For a running back who's averaging 3.3 yards per carry and is trying to get over a fumbling problem during the preseason, Rashard Mendenhall is a confident man. That's fine, but he probably shouldn't be telling his friend, and Ravens running back, Ray Rice about it.
Mendenhall texted Rice to tell him he was going to big game against the Ravens on Monday. It will be Mendenhall's first start as he fills in for running back Willie Parker. Rice may be a friend of Mendenhall's but team loyalty is stronger than friendship, so he passed along the text message to the Ravens' linebackers.
"He said later that he was just joking, but it's too late,'' Ravens linebacker Bart Scott said. "Thanks for the bulletin-board material, rookie."
It probably won't make any difference on Monday--it's not like Scott needed any additional motivation to get up for the team that embarrassed him and his team last year, but rookies like Mendenhall would be best to keep their mouths and their cellphones silent.
