Mendenhall 'Quiets The Critics'

After tromping all over the San Diego Chargers on Sunday Night Football, Rashard Mendenhall has set quite a standard for himself. After extensive and sometimes harsh scrutiny about the second year running back and his ability (or lack thereof) to run the ball and produce positive results, Mendenhall figuratively put a finger to his mouth and politely quieted all of his critics.


He was benched for last weeks loss against the Cincinatti Bengals because of poor performance in practice, a decision made by coach Tomlin that is becoming a theme week to week amongst players. For the Chargers game he benched Limus Sweed after he missed a sure TD catch in the end zone against the Bengals the prior week that could have quite possibly given them the win.


So, come week four of the regular season, the Steelers found themselves about ankle deep in a hole. With a record of 1-2, Sunday nights game was somewhat of a must win for obvious reasons. Not only did the Steelers as a whole have a lot to prove to themselves, as well as their fans that they are not succumbing to the post-Super Bowl curse of a lousy follow-up season, much like in 2006... but a few individual players had a lot to prove to themselves, their coach, their critics and their fans.


Mendenhall rose to the challenge and then some. He reassured his coaches and teammates that he is reliable and more than just one time here and there. With Willie Parker out in week four with a toe injury, Mendenhall was the go-to man for the night. Everyone held their breath and let it out with a half gasp, half laugh, half cheer as he bounced off a few Chargers and dodged a few tackles for a gain of 9. He continued to zig and zag his way 29 times for 165 yards and two touchdowns, as well as two receptions for 26 yards. All numbers which far exceeded his far from stellar showing last season before fracturing his shoulder from a Ray Lewis blow that put him on the sidelines for the rest of the year.


I'd say it was a divine example of actions speaking louder than words. Mendenhall said he'd play better, then he did. So now he has set the bar quite high for himself. Can he continue such a solid performance for the rest of the season? Or was this just beginners luck? I'm afraid next week may not be the best measurement as the Steelers travel to Detroit to take on the Lions, who went winless in 2008 and have not proven to have changed much for the '09 campaign. However, if Mendenhalls wonderful display of athleticism on Sunday was truly what we can expect for the rest of the season, him and Parker could quite possibly be a deadly combination in games to come.

Rashard: "Man you sure this gets rid of constipation and make me play better?"

Willie: "Oooohh, yeahhh."

Before we start popping the bubbly though, let's keep one thing in mind, the Chargers rushing defense is ranked 28th in the league allowing over 150+ yards per game on the ground. I don't mean to negate any of Mendenhall's success from Sunday but facts are facts are facts. In a nutshell: he damn well should have rushed for the stats that he did. Let's hope it continues.



Annnddd speaking of quieting the critics, another player made it a point to prove that he is capable of more than what the first few games have shown. Jeff Reed proved he was back to his old self when he knocked a 46-yarder on Sunday and went five for five in extra points. Much improved from week two when he went 0-2 in field goals against the Bears and missed another against the Bengals in week three. Again, let's hope he keeps up with his old habits and continues to be reliable for a few points when needed. I always say that field goals don't win games, but boy do they help.

What a clown.