Most of Steeler Nation was upset after the 2009 preseason that Steelers running back Isaac Redman was released and jettisoned to the practice squad. Redman had a great preseason carrying the ball, but was not up to par in his conditioning or the finer details of playing the running back position. 3 games into the 2010 season and you can see now why Redman made the 2010 roster. Plain and simple, he has become a complete back.
As the video of 5 clips below will show you, he not only understands the game, but his conditioning and willingness to do the little things like picking up blitzers is evident. Through 3 games he has 15 carries for 58 yards and 2 catches for 12 yards. If you only looked at the numbers, you would miss everything he does.
In the first clip, Redman picks up the defensive back blitzing free around the right end. This play resulted in first keeping Charlie Batch upright and resulted in a 20 plus yard scramble that I feel was a huge turning point in the game.
The second clip he leads the way around the right end and clearing the linebacker for a big Rashard Mendenhall run.
The third clip really is my favorite. He starts by making sure there is no one to block and then releases as a safety valve for Batch in the flat. He even puts a small move on the linebacker assigned to him and gets open. Batch hits him for a good size gain.
The fourth and fifth clips are just Redman doing what we knew he could do all along, power running with the football.
In closing, the Steelers look to be in good hands with Redman on the depth chart behind Mendenhall. The stats will never show it, but Redman played a huge part in the win against Tampa. The Steelers will try to do the same with rookie running back Jonathan Dwyer in due time. Dwyer can run the football, but it is the little things like this video shows that Dwyer needs to master.
