Steelers vs. Broncos: Rashard Mendenhall Injury Won't Slow Down Steelers Offense

Losing star running back Rashard Mendenhall to an ACL injury wasn't exactly how the Pittsburgh Steelers envisioned starting their playoff run, but it's the reality. While the workhorse back would obviously be a nice asset to have, don't expect the team's offense to crumble without him.

Unlike the old days when the Steelers were almost exclusively a ground-and-pound team, the current roster is actually built to pass more than run.

The offensive line is nowhere near as dominant as it was during the days when Jerome Bettis was rumbling over opponents. That hurts both aspects of the offensive attack, of course, but it has a bigger effect on the running game.

Then there's Ben Roethlisberger, who topped 4,000 passing yards for the second time in his career and set a new career high in attempts with 513 despite missing a game.

When Roethlisberger first took over in Pittsburgh he was nothing more than a game manager, and a darn good one at that. Over time, however, he's transformed into one of the league's elite passers and continues to post top-notch numbers while dealing with nagging injuries.

He's able to do that because of a deep receiving corps.

His top two targets, Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown, both had more than 1,000 yards and are both capable of breaking off a big play at any time. Heath Miller and Hines Ward are reliable veterans. Emmanuel Sanders is still developing, but has a lot of potential. Even Jerricho Cotchery has been getting more involved as of late.

When a quarterback with as much talent as Roethlisberger has that many weapons it's tough to keep him down for long. That's especially true when you consider the recent struggles of the Denver Broncos defense after a strong surge in the middle of the season.

Even though the passing game will become the major focus with Mendenhall out, the backup running backs are good enough to maintain at least some balance.

Nobody on the Steelers roster is capable of replicating Mendenhall's ability alone. That said, they have several niche players that, when combined, will actually fill the void quite well.

Isaac Redman will start and get the bulk of the carries on early downs, Mewelde Moore can handle third-down duties and John Clay will be a touchdown vulture around the goal line. That's a triumvirate the Steelers should have confidence in.

All told, the mental hurdle Pittsburgh's offense will need to jump without one of it's most reliable options will be bigger than any physical one. The Steelers still have enough able-bodied players on that side of the ball to put up a lot of points.

The Steelers would love to have Mendenhall available, but his absence is not a death blow to their playoff chances by any means.