Rashard Mendenhall (1 Viewer)

[Weiner Dog]

1-10-PIT 28 (6:19) 34-R.Mendenhall up the middle to PIT 30 for 2 yards (91-G.Gibson, 95-C.Johnson).

2-8-PIT 30 (5:44) 34-R.Mendenhall left tackle to PIT 42 for 12 yards (91-G.Gibson). FUMBLES (91-G.Gibson), RECOVERED by CAR-22-R.Colclough at PIT 42. 22-R.Colclough to PIT 44 for -2 yards (81-D.Baker).

He is starting to become the David Kreig of running backs.

I see a 85/15 split in favor of Fast Willie.

 

[FavreCo]

That's a big problem. Fumbler in college and bringing it to the NFL.

 

[Sack-Religious]

That's how rookies, DON'T get playing time. Especially against 2nd or 3rd teamers.

 

[Arnold. S]

 

[Chachi]

What's that, 3 fumbles now in preseason?

 

[hugebearsfansinceforever]

Looks like the Bears dodged a bullet by not drafting Mendenhall and drafting Forte instead.

 

[gman8343]

Looks like the Bears dodged a bullet by not drafting Mendenhall and drafting Forte instead.

this seems like a bit of an overreaction.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

What's that, 3 fumbles now in preseason?

Neither one last week was a great defensive play, I want to see this one...

 

[EBF]

Q: How many elite NFL talents are sitting on the bench because they fumble too much?

A: Zero.

It's not good for him to be coughing up the ball this much and it will hurt his chances of making an early impact, but long term it's a non-issue IMO.

 

[Chachi]

Looks like the Bears dodged a bullet by not drafting Mendenhall and drafting Forte instead.

this seems like a bit of an overreaction.

Typical Shark pool reaction lately.Mendenhall career >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Forte career

 

[rabidfireweasel]

THe fumble is brutal. It is simply no good.

On the bright side, if there is a bright side, they did give him the ball on nine consecutive plays this drive. It appears that they want him to work through it, and get it right. Some coaches would bench him immediately.

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Looks like the Bears dodged a bullet by not drafting Mendenhall and drafting Forte instead.

 

[comfortably numb]

Q: How many elite NFL talents are sitting on the bench because they fumble too much?A: Zero.It's not good for him to be coughing up the ball this much and it will hurt his chances of making an early impact, but long term it's a non-issue IMO.

I would be more concerned if this would effect an goal line touches for him this year.If he has some fumbling issues, inside the 10 in NOT a good place for him to drop one

 

[Chachi]

THe fumble is brutal. It is simply no good.

On the bright side, if there is a bright side, they did give him the ball on nine consecutive plays this drive. It appears that they want him to work through it, and get it right. Some coaches would bench him immediately.

In a real game I agree, the 4th preseason game is a different story.

 

[Hipple Long Ware & Peete]

we go hrough this every year. Portis had 3 fumbles in a preseason game, and scored 3 tds week 1 IIRC 2-3 yrs ago?

I don't love it, but it is preseason. Hopefully they do that program thing with him and a football.

 

[Chachi]

THE SKY IS FALLING, EVERYONE PANIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[pantagrapher]

Q: How many elite NFL talents are sitting on the bench because they fumble too much?A: Zero.It's not good for him to be coughing up the ball this much and it will hurt his chances of making an early impact, but long term it's a non-issue IMO.

I think one of the qualifications for being an elite talent is that you don't fumble a lot.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Q: How many elite NFL talents are sitting on the bench because they fumble too much?A: Zero.It's not good for him to be coughing up the ball this much and it will hurt his chances of making an early impact, but long term it's a non-issue IMO.

I think one of the qualifications for being an elite talent is that you don't fumble a lot.

Define a lot

 

[EBF]

I think one of the qualifications for being an elite talent is that you don't fumble a lot.

I don't think so. There's never been a great running back who failed because he fumbled too much. It's something everyone seems to get the hang of eventually. This is not to say that Mendenhall is a lock to be great, but rather that if he fails as an NFL player, it won't be because of fumbles.

 

[Fantaholic]

Well, it certainly could make Parker a nice pick in the 3rd round or so. While it doesn't mean that Mendenhall is finished, it does mean that he will need to straighten it out before he is trusted in real games. Parker was hugely overrated last year, but might turn out to be the opposite this year

 

[PahtyTom]

Good thing FWP doesn't fumble

 

[CrossEyed]

Long term, Mendenhall is the Steelers RB. This year will still be the Willie Parker show.

 

[amnesiac]

Q: How many elite NFL talents are sitting on the bench because they fumble too much?

A: Zero.

It's not good for him to be coughing up the ball this much and it will hurt his chances of making an early impact, but long term it's a non-issue IMO.

I would be more concerned if this would effect an goal line touches for him this year.If he has some fumbling issues, inside the 10 in NOT a good place for him to drop one

where is a good place to fumble?

 

[Lash]

Q: How many elite NFL talents are sitting on the bench because they fumble too much?A: Zero.It's not good for him to be coughing up the ball this much and it will hurt his chances of making an early impact, but long term it's a non-issue IMO.

Q. How many Rashard Mendenhall's are elite NFL talents?A: Zero.

 

[One More Rep]

Didnt Parker have like three fumbles in one game last year and I seem to remember great fantasy backs such as Tiki Barber and Clinton Portis having fumbling issues early on in their career. Mendenhall has a good burst and just needs to work on this. He will be fine.

 

[Alias]

If I only had a hundred dollar bill every time he did that...

Maybe they need to bring back the thousand dollar bill?

 

[Fantaholic]

Didnt Parker have like three fumbles in one game last year and I seem to remember great fantasy backs such as Tiki Barber and Clinton Portis having fumbling issues early on in their career. Mendenhall has a good burst and just needs to work on this. He will be fine.

I think he will be fine too. However, it may have derailed his chances of stealing significant carries from FWP this season. Definitely in the early going anyways. FWP has had his problems with fumbling at times as well, but he has produced as their featured back and should continue to do so for the time being.

 

[Golden]

Q: How many elite NFL talents are sitting on the bench because they fumble too much?A: Zero.It's not good for him to be coughing up the ball this much and it will hurt his chances of making an early impact, but long term it's a non-issue IMO.

Do you remember Cleveland Gary?

 

[teamroc]

Q: How many elite elite BMI NFL talents are sitting on the bench because they fumble too much?

A: Zero.

It's not good for him to be coughing up the ball this much and it will hurt his chances of making an early impact, but long term it's a non-issue IMO.

He's an elite talent? That's news to me.Oh wait, his BMI must be the same as Jim Brown. Clearly this elite NFL talent is a lock for the HOF. Where would we be without BMI research?

 

[Irish]

Looks like the Bears dodged a bullet by not drafting Mendenhall and drafting Forte instead.

Yeah what a shark move drafting an OT with known back issues instead.

 

[nysfl2]

Q: How many elite NFL talents are sitting on the bench because they fumble too much?A: Zero.It's not good for him to be coughing up the ball this much and it will hurt his chances of making an early impact, but long term it's a non-issue IMO.

IIRC, Ahman Green sat on the bench for Seattle for a few years before being traded cheap to Green Bay due to fumbling issuesTiki Barber had fumbling issues early in his career, and didn't become a stud RB until he solved them. There's no doubt that a fumbling problem will significantly affect a guy's touches, especially if there is another solid alternative on the team.

 

[Jeff Tefertiller]

the Tiki situation comes to mind ....

 

[Steeler]

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80a5a273

video of the fumble @ NFL.COM

Looks like he tried a spin move and a trailing defender got his helmet right on the ball.

 

[EBF]

Q: How many elite elite BMI NFL talents are sitting on the bench because they fumble too much?

A: Zero.

It's not good for him to be coughing up the ball this much and it will hurt his chances of making an early impact, but long term it's a non-issue IMO.

He's an elite talent? That's news to me.Oh wait, his BMI must be the same as Jim Brown. Clearly this elite NFL talent is a lock for the HOF. Where would we be without BMI research?

I didn't say he's elite. My point was that whether or not a back succeeds in the NFL typically has nothing to do with fumbles.

 

[Rodeojones]

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80a5a273

video of the fumble @ NFL.COM

Looks like he tried a spin move and a trailing defender got his helmet right on the ball.

Despite the fumble...I thought he looked pretty good in the video posted above.

 

[treat88]

For a guy with his size and power, this kid sure runs with poor pad level.

Seems very hesitant and demonstrates no vision unless there is a wide open lane.

He's definitely got upside, but I'm starting to believe he's gonna take some time before becoming a productive RB.

I hate to draw analogies this early, but he reminds me of Cedric Benson so far.

 

[Arnold. S]

For a guy with his size and power, this kid sure runs with poor pad level.Seems very hesitant and demonstrates no vision unless there is a wide open lane.He's definitely got upside, but I'm starting to believe he's gonna take some time before becoming a productive RB.I hate to draw analogies this early, but he reminds me of Cedric Benson so far.

Benson played in a terrible offense, had character issues, plus he cried during the draft for being drafted 4th (?).

 

[renesauz]

Good thing FWP doesn't fumble

took the words right out of my mouth!

 

[treat88]

For a guy with his size and power, this kid sure runs with poor pad level.Seems very hesitant and demonstrates no vision unless there is a wide open lane.He's definitely got upside, but I'm starting to believe he's gonna take some time before becoming a productive RB.I hate to draw analogies this early, but he reminds me of Cedric Benson so far.

Benson played in a terrible offense, had character issues, plus he cried during the draft for being drafted 4th (?).

Talking about running style and results only. Mendenhall is a high character guy.

 

[Fantaholic]

Good thing FWP doesn't fumble

took the words right out of my mouth!

Guys, we know. Parker fumbles at times too. But, here's the big difference. Parker is the starter, Mendenhall is still trying to be the starter.

 

[Arnold. S]

For a guy with his size and power, this kid sure runs with poor pad level.Seems very hesitant and demonstrates no vision unless there is a wide open lane.He's definitely got upside, but I'm starting to believe he's gonna take some time before becoming a productive RB.I hate to draw analogies this early, but he reminds me of Cedric Benson so far.

Benson played in a terrible offense, had character issues, plus he cried during the draft for being drafted 4th (?).

Talking about running style and results only. Mendenhall is a high character guy.

I always thought the actual running part wasn't Benson's problem

 

[EBF]

For a guy with his size and power, this kid sure runs with poor pad level.Seems very hesitant and demonstrates no vision unless there is a wide open lane.He's definitely got upside, but I'm starting to believe he's gonna take some time before becoming a productive RB.I hate to draw analogies this early, but he reminds me of Cedric Benson so far.

Benson played in a terrible offense, had character issues, plus he cried during the draft for being drafted 4th (?).

Talking about running style and results only. Mendenhall is a high character guy.

The comparison isn't really that bad, but Mendenhall is stronger and faster without the character issues/attitude problems that prevented Benson from fulfilling his potential. He's also playing on a much, much better offense.

 

[yinzer]

Looks like the Bears dodged a bullet by not drafting Mendenhall and drafting Forte instead.

Yeah what a shark move drafting an OT with known back issues instead.

I havent seen this game yet due to BS blackout regulations, but outside of the fumbles Mendenhall has looked very good this preseasonI agree with what someone just said about him running to straight up (though didnt they say that about AD last yr?), but to say he doesnt have vision isnt correct at all. He's shown great instincts at finding holes, and with his size, showing his agility and ability to change directionI am concerned with the fumbles for this year though, but I wouldnt put as much blame on him for this one. Not like he got stripped in wide open field like last week

 

[treat88]

The comparison isn't really that bad, but Mendenhall is stronger and faster without the character issues/attitude problems that prevented Benson from fulfilling his potential. He's also playing on a much, much better offense.

I'll take your word for the stronger/faster part of things. I'm guessing you are basing that on combine numbers?I think he's got a steep learning curve despite the physical tools.I agree with the rest.

 

[EBF]

The comparison isn't really that bad, but Mendenhall is stronger and faster without the character issues/attitude problems that prevented Benson from fulfilling his potential. He's also playing on a much, much better offense.

I'll take your word for the stronger/faster part of things. I'm guessing you are basing that on combine numbers?I think he's got a steep learning curve despite the physical tools.I agree with the rest.

Mendenhall ran a 4.41 at the combine. Benson ran a 4.62 at his pro day.One of the big red flags with Benson was that he was a pitiful athlete with horrible workout numbers. Mendenhall isn't an elite athlete like Jonathan Stewart or Chris Johnson, but his combine numbers were a fair amount better than Benson's. Athletically, I would compare Mendenhall more to someone like Ronnie Brown. Brown is not super explosive, but he's a big back with speed and a little bit of wiggle.

 

[3C's]

the Tiki situation comes to mind ....

too bad Tiki's coaches couldn't see his talent and gave up on him when he fumbled a few times.

 

[yinzer]

The comparison isn't really that bad, but Mendenhall is stronger and faster without the character issues/attitude problems that prevented Benson from fulfilling his potential. He's also playing on a much, much better offense.

I'll take your word for the stronger/faster part of things. I'm guessing you are basing that on combine numbers?I think he's got a steep learning curve despite the physical tools.I agree with the rest.

Mendenhall ran a 4.41 at the combine. Benson ran a 4.62 at his pro day.One of the big red flags with Benson was that he was a pitiful athlete with horrible workout numbers. Mendenhall isn't an elite athlete like Jonathan Stewart or Chris Johnson, but his combine numbers were a fair amount better than Benson's. Athletically, I would compare Mendenhall more to someone like Ronnie Brown. Brown is not super explosive, but he's a big back with speed and a little bit of wiggle.

Just wondering, why is Stewart more athletic?Im almost positive Mendenhall had faster combine numbers (though I think the toe might have prevented JS from running there, cant remember), but I do think hes faster regardless.I think their skill sets are very similar actually, with Mendy having more power and Stewart having more agility. I think their acceleration, esp thru the hole is about dead even

 

[CrossEyed]

Tomlin was asked after the game if the fumbling would cause him to hesitate to use Mendy in the regular season. His immediate reply was, "Yes, wouldn't it cause you to hesitate?"

Not that I don't think we'll see Rashard during the regular season, but I thought his reply was interesting. He also went on to call FWP a complete back and commented on the fact that he had a great preseason.

But right now I think anyone expecting RM to take a lot of carries away from FWP this season is going to be disappointed.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

For a guy with his size and power, this kid sure runs with poor pad level.Seems very hesitant and demonstrates no vision unless there is a wide open lane.He's definitely got upside, but I'm starting to believe he's gonna take some time before becoming a productive RB.I hate to draw analogies this early, but he reminds me of Cedric Benson so far.

Benson with a better burst and more urgency. He does motor for a thick RB.He needs to take the next step from what worked at Illinois.

 

[cmv5]

Looks like the Bears dodged a bullet by not drafting Mendenhall and drafting Forte instead.

Yeah what a shark move drafting an OT with known back issues instead.

I havent seen this game yet due to BS blackout regulations, but outside of the fumbles Mendenhall has looked very good this preseason

I agree with what someone just said about him running to straight up (though didnt they say that about AD last yr?), but to say he doesnt have vision isnt correct at all. He's shown great instincts at finding holes, and with his size, showing his agility and ability to change direction

I am concerned with the fumbles for this year though, but I wouldnt put as much blame on him for this one. Not like he got stripped in wide open field like last week

This is a good point and if I remember correctly, that after Ryan Grant had his 3 fumble game against the Seahawks him and his running back coach worked on the fact that he was running too upright. He started running lower after that and it seemed to help him out.