Oct 29, 2012 4 min read

PITTSBURGH – There’s a running back controversy in Pittsburgh. But in this case, the controversy is a good thing. Jonathan Dwyer looked dominant for the second consecutive game for the Steelers in Sunday’s 27-12 victory over Washington at Heinz Field, gaining 107 yards on 17 carries. Even with the possibility of Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac Redman coming back for next Sunday’s game against the New York Giants, the Steelers would be foolish to tempt fate and take the hot hand out of the lineup. And head coach Mike Tomlin is no fool. “He’s answered the call and taken advantage of the opportunity, and that’s what we expect from all of our young people,” said Tomlin, who refused to name a starter for the game against the Giants. “We don’t discount what any of them are capable of.” Dwyer’s run-to-contact, one-cut style just might fit offensive coordinator Todd Haley’s offense the best. Don’t believe it? Ask his teammates. “The way Dwyer runs and the way that we block, I think it’s the best thing,” said Steelers left tackle Max Starks. “When Rashard’s healthy, you can open up the playbook a little bit more because of his versatility as a back, but you look at Dwyer, he’s a single-cutback runner and able to run between the tackles and tight ends.” Dwyer did suffer a minor quad injury at the end of Sunday’s game, but it won’t be anything that is going to slow him down. He’s worked too hard to get to this point. With Mendenhall, the starter for the previous three seasons, has played in just two games after coming back from a knee injury, then aggravating his Achilles’ tendon. Dwyer has given Pittsburgh’s previously non-existent rushing attack a boost. Dwyer now has 229 yards rushing on just 34 carries in the past two games. He’s also averaging 5.2 yards per carry. It’s no coincidence the Steelers have won both of those games as the threat of Dwyer has opened things up in the passing game, especially inside the 10. “We’ve always said we wanted to be a balanced offense, and I feel like we’re doing that right now,” said Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The 230-pound Dwyer has not only been picking up big yards on the ground, he’s been punishing opponents, much the way former Steelers great Jerome Bettis used to do. “He runs hard,” said Roethlisberger of the third-year running back. “We know that when you put the ball in his hands, he’s going to give you everything he’s got. He brings a little bit of power, a little bit of quickness, a little bit of speed – not a lot of speed – a little speed. He just runs hard. He runs with a passion, and it’s fun to watch.” In his first two seasons, Dwyer did much of the watching. The former Georgia Tech star arrived in training camp his rookie season overweight after the Steelers selected him in the sixth round of the draft. But he played well enough in the preseason for the Steelers to keep him around. Last season, he had 107 yards on just 11 carries in a backup role in a win over Tennessee, but suffered a foot injury that prematurely ended his season a few weeks later. Then, with Mendenhall shelved early this season, Dwyer lost a critical fumble in a loss at Oakland that earned him a spot in Tomlin’s doghouse. Dwyer wasn’t active the next two games before injuries to Mendenhall and Redman earned him another chance – one he’s made the most of. “I knew that if I stayed patient, my opportunity would come,” said Dwyer. “It’s just about using the opportunity to make a statement and taking advantage of it. That’s what I’m trying to do.” F. Dale Lolley can be reached at dlolley@observer-reporter.com