He'll put the players on the field that give them the bet chance...bottom line.

 

[rrhartjr]

I'm skeptical because the SD rush defense is beyond horrible. How much do they miss Jamall Williams? Seriously.

In Mendenhall's defense though, this is the first chance he's really gotten. Better to have taken advantage of a good matchup than to look terrible even in a good matchup (I'm looking at you, Darren)

The Steelers have played TEN and CHI with Mendenhall active. He only got 3 carries in the CHI game and 4 vs TEN. Both are good defenses.

He wasn't even active vs CIN and Parker looked ordinary vs a mediocre rush defense.

You gotta downgrade him, but it's not like he's worthless. The potential is still there

 

[habsfan]

This thread feels like one of those "he only averaged 3.6 yards per carry when you take away his 40 and 60 yard runs" comments... You won't be giving Mendenhall breaks when he plays tough teams, so give him this game. There's a reason Forte did what did today. There's a reason that Michael Turner did much better last year than he will this year. Schedule matters, but the players get credit for production regardless.

I didn't get a particularly negative vibe from OP at all. In redraft format, this is a guy that may have been bouncing back and forth between rosters and waivers before last night. We all want desperately to find that guy in mid season who will pick up the torch when one of our highly-drafted starters falters. I read this as, "Don't see it just because you really want to. Temper your enthusiasm". Mendenhall took what he was given last night and he made it happen, which is great but it doesn't make him 2009's "Steve Slaton: 2008 Edition".

 

[Sabertooth]

It's not as if anybody in Pittsburgh has been hugely successful running the ball lately. After watching the Dolphins run all over the Chargers last week in SD, I knew they would get stomped on tonight via the ground, and it happened. I did see power and burst from Mendenhall, but I'm not sure the O-line will open holes like that against anybody else (maybe if they play the Texans, they're probably as bad right now against the run).

Was this a defining game of the a new era in Pitt, with Mendenhall the guy from now on, or was it a mirage?

Considering he plays Detroit this week, I'd say it will, at the very least, be a mirage that lasts for a while. He's got Detroit, then Cleveland, then a Minnesota defense that is giving up 92 ypc vs. Detroit, Cleveland, and the Gore-less 49ers. Minnesota will be tough but they don't appear to be unrushable like they have been in the past. Over the next 3 weeks, going into the bye, I think Rashard could be sitting at around 500 yards rushing for the season. I think another poster stated it best.

I think that after tonight's performance, Willie has a "miraculous" recovery and steals 10-12 carries next week, shows that he is not as explosive (a la LT turf toe 2008) and Mendenhall gets a foothold on the majority of the RBBC going forward. Point is, Mendy beat up a weak front 7 tonight, and both take turns beating up a weak front 7 next week with Mendy getting slightly better of the deal but < 80 total yards and 40% TD chance.

 

[analog_hiss]

It's not as if anybody in Pittsburgh has been hugely successful running the ball lately. After watching the Dolphins run all over the Chargers last week in SD, I knew they would get stomped on tonight via the ground, and it happened. I did see power and burst from Mendenhall, but I'm not sure the O-line will open holes like that against anybody else (maybe if they play the Texans, they're probably as bad right now against the run). Was this a defining game of the a new era in Pitt, with Mendenhall the guy from now on, or was it a mirage?

When it happens once it's an anomaly. Twice it's a recurrence. Three times marks a trend.The Chargers have allowed 148, 130, 149, and 177 net yards rushing in their first four games. That's a trend.Mendenhall's performance was an anomaly. However, with DET (122 rushing yards allowed/game), CLE (177 rushing yards allowed/game), and MIN (92 rushing yards allowed/game) in store before the Steelers BYE, there is an opportunity for a trend to appear, with a true test in MIN.The Steelers O-line appears to be getting better each week.

 

[Sabertooth]

It's not about the stats. It's how he ran. He was patient, he didn't make mistakes. He made good blocks. He finished runs. He made short yardage gains when needed. And he was explosive. Showed good break away speed.That's what the coach sees first!Tomlin gets paid to win games. He'll put the players on the field that give them the bet chance...bottom line.

I agree, Tomlin stated at half time that he wanted to see what Rashard could do with a "full body of work." He repeatedly put Rashard into positions to "show his stuff." And Rashard continued to deliver. Even near the end of the game with the score close, he continued to feed Mendenhall. This showed me that Tomlin wanted to see how the youngster responded to pressure situations. Rashard responded nicely. Sure it was a cupcake defense, but he was put in a situation and responded well. I honestly think, with the contract situation of Willie Parker and Mendenhall being a top pick, coupled with the fact that he did well when given the chance...it is his job to run with.

 

[CrossEyed]

It's not as if anybody in Pittsburgh has been hugely successful running the ball lately. After watching the Dolphins run all over the Chargers last week in SD, I knew they would get stomped on tonight via the ground, and it happened. I did see power and burst from Mendenhall, but I'm not sure the O-line will open holes like that against anybody else (maybe if they play the Texans, they're probably as bad right now against the run).

Was this a defining game of the a new era in Pitt, with Mendenhall the guy from now on, or was it a mirage?

When it happens once it's an anomaly. Twice it's a recurrence. Three times marks a trend.The Chargers have allowed 148, 130, 149, and 177 net yards rushing in their first four games. That's a trend.

Mendenhall's performance was an anomaly. However, with DET (122 rushing yards allowed/game), CLE (177 rushing yards allowed/game), and MIN (92 rushing yards allowed/game) in store before the Steelers BYE, there is an opportunity for a trend to appear, with a true test in MIN.

The Steelers O-line appears to be getting better each week.

How can you call a guy's first start and extended action an anomaly?

 

[rrhartjr]

Its anomalous that he got more than 5 carries?

I think it shows he's good enough to take advantage of an opportunity given to him, something that was questioned before. Whether he can translate that into the ability to perform against a good defense remains to be seen, but I'm not sure Parker can even do that at this point. He was 3.3 YPC against a mediocre Bengals defense and he looked just majorly slow. Everyone knows what turf toe did to LDT last year, Parker is the next victim.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

If FWP is out, and he smashes the Lions, ask yourself the same thing, or If he does it to cleveland twice

 

[analog_hiss]

It's not as if anybody in Pittsburgh has been hugely successful running the ball lately. After watching the Dolphins run all over the Chargers last week in SD, I knew they would get stomped on tonight via the ground, and it happened. I did see power and burst from Mendenhall, but I'm not sure the O-line will open holes like that against anybody else (maybe if they play the Texans, they're probably as bad right now against the run).

Was this a defining game of the a new era in Pitt, with Mendenhall the guy from now on, or was it a mirage?

When it happens once it's an anomaly. Twice it's a recurrence. Three times marks a trend.The Chargers have allowed 148, 130, 149, and 177 net yards rushing in their first four games. That's a trend.

Mendenhall's performance was an anomaly. However, with DET (122 rushing yards allowed/game), CLE (177 rushing yards allowed/game), and MIN (92 rushing yards allowed/game) in store before the Steelers BYE, there is an opportunity for a trend to appear, with a true test in MIN.

The Steelers O-line appears to be getting better each week.

How can you call a guy's first start and extended action an anomaly?

I chose to call it an anomaly because it was one game; Mendenhall's first complete professional game as a starter. And a game against the 28th ranked rushing defense.

 

[Jackal King]

Regardless of the quality of the defense, Mendenhall looked like a different runner to me.

At least twice...it looked like the hole closed up on him and he quickly jumped to the outside for big gains.

He seemed like a much more instinctual runner last night.

Not enough to take the job by the throat, but certainly enough to have some meaningful carries going forward.

 

[brindrod]

The game against the Chargers simply showed that Mendenhall can do it against soft RUN defenses. Having said that, I doubt that Parker could have done better. Not the way he's been playing this season.

I'd like to see him run against The Ravens and the Vikings before we should get hot & bothered.

The best decision Coach Tomlin can make is to sit Parker for the next two weeks so he can fully recover from his turf toe because the combo of Mendenhall/Parker can be effectively used against the Lions and Browns in the same manner that we saw during the Chargers matchup. They don't need Parker till then.

 

[rrhartjr]

He also looked good in pass blocking, something sure to endear him for future carries. How is Parker's rep for blocking?

 

[The Moz]

There were Dallas Cowboys circa 1995 holes open from him to run through last night!

Granetd he still had to get the yards -- on like 5 runs he had 15 - 20 yards on he ran like 10 yards before the first defender was there.

 

[sinatravolta]

Regardless of the quality of the defense, Mendenhall looked like a different runner to me.At least twice...it looked like the hole closed up on him and he quickly jumped to the outside for big gains.He seemed like a much more instinctual runner last night. Not enough to take the job by the throat, but certainly enough to have some meaningful carries going forward.

Also I thought he was hitting the hole hard and being decisive. He didn't bounce outside to avoid contact - if there was a little hole up the middle he would just hit it and take the 5 yards he could get. I think he was getting more out of the carries than FWP would have.

 

[stbugs]

Earlier this year (January) Willie Parker had... 27 - 146 - 2td ...against the Chargers.Just throwin' it out there.

Not that Mendenhall played bad, but the Chargers have a lot of D-line (NT on IR, I think)/LB injuries this year, including losing one LB early in the game. The announcers were talking about how many injuries they have had when they started.They are giving up on average 150 yards, 4.6 ypc and 6 rushing TDs in 4 games. The Raiders had about 150 and 1 TD on about 30 carries and look how well they have done since. The SD D is not impressive this year and definitely a team you want to run against.One other observation from the game was that the announcers pointed out how well the Pittsburgh OL was run blocking and showed a series of 4-5 runs by Mendenhall where the OL created chasms to run through. I am not a Steelers fan, but I think most, if not all, Steelers fans will agree that their OL is not a stout run blocking unit. Mendenhall, like Parker, can have good games against bad run defenses, but I wouldn't think he is going to fare any better than Parker against good defenses.

It's not about the stats. It's how he ran. He was patient, he didn't make mistakes. He made good blocks. He finished runs. He made short yardage gains when needed. And he was explosive. Showed good break away speed.That's what the coach sees first!Tomlin gets paid to win games. He'll put the players on the field that give them the bet chance...bottom line.

No one in here is saying he didn't have a good game, but he didn't have to be patient, didn't have to do a Marion Barber short yardage run against the Broncos for a TD, he had little chance to make a mistake. When the announcers are lauding an OL for great run blocking when the same OL has been chiding for being a bad run blocking unit before, you need to temper the enthusiasm a bit and realize that the Chargers are a very bad run defense.I wouldn't want to be a Parker owner because anything good Mendenhall does opens a door, but there are thousands of examples of players looking great against bad defenses and taking the next step as well as thousands of examples of going back to mediocrity. I watched a good bit of the game and based on the Chargers D this season and the injuries they had last night, I think it is smart to not overreact. I agree with the OP that you can't take last night and assume it will continue, at least past Detroit and Cleveland.

 

[Tom Servo]

the chargers have feelings, too, y'know........I'm sure if they played pittsburgh 10x they'd win 9.

SD is 0-14 in Pittsburgh in the regular season. Nice try, though.

 

[CrossEyed]

Earlier this year (January) Willie Parker had... 27 - 146 - 2td ...against the Chargers.Just throwin' it out there.

Not that Mendenhall played bad, but the Chargers have a lot of D-line (NT on IR, I think)/LB injuries this year, including losing one LB early in the game. The announcers were talking about how many injuries they have had when they started.They are giving up on average 150 yards, 4.6 ypc and 6 rushing TDs in 4 games. The Raiders had about 150 and 1 TD on about 30 carries and look how well they have done since. The SD D is not impressive this year and definitely a team you want to run against.One other observation from the game was that the announcers pointed out how well the Pittsburgh OL was run blocking and showed a series of 4-5 runs by Mendenhall where the OL created chasms to run through. I am not a Steelers fan, but I think most, if not all, Steelers fans will agree that their OL is not a stout run blocking unit. Mendenhall, like Parker, can have good games against bad run defenses, but I wouldn't think he is going to fare any better than Parker against good defenses.

It's not about the stats. It's how he ran. He was patient, he didn't make mistakes. He made good blocks. He finished runs. He made short yardage gains when needed. And he was explosive. Showed good break away speed.That's what the coach sees first!Tomlin gets paid to win games. He'll put the players on the field that give them the bet chance...bottom line.

No one in here is saying he didn't have a good game, but he didn't have to be patient, didn't have to do a Marion Barber short yardage run against the Broncos for a TD, he had little chance to make a mistake. When the announcers are lauding an OL for great run blocking when the same OL has been chiding for being a bad run blocking unit before, you need to temper the enthusiasm a bit and realize that the Chargers are a very bad run defense.I wouldn't want to be a Parker owner because anything good Mendenhall does opens a door, but there are thousands of examples of players looking great against bad defenses and taking the next step as well as thousands of examples of going back to mediocrity. I watched a good bit of the game and based on the Chargers D this season and the injuries they had last night, I think it is smart to not overreact. I agree with the OP that you can't take last night and assume it will continue, at least past Detroit and Cleveland.

I think if Mendenhall can string 3 nice games together it will really improve his confidence and at this level sometimes that's all that separates an average back from a very good back. They all have physical ability or they wouldn't be there. With Detroit and Cleveland coming up, I think this is setting up nicely for Rashard. FWP will still be part of the offense, but the most carries I can see him getting going forward would be about 50%. Mendenhall is the future and as long as he is running effectively I think it would be crazy to go back to Parker as your primary runner.

 

[Righetti]

Mandelbaum, Mandelbaum, Mendenhall

 

[analog_hiss]

Mandelbaum, Mandelbaum, Mendenhall

 

[Cookiemonster]

Yes, Mendy cracked a weak D. He can do it again. He will likely struggle vs a stout D. It has been said by a couple posters already but I want to echo... the biggest thing to take from this game is that Mendenhall seemed to gain confidence in himself as the game went on and that will likely increase over the next couple weeks, as will Tomlin's confidence in him. The other BIG thing to take from this game was M'hall's willingness and ability to absolutely blow up blitzing LBs. Parker has done O.K. at blocking but just O.K. and if M'hall is getting more proficient in his blitz pickup assignments, he looks to be a far superior blocker and with a franchise QB that is a big deal.

The blocking alone could win him the job, even if he didn't look more decisive and powerful running the ball - which he did. Parker gets my respect for the effort he's given over the last couple years but the reality is, he's a bulked-up little speed back. By bulking up to take the pounding of a feature role, he's lost his top gear and initial burst and because he's not naturally big or strong it's also starting to add up to accumulating lower body injuries (RB killers). He's a back that's due to wear out earlier than most feature backs and I think that's already happening. Mendenhall is built like a feature back and that's why Pitt took him in the 1st when he fell to them. It can't be a secret that Parker is not an ideal workhorse.

 

[Copeman]

Did the Steeler "O" line all of a sudden get great at run blocking after many games (seasons) of being horrible?

Did Mendenhall all of a sudden have a great game after pretty much doing nothing and after only last week being benched due to not knowing the playbook/messing up assignments?

Or did the SD defense act like a siev, like they have for the past few years?

Which sounds more reasonable?

Give it time. For all the talk of Mendenhall around here, after a few games of not being good people were negative about him. Now, after only 1 very good game people act like he's the next great thing at RB. He may play more, maybe even supplant Parker as starter soon, but that doesn't mean he's gonna be a great RB. He still runs way too upright, moreso than any NFL RB I have seen.

 

[CrossEyed]

Did the Steeler "O" line all of a sudden get great at run blocking after many games (seasons) of being horrible?

Did Mendenhall all of a sudden have a great game after pretty much doing nothing and after only last week being benched due to not knowing the playbook/messing up assignments?

Or did the SD defense act like a siev, like they have for the past few years?

Which sounds more reasonable?

Give it time. For all the talk of Mendenhall around here, after a few games of not being good people were negative about him. Now, after only 1 very good game people act like he's the next great thing at RB. He may play more, maybe even supplant Parker as starter soon, but that doesn't mean he's gonna be a great RB. He still runs way too upright, moreso than any NFL RB I have seen.

Eric Dickerson ran upright. And no, I'm not comparing the two, just saying that it is possible to be successful with a more upright running style.

 

[Frenchy Fuqua]

I thought the big difference between Mendenhall last night and Parker earlier in the year was RM's decisiveness. He ran hard to/through the line and took what was there and then some. Parker dances if the hole isn't gaping.

Assuming Parker stays out with turf toe, Mendenhall would make things very interesting with a few more big games against Detroit & Cleveland.

 

[Copeman]

Eric Dickerson ran upright. And no, I'm not comparing the two, just saying that it is possible to be successful with a more upright running style.

Maybe, but Dickerson was also a big back at a time when the defensive players were smaller than they are nowadays. Plus Dickerson didn't fumble nearly as much.

 

[domvin]

The guy is thick and rarely did I see him go down on first contact if ever.

mendy does a nice job of moving his feet on first contact. I only recall him being driven back once on his runs, and that was with 3 SD defenders at him before the line of scrimmage.

I recall in summer, the Pitts rb coach saying he had to "find his style." At the time, I figured it was transitioning from Illinos' Spread to the Pros? Either way, he showed quick feet, patience behind his blocks and setting up defenders inside/outside, and churned his legs at contact. Nice blitz pickup as well. He got goalline work as well, and ran angry.

Coaches are harder on guys with potential, and that's why Tomlin was bustin his chops....the guy has talent.

28 carries is impressive. It was a statement game for coach and player, and both came out looking good. besides Balt(2) and MN, the rest of the schedule looks pretty nice.

 

[thehornet]

You should probably upgrade him.

 

[Sweetness_34]

In a redraft, I would definitely try to sell him high.