Rashard Mendenhall came out of Illinois as a first-round pick in the 2008 draft. He landed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, a team with a rich history of star running backs the reaches back to the days before Super Bowls or Terrible Towels.
He seemed perfectly set up for success, but a jarring hit by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis put him on the shelf in his rookie season. Since then, he’s put together two campaigns of better than 1,000 yards. In 2010, he tied the Pittsburgh team record for rushing touchdowns in a season (14).
It seems like the young Pittsburgh back is poised for a Pro Bowl year, yet analysts and fans still seem to harbor doubts about the running back.
Even his own teammate, James Harrison, had some ill words when he referred to Mendenhall as a “fumbling machine” in a recent interview. Harrison was referring to Mendenhall’s Super Bowl gaffe that cost the Steelers momentum late in a tight game.
Still, I think Mendenhall is ready to turn the Pro Bowl corner in 2011.
Let’s take a look at the bigger picture first. Mendenhall has put together two excellent campaigns behind a subpar offensive line and on a team that’s taken a serious fancy to the passing game since 2008. He’s also improved his statistics in each of his two full seasons of starting.
In 2011, the Steelers are expected to have an improved offensive line. Center Maurkice Pouncey has already provided a huge boost. The addition of rookie Marcus Gilbert and the expected improvement of Ramon Foster and Doug Legursky (who could unseat other players) will also help Mendenhall be more effective on the run.
Mendenhall has also worked hard in recent years to decrease his fumbles. It’s worth noting that, studying film of the running back, his fumbles seem to occur mostly because he refuses to go down easily. That’s an admirable trait and one that serves a tough, inside runner like him very well in most situations.
No one play should define a player, so I would say that Super Bowl gaffe was more exception than rule. Mendenhall certainly isn’t a “fumbling machine.”
If I had to predict statistics (which I hate doing) for next season, I’d say that Mendenhall should be poised for 1,300 to 1,500 yards and could score 10 or more touchdowns. Both would be in the Pro Bowl caliber area, so he should at least get into the conversation. Also, don’t forget that Mendenhall is a threat as a receiver in certain situations, so he could increase his value with some key catches as well.
Reaching the Pro Bowl is, in a lot of cases, about the fan vote. Fans in Pittsburgh will probably vote for Mendenhall because he’s on their squad. Getting the votes from fans of other teams will be the key. For that to happen, he has to put together another solid season and also work on having more 100-yard efforts. Behind an improving line, that should be not only possible, but also probable.
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