In NFL, a shifting trend toward offensive imbalance

[stillers4me]

Rashard Mendenhall confidently executed a jump cut during practice this past week, signaling he may possess the strength and agility that defined his running style before he tore his ACL late last season in Cleveland.

After months of rehabilitation and bouts of impatience, the Steelers’ feature back is eager to test his surgically repaired knee at 1 p.m. Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles at Heinz Field.

The coaching staff is cautiously optimistic, yet a sense of desperation lingers, in part, because the Steelers’ insipid running game ranks next to last in the NFL. It’s an uneasy reality for the six-time Super Bowl champions. Typically, the Steelers’ ground game reflects a dogged, hard-nose attitude.

Still, regardless of how Mendenhall performs, does it matter in the modern-day NFL?.........


Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/2717747-85/run-1-3-steelers-teams-2-2-game-3-1-combined-pass-record#ixzz28cLEpHR9
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[ALLD]

The NFL should just add a 12th man to the offense while keeping the defense at 11, so one can stay back and block for the passer. Also get rid of the grounding penalty to protect the QBs. That would open up the offense like nothing before.

[SteelerFanInStl]

The NFL should just add a 12th man to the offense while keeping the defense at 11, so one can stay back and block for the passer. Also get rid of the grounding penalty to protect the QBs. That would open up the offense like nothing before.

And make the field wider and the end zone bigger.

[GoSlash27]

Yeah, it still matters. Take a look at the top rushing offenses and how they fared in the playoffs as compared to the top passing offenses.
They drag this "rushing game doesn't matter" meme out almost as often as "the Steelers are too old". :jerkit: