Tomlin gives Mendenhall KR duties

By Neal Coolong  |   Saturday, September 06, 2008  |  Comments( 6 )

Pittsburgh Steelers
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In response to running back Rashard Mendenhall's three fumbles in the team's final two preseason games, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin mentioned a lack of confidence in his rookie first-round draft pick.

A day before the team's season-opening game against Houston, Tomlin announced that Mendenhall's slate was wiped clean. He will be the team's primary kick returner, and get between 10 and 15 touches on offense in Sunday's game.

Commentary: Tomlin and offensive coordinator Bruce Arians letting the rookie know publicly they are standing behind him is a good move. The last thing they want is him pushing too hard and making the problem worse. Mendenhall had 222 rushing yards in the preseason to lead the team, averaging 4.1 yards per carry. Giving him the confidence that he's still in good standing on the team will be the confidence he needs to succeed against a tough Houston defense.

Pro Bowl RB Willie Parker carried the ball through 15 weeks more than any other back in the NFL last season. The Steelers will run the ball successfully, but that success will have to be spread around, or risk having a subpar back logging carries in the playoffs (see: Davenport, Najeh in 2007). Perhaps more importantly, the Steelers had three players competing for kick return duties before Mendenhall was drafted. None of those players -- Willie Reid, Jeremy Bloom, Eddie Drummond -- made the team. That in itself is a strong show of support for Mendenhall.

Fan Pulse: Mendenhall is getting fan support on Steelers Fever, and most posters on there agree with Tomlin and Arians in giving Mendenhall the same amount of touches they planned before their last two preseason games.

Fantasy Football Impact: Mendenhall will get the ball; the question is: When? While he wasn't particularly impressive on the goal line, his receiving ability may be utilized, considering how often the Steelers threw in the red zone last year.

Injury Report: The Steelers did not list anyone on Sunday's injury report.
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About Neal Coolong

Neal Coolong is a freelance sports writer with contributions to Scout.com, AOL and Steelers Live. He lives with his fiance in St. Paul, Minn., and saves every dime (that she knows about) for their wedding next June. He's already made the prediction that the Steelers 2007 draft class will be one ...
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