Willie Parker and Casey Hampton both out for Baltmore game

[Gerk]

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers will be without injured Pro Bowl running back Willie Parker and nose tackle Casey Hampton for Monday night's home game against Baltimore.


Parker, who had 243 yards in the Steelers' first two games before being held to 20 during a 15-6 loss at Philadelphia on Sunday, has a sprained left knee that occurred late in that game.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin did not say Tuesday if Parker might miss more than one game.
With Parker out, first-round draft pick Rashard Mendenhall will make his first NFL start. Mendenhall, from Illinois, has 28 yards in 10 carries during limited playing time -- partly because he fumbled three times in the final two preseason games.
Hampton, a Pro Bowl defensive lineman the last four seasons and the key to the Steelers' run defense, has a strained groin. He will be replaced by Chris Hoke, who made 10 starts in 2004 after Hampton injured a knee.
Defensive end Brett Keisel, who sat out the Eagles game with a calf injury, is also out. He may be sidelined for a month or more.

[westcoastO]

time to see what mendenhall can do. no easy task either for his first start.

[RanPicks]

Hey, that late round mendenhall draft might pay off...

wait a minute - they are playing Balti...