Jonathan Dwyer to get start Sunday vs. Bengals
By Matt Shetler
It’s no secret how bad the Pittsburgh Steelers rushing attack has been so far through five games of the 2012 season, but Sunday night against the Cincinnati Bengals, a new man will get the opportunity to show what he can do.
September 16, 2012; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jonathan Dwyer (27) steps out of a tackle attempt by New York Jets strong safety Yeremiah Bell (37) during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field. The Pittsburgh Steelers won 27-10. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE
With both Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac Redman out for Sunday night’s division battle, third-year pro Jonathan Dwyer will get the start.
Dwyer, due to the fact that he doesn’t play special teams, was inactive for the last two games, but will be thrust into the starting role as the Steelers injury list continues to pile up.
So far on the season, Dwyer has carried the ball 24 times for only 70 yards (2.9 per carry), but his hard style of running could produce better results with a consistent amount of carries.
Whether it is Dwyer or Baron Batch, the Steelers need something from their unproven running back tandem to come away with a win on Sunday night. The Steelers currently rank last in the NFL in both rushing yards (374) and yards per carry (3.0). In addition, their longest run of the season is only 17 yards, also the lowest mark in the league.
The Bengals are allowing 4.2 yards per carry and 116.8 yards per game on the ground, ranking in the bottom third in the league in both categories.