By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/
One of the world's great philosophers once noted:
"Adversity doesn't build character, it reveals it."
I believe it was Bill Cowher, who often has been compared to Aristotle.
OK, maybe not.
But those words of wisdom came to mind last night as Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall did a demolition number on the San Diego Chargers. A week after being benched on offense and publicly rebuked by coach Mike Tomlin for not having his head in the playbook, he was the most impressive player on the Heinz Field lawn in a 38-28 victory that the home team desperately needed after blowing games in Cincinnati and Chicago.
Peter Diana/Post-Gazette
Rashard Mendenhall scores against the Chargers in the second quarter last night at Heinz Field.
You've been waiting for Mendenhall to do something to make you say, "Wow! So that's why the Steelers picked this guy No. 1"?
Well, he did a lot of somethings on this gorgeous fall night, rushing for 165 yards and two touchdowns.
For the first time in his brief NFL career, Mendenhall looked like a potential star instead of a first-round draft bust. As big offensive tackle Max Starks put it, "Rashard definitely proved himself, toting the rock with authority."
The time seems right for another corny saying:
"When the going gets tough, the tough get going."
No, that wasn't Cowher.
It was legendary Notre Dame coach Frank Leahy.
Hey, that classic also works in Mendenhall's case.
This kid deserves tremendous credit. It would have been easy for him to feel sorry for himself after Tomlin's tough-love treatment and after he let down his teammates in Cincinnati by not being prepared to play. Instead, he dived into that playbook all week and, after getting the chance to start because of Willie Parker's turf toe injury, took out his embarrassment, his frustration, his anger, his whatever on the Chargers.
But while you're passing out credit, save a bit for Tomlin. A big part of coaching is knowing what buttons to push with your players. Clearly, Tomlin pushed the right one with Mendenhall, who ran hard all game and ran with a purpose he hadn't shown since his college days at Illinois.
"He challenged me," Mendenhall said. "It was a learning experience."
Good thing Tomlin wasn't lying when he said he doesn't carry baggage from week to week and doesn't have a doghouse.
"I'm not going to take any credit ... I didn't rush for a yard," Tomlin said.
Still, this was coaching at its best.
From the beginning, Mendenhall punished the Chargers. There was no leaning into the hole or running straight up, just a lot of power running. He ripped off left guard for 9 yards on his first carry, then capped the Steelers' opening drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. He had consecutive runs of 6, 3, 6 and 5 yards to start the next possession, which also ended in a touchdown for a 14-0 lead. He had a 2-yard run in that series that was impressive because he hit linebacker Shaun Phillips so hard that Phillips had to temporarily leave the game.
Then, Mendenhall really started to roll.
Early in the second quarter, he started off right tackle and made a sweet cut to the outside for a 14-yard gain. He did the same thing a play later for a 10-yard gain. Then on the next play, he picked up blitzing linebacker Kevin Burnett, delivering a ferocious lick. The Steelers didn't score on that series but got a touchdown on their next one. Mendenhall again figured prominently. He caught a 20-yard pass, breaking a tackle by cornerback Quentin Jammer along the way, then scored on a 2-yard run, bowling over safety Eric Weddle to get into the end zone.
Not a bad night's work in one half.
But Mendenhall wasn't done.
His 32-yard run early in the fourth quarter set up a touchdown that gave the Steelers a 35-14 lead. After the Chargers scored two quick touchdowns to make it a game with four-plus minutes left, he helped to complete the job on the Steelers' next possession with consecutive runs of 5, 22 and 9 yards to set up kicker Jeff Reed's clinching 46-yard field goal with 43 seconds left.
Mendenhall's 165 yards were the most by a Steelers back since Parker ran for a club-record 223 against the Cleveland Browns in December 2006.
It made for some show.
Mendenhall's timing couldn't have been better, both for short- and long-term reasons.
Short term, the win kept the Steelers in decent position in the AFC North Division with a 2-2 record as the NFL season hit the quarter-pole. They trail the Bengals and Baltimore Ravens -- both 3-1 -- by just a game.
Long term, it was important because Parker will be a free agent after the season. The Steelers are counting on Mendenhall to be their man if Parker leaves.
For the first time, that looks as if it might be sound strategy.
Ron Cook can be reached at rcook@post-gazette.com. More articles by this author
First published on October 5, 2009 at 12:32 am
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