Rashard Mendenhall Injury: Steelers Will Struggle to Advance If RB Isn't Healthy

Rashard Mendenhall’s fumble in Super Bowl XLV may be a painful memory for Pittsburgh Steelers fans, but the Black and Gold won’t be returning to the title without their starting running back 100 percent healthy.

That key may be in jeopardy. Mendenhall went down with a knee injury in the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, and according to ESPN, is questionable to return.

After already suffering a hamstring injury earlier in the year, Mendenhall isn’t having much luck staying healthy this season. Only rushing for 890 yards through week 16, he isn’t off to the best statistical season of his career, but with reduced carries, he still averaged four yards a pop and scored nine touchdowns. Without Mendenhall in the game, or even a fully healthy one, Pittsburgh’s offense becomes pass heavy.

Isaac Redman isn’t a bad back-up halfback, but he can’t carry the load in postseason action. Luckily for the Steelers, though, they aren’t as nearly as dependent on their running game like they’ve been in past years. Ben Roethlisberger’s arsenal of weapons is better than ever after the emergence of second-year wide receiver Antonio Brown.

Brown recorded over 1,000 receiving yards this season, along with the explosive Mike Wallace. And even with a reduced role, Hines Ward is still in the wide out rotation to come up with clutch receptions. Throw in Heath Miller and Emmanuel Sanders, and the Steelers have no shortage of weapons in the passing game.

Still, becoming one-dimensional is not something that any offense—even a team like the New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers or New Orleans Saints—wants to happen. Pittsburgh could potentially face off against the stout defenses of the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans in the AFC playoffs.  It will be extremely difficult to defeat those teams without a respectable running game to keep their defenses honest.

David Daniels is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

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