Could Mason Rudolph “be the guy” for the Steelers in 2024?
The naysayers reading the headline are already chirping “no”. They’ve been fed the 2019 version of Mason Rudolph or clips from Mike Tomlin’s press conference on Thursday, where they assume Rudolph doesn’t have a chance of returning to Pittsburgh in 2024.
I would like to address those statements and more, below, starting with Tomlin’s press conference.
A post on X from the Athletic’s Mark Kaboly started going viral when picked up by aggregators around the web:
Summarize: Tomlin is back, doesn't care about extension, will hire outside QB friendly OC ; some coaches will be gone; Pickett will be QB1; want Rudolph back; "sucks" to be eliminated; never said he wanted to take year off;Watt could've played this week; apologized for 'walk off'
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) January 18, 2024
The problem with this statement is, Mark is trying to stuff a bunch of text into a non-blue check post limit of characters, quickly during a presser, which chopped off some of the more pertinent things Tomlin had to say about both quarterbacks. Among those questions and answers are:
Will Kenny (Pickett) resume his QB1 status?
You know, he will, but obviously, there will be competition. There’s always competition in this thing. We don’t anoint anyone. Man, I’m appreciative of his efforts and where he is and excited about continuing to work with him. But certainly, he will be challenged from a competition perspective moving forward. Competition brings the best out in all of us.
Is it the hope of the franchise that Mason Rudolph will be back and providing that competition?
It is, but he is a free agent, and it is free agency. And so, we’ll see where that leads us.
Diontae Johnson said that he hopes Mason Rudolph gets the job. Do you worry about a competition situation potentially dividing the room or the team?
I do not. I think competition is good. I think it’s good for all of us. I think it brings out the best in all of us.
Do you expect the competition to be between Mason Rudolph and Kenny (Pickett) or are you trying to bring someone else in, rather that be draft or outside?
Again, we got a lot of decisions regarding free agency. Mason (Rudolph) is scheduled to be a free agent. And so, I’d be speculating about some of those things.
Straight from the horse’s mouth, Tomlin came out and said his perception of Rudolph changed over the final four games of the season:
Did (Mason) Rudolph change your perception of him or what he might be capable of this year?
Oh certainly. I don’t think that any of us can deny what we’ve seen over the last month or so. I cannot underscore how impressive it is to be ready. Forget performance man, to be ready, to deliver and he was. And that preparedness showed. And so, certainly. You know we’re less speculative about his capabilities because there’s evidence of it. And evidence of it in tough circumstances.
Now, if you made it this far and are still stuck in the mindset that Mason Rudolph can’t “hang” with some of the big boy quarterbacks of the NFL, I have some news for you. First, if those impressions are because of Rudolph’s 2019 season, I will direct you to this lengthy article I wrote awhile ago, stating that Rudolph never got a fair shot and played with a lot of backups over the course of that campaign.
If you’re among the crowd that believes Rudolph isn’t in the same category as the remaining AFC playoff QBs, it is definitely time to put your money where your mouth is and take a look for yourself at the myriad options for betting on your favorite teams at the best aussie online casino around. I will preface this by saying this exercise isn’t perfect, and it is cherrypicked to some degree because Mason doesn’t have the same body of work to sample.
Mason Rudolph favors comparatively well to the “final four” quarterbacks in the AFC race. To do so, I took Mason’s three regular season games and his fourth outing against the Buffalo Bills. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take a playoff game for Lamar Jackson, who was on a bye and also sat out his game in Week 18. Likewise, Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud missed some time at the end of his regular season too. (Weeks 14 and 15.)
Video games are the reason most fan perception is skewed to Rudolph “not being capable” so I only took Stroud and Bills QB Josh Allen‘s last four regular season games into account. Yes, they killed it in the playoffs and would decimate Rudolph’s showing. But that’s not the exercise: it’s to show Mason actually is capable.
As for Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes, I kept the same curve, leaving his lackluster playoff line out in favor of his final four regular season games as well. (Mahomes completed only 56.1% of his passes for 262 yards and a touchdown against Miami during the Wild Card round.)
So, with Rudolph’s four-game stretch and the last four regular season performances accounted for Jackson, Stroud, Allen, and Mahomes, this is what the tally looks like:
The numbers speak for themselves that even the upper echelon of the conference isn’t always what it may seem. Jackson is ultimately in the running for league MVP with his gaudy numbers, but with some of his stats aside, Rudolph still stacks up favorably with the four-game samples used.
I don’t want to pretend that this four-game stretch indicates what Rudolph may do over a 17-game span. He could very clearly be worse, but the opposite could be true as well. What if he were to have a four-touchdown game at some point that raises these figures?
That would place him over the top of his peers, who are also capable of the same, I may add. Yet, the perception is that Mahomes and Allen are players who are consistently winning because they throw for 400 yards and four touchdowns per game. This thought process is best left to the fantasy football folks, who would be equally disappointed in knowing Mahomes only had one such game in 2023 – and hadn’t thrown more than two TD passes in his last ten games (including the postseason.)
Josh Allen had one four-touchdown game but no 400-yard passing performances during the 2023 season. C.J. Stroud broke free with a five-touchdown game against Tampa Bay in November but only had one other game with more than a pair of scoring passes this season. (Not including the playoffs.)
Then there’s Jackson, who we’ll leave as an outlier!
In all, we should start asking ourselves “Why not Rudolph?” The only thing that could stand in the way of that thinking is if the Steelers don’t bring him back as a free agent. But if they do, most critics are already harping on Kenny Pickett not losing his chance to be a starter because he was injured. I’m fine with that, but we should also consider that Coach Tomlin opted to stick with Rudolph over Pickett due to performance – and that very same storyline could play out if both end up in a competition this summer.
From the looks of things, that would be okay. If Rudolph’s small sample size is a flash of his potential – remember, he didn’t throw a regular season pass in two years prior – then the Steelers may have next year’s quarterback on the roster, as also noted slyly by Tomlin in his presser:
I know you said it’ll be a competition most likely, but do you believe that next year’s quarterback is currently on your roster?
Yes.
(Yes, that’s because Rudolph isn’t scheduled to become a free agent until March.)
Can Mason Rudolph lead the Steelers over the Ravens and into the playoffs?
Joe and Brian are back to review what went right and wrong against the Seattle Seahawks and how the Steelers might be able to parlay that into their upcoming game this Saturday against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Steelers are in a must-win situation, and also need help, to make the playoffs. However, the Ravens are already locked into the top seed of the AFC and could be resting some of their starters.
With Mason Rudolph resurrecting Pittsburgh’s offense into back-to-back games with 30 points or more scored, can the former 2018 third-round pick keep it going for the postseason push?
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Watch: Mason Rudolph finds rookie WR George Pickens for 26-yard toe-tap TD
Steel City Underground will pick an exceptional play of the game as a highlight each week of the Steelers 2022 regular season. Stay tuned as we hand-select the very best from the Black and Gold!
Following the first two drives of the Pittsburgh Steelers preseason opening game against the Seattle Seahawks, QB Mason Rudolph entered the field at Acrisure Stadium to relieve the game’s starter, Mitchell Trubisky.
Trubisky led the Steelers to a 7-0 advantage at the time, as the home field fans jeered Rudolph entering the game second to their local Pitt Panther hero, first round pick Kenny Pickett.
The Steelers offense was setup nicely following a Steven Sims 38-yard punt return, which gave the Black and Gold the ball on the Seattle 23-yard line to start.
The first play from scrimmage was a doozy, as Rudolph was nearly strip-sacked after LT Dan Moore botched his blocking assignment. Rudolph recovered, as did the offense, with a second down scamper by RB Anthony McFarland, which recouped 7 of the 10 yards lost on the first down sack.
Rudolph would lineup in the shotgun for 3rd-and-13 from the 26, going for broke – as the quarterbacks have all been taking chances for big plays throughout training camp.
This dart throw was a dime, as Rudolph releases at the right time for star-in-the-making WR George Pickens makes a picturesque catch, keeping both feet barely in-bounds, for the score.
The play would put the Steelers up 14-0, as they’d ultimately win the exhibition game by a final score of 32-25.
Rudolph would finish the game 9-of-15 for 93 yards with the lone touchdown, for a 100.1 QB rating. Pickens would complete the game with 3 receptions for 43, with the touchdown catch displayed above.
Could Mason Rudolph realistically win the Steelers quarterback job?
Most of yinz who listen to the SCU Podcast know that I’ve been a bit of a homer when it comes to Steelers backup quarterback Mason Rudolph. That’s because I feel that a large portion of vocal fans have clung to unreasonable narratives and never given the former third round draft pick a fair chance in their minds.
As the Pittsburgh Steelers look for their successor to the now retired Ben Roethlisberger, I wonder why those fans are so eager to not see Mason Rudolph as that player?
As training camp unfolds, it appears that the Steelers weren’t giving lip service when they mentioned earlier this offseason that Rudolph would get a chance to compete for the starting quarterback job. Here are some reasons why he could win his quarterback battle with Mitchell Trubisky.
Trubisky isn’t being paid more… yet
There’s a common misconception that the Steelers staff has their hand forced by Trubisky’s incentive-laden contract signed in free agency this offseason.
The truth is, Mason Rudolph has a marginally higher cap hit ($4,040,000) in 2022 than Mitch Trubisky does ($3,660,000).
While Trubisky can earn more money this season by hitting certain performance marks, the Steelers lose nothing if he’s the backup. The financials, in the mid $4 million range, is around what backup quarterbacks make.
There’s also an out in the contract that won’t cost the Steelers much if Trubisky isn’t on the roster in 2023 either. Therefore, the pressure is nil from management to ensure Trubisky is installed as a starter simply because it would be a “waste of money”.
Longer time in the system
Rudolph has looked calm and collected thus far in training camp because he already has a year in Matt Canada’s offensive system.
Trubisky and Pickett are both learning it for the first time.
Advantage: Rudolph.
This is what Mason was drafted for
I often chuckle at comments similar to “They didn’t plan for Ben’s retirement!”
While I understand the hype, especially by hometown fans of the University of Pittsburgh, over Kenny Pickett: but he’s not the first quarterback that the Steelers drafted to potentially replace Roethlisberger.
That would be Mason Rudolph, who was the sixth QB taken in the 2018 NFL Draft. At the time, the Steelers supposedly had a first round grade on Rudolph and even traded up in the third round to make sure they got him, instead of division rival Cincinnati.
Rudolph has benefitted from sitting and learning behind Big Ben for four seasons: isn’t this exactly the scenario people dream up, a la Aaron Rodgers lying in wait behind Brett Favre?
Chris Oladokun is a non-factor
Sorry folks, but the facts are the facts: Oladokun isn’t taking many, if any snaps in camp.
A lot of critics felt his selection could bump Rudolph off of the roster. That doesn’t appear to be the case.
Trade Bait?
Another ridiculous fan theory is that the Steelers are giving Rudolph snaps to increase his trade value.
Nonsense. Why would the team sacrifice crucial snaps to develop this year’s first round draft pick Kenny Pickett in order to send Rudolph to another team?
And for what? If Rudolph has any value, wouldn’t it behoove the Steelers to hold onto him? (It’s not as if their quarterback situation is close to settled for the near future!)
With Mason operating on a one-year deal, why would any team make a trade and simply just wait for Rudolph to be released? He would become an unrestricted free agent, not subject to waivers too, making him fair game to any team without giving up a draft pick for a “rental”.
Distribution in practice
Speaking of snaps, while Pickett received some “second team” reps earlier in the week, the distribution of plays has been somewhere in the neighborhood of 40/40/20, with the rookie getting the lesser amount.
This sometimes looks like a two-way competition, and to the unknowing, they may believe it’s a three-way competition.
The Steelers returned to Rudolph taking the second spot in the practice rotation on Wednesday, as it had been for the first four days of camp. Trubisky is first up in all drills, but that could change at some point.
Trubisky has underwhelmed at times
The Steelers run a goal line drill known as “7 shots” which is an 11-on-11 offense versus defense exercise where one side tries to score, and the other tries to prevent it.
From my own eyewitness account, combined by other reports, Trubisky has been less than impressive in these daily drills, often coming out empty handed. (Typically he gets three or four of the “seven” shots, with Rudolph receiving two or three, and Pickett getting one… or zero.)
Rudolph has had some success, but its still early to say either quarterback is the clear winner. However, with Pickett rarely getting as many chances in these styles of drills, it appears the team is content with bringing him along slowly, creating a two-way competition.
“First Team Reps”
This one’s in quotations because there’s been a lot of talk that Mason has looked good because he’s facing “second team” defenders.
Back when Big Ben was the installed starter, you’d see the future Hall of Famer play with only the “one’s” such as Antonio Brown or Le’Veon Bell. Sometimes when Roethlisberger had a veteran’s day off, perhaps Rudolph would slide into his spot, but the “one’s” would still leave the field together.
That’s not so this training camp.
For example, the starting offensive line may stay in for four reps with Trubisky. The skill position players rotate in and out with each snap, so you may see George Pickens and Calvin Austin one play, then Anthony Miller or Miles Boykin in for another.
The line stays put for the next four reps, as Mason comes in, and then he’s also throwing to Pickens, Austin, Miller, etc. as well. The receivers, backs, and tight ends are getting work with all three quarterbacks – and if the o-line rotates out, they oftentimes will run another set with both Trubisky and Rudolph.
The defense operates similarly with rotations of one’s and two’s at every level, often mixing and matching. (Example: Myles Jack and Devin Bush, or Myles Jack and Robert Spillane.)
Pickett has been firmly playing with and against “everyone else” many times, should he get a chance to touch the ball. In this sense, Trubisky is the first one to lead the drills, but he’s not always playing exclusively with starters.
Mason’s turn
What might cement this “first team” talk is if the Steelers allow Rudolph to lead the drills in camp, with Trubisky in second.
That would signal to everyone that he would have a legitimate shot at winning the starting quarterback job.
Mitch was misused
One of the common things I see fans tell me is that Mitchell Trubisky was “misused” in Chicago. A first round pick (second overall) of the Bears in 2017, they remind me that Trubisky led his team to the playoffs twice: and made a Pro Bowl in 2018.
The Pro Bowl nod came as an alternate for Rams QB Jared Goff, who played in the Super Bowl that season.
Trubisky had thrown for 24 touchdowns that year, with 25% of those (6) coming in a single blowout game against Tampa Bay.
It’s important to note that the Bears also had the league’s top scoring defense, were the best in turnovers and against first downs, and third in yards. While the hope may be Trubisky was a cog in that machine’s success, which could be duplicated with a strong Steelers D, there’s enough reason to believe Rudolph could be a similar game manager, at worst, too.
Mason was misused
Another common quote is that Trubisky didn’t have skill position players to play with in Chicago. However, he had Allen Robinson, Jordan Howard, Tarik Cohen, Trey Burton, and others. (Including current Steelers WR Anthony Miller.)
The misleading concept here is that Trubisky didn’t have talent around him, but Rudolph – who was an impromptu starter in 2019 – did.
Below is a breakdown of playing time by skill position players that Mason Rudolph played with in 2019: when Randy Fichtner was the offensive coordinator and Pittsburgh didn’t have a quarterbacks coach.
You can argue until you’re blue in the face that JuJu Smith-Schuster or James Conner are better players than their Bears counterparts (I wouldn’t necessarily make that claim) but if they’re not on the field, they aren’t helping anyone.
JuJu missed 1/3 of that season while Conner missed 2/3. Jaylen Samuels out-snapped both Conner and his backup, Benny Snell. And fans have probably forgotten about names such as Tevin Jones, Deon Cain, Xavier Grimble, Kerrith Whyte, and of course, Donte Moncrief. (Maybe fans haven’t forgotten about him, but he was the cause of Rudolph’s first interception.)
The chaotic weekly shuffling of the offensive depth chart is one of the main reasons the Steelers have more faith in Rudolph than fans do. They understand how limited the offense was, and how that handicapped the quarterback that season.
Looking Ahead
Finally, while I have given some compelling reasons as to why Rudolph has a fighting man’s chance to win the Steelers starting quarterback job, there’s still a ways to go.
Even if the competition has been relegated to two players – should the Steelers prefer to take a sit and learn approach with Kenny Pickett – Trubisky is the veteran player they brought in to lead the drills and be installed as the default starter.
Trubisky has 50 starts to Rudolph’s 10. That number means a lot at this juncture, but it could mean nothing if Trubisky fails to build a rapport with his teammates while Rudolph continues to be a clear winner throughout camp.
We will also see how the Steeler operates when the team takes the field for their first preseason game in a little over one week.
Little do we know now, but that game (and the other two) could very well be the true proving ground as to who ends up as the last man standing. Just don’t assume that Trubisky will easily stroll into the top spot without Rudolph putting up a fight – or that the organization isn’t giving the guy who they drafted to develop behind Big Ben, a fair shot.
Why the Steelers shouldn’t give up on Mason Rudolph
Joe returns ahead of the holiday weekend with some quick clarifications on his thoughts about the Pittsburgh Steelers offseason quarterback competition.
There are some fans – dare we say yinzers – who feel that Mason Rudolph should be sent packing. (Or that the Steelers other moves means he’s long gone.)
Joe explains why that may not be the case and why Steelers Nation should get behind ALL of the quarterbacks this Summer.
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We haven’t seen everything Mason Rudolph has to offer: here’s why
We get it: you don’t like Mason Rudolph, the Pittsburgh Steelers 2018 third round draft pick, of whom they developed behind Ben Roethlisberger in hopes of maybe one day taking the reins from the future Hall of Famer.
Likely, that’s the reason you’re here, as a mob of disgruntled yinzers have formed wanting the Steelers backup quarterback of the last three years to be traded. This, at the same time that the team desperately needs to find their quarterback of the future.
The naysayers are upset with Rudolph. They have no real backing for their claims of wanting him cut, other than “he sucks”.
When these folks are confronted and asked why, they can’t really answer the question. “We’ve seen enough” is typically one of the other answers.
Yet, that’s likely untrue. Ask yourself: what have you seen from Mason Rudolph?
If the 2019 season is your benchmark, along with a game or two since, then I’m sorry to inform you that you haven’t seen enough… at least not yet.
Here’s why you haven’t seen everything that Mason Rudolph has to offer, and why he’s firmly in the mix to compete for reps as a starting quarterback for the Steelers this season.
The 2019 Season
The 2019 season looms large as the body of Rudolph’s work, yet there’s not a whole lot of negatives to take away from it.
Rudolph entered training camp competing for the backup position behind Big Ben, after sitting out his rookie season as the team’s QB3. He would win the primary backup spot, and then immediately be thrust into action after halftime of the second game of the season.
He would complete 67.02% of his passes for 646 yards, 7 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions for a 102.5 QB rating, plus he only took 3 sacks in 3.5 games – all before Earl Thomas lowered a dirty hit that sent the second-year passer into concussion protocol for two weeks.
Upon his return, Rudolph won three consecutive home games, completing 62.39% of his passes for 684 yards, 4 touchdowns and 2 picks. He took 6 sacks this time – largely due to the Rams defense led by Aaron Donald – while his QB rating dipped to 84.8.
He had his worst game of the season on a short week road trip to Cleveland which involved the Myles Garrett incident – four interceptions, of which, Mason has never thrown 3 or more picks in any other game before or after.
He would be benched in Cincy a week later after the offense couldn’t get any momentum going, only to return against a must-win against the New York Jets, where Rudolph tossed a brilliant 29-yard touchdown pass to Diontae Johnson to tie the game before half.
Unfortunately, like he stood in the pocket against Baltimore, Rudolph suffered an injury – a broken collarbone this time – that sidelined him until 2020.
However, with the good and bad that came in 2019, there were so many other mitigating factors that it’s surprising the young quarterback didn’t fold like a house of cards when viewing the other obstacles he had to overcome.
Randy Fichtner
Does anyone have anything nice to say about the Steelers former offensive coordinator?
That’s what I think too – that people don’t. Yet, they fail to connect dots and see that not only was Fichtner Rudolph’s OC, which handicapped him greatly, but Fichtner had been promoted to that position from being the QB coach.
Then the Steelers left the former position vacant.
Without a QB coach, and a suspect OC, what else do you expect from any quarterback in that situation?
Supporting Cast
The 2019 Steelers offense featured the following players:
- Johnny Holton
- Ryan Switzer
- Deon Cain
- Tevin Jones
- Donte Moncrief
- Johnny Holton
- Nick Vannett
- Xavier Grimble
- Benny Snell
- Jaylen Samuels
- Trey Edmunds
- Kerrith Whyte
- Tony Brooks-James
The reason these names are featured so prominently is because of injuries to key players, such as JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Conner, and Vance McDonald. Diontae Johnson was a rookie, and James Washington – who so many felt was underutilized in Pittsburgh – was the team’s leader in receiving yards.
It should come as no surprise that almost all of the names above are entirely out of the league, and were even a season later.
I see a lot of Mitchell Trubisky defenders claiming that the Chicago Bears teams he was on were “garbage” but it should be shocking that Mike Tomlin was able to win any games with the names assembled. Furthermore, does anyone put Donte Moncrief together with their Rudolph thoughts, as the butterfingered receiver was responsible for the quarterback’s first career pick? (Among other snafus that saw him release midway through the season?)
Oh, and I should remind everyone that JuJu, Diontae, and Conner all left that Browns “Garrett” game injured. (Yeah, that game. Mason’s worst.)
Offensive Line and Sacks
I think by now you get my drift, but I have to point out that the Steelers offensive line has been in flux for years now.
Yet, Rudolph is one of the lesser sacked quarterbacks per attempt: 16 in 384 attempts in his career.
Devlin Hodges (aka “The Duck”) was sacked 16 times in 160 attempts behind the same line in 2019. (Oh and he’s supposedly more “mobile” too, right?)
Amazingly, Ben Roethlisberger was only sacked 13 times in 608 pass attempts in 2020, but 38 times in 608 attempts in 2021.
Trubisky, for reference, was sacked 111 times in 1577 attempts with the Bears. That’s nearly 50 more times than Rudolph was on average if the numbers were comparable.
One more key difference between Trubisky and Rudolph is that the former has 27 fumbles in his career while the latter, Rudolph, has 5.
Lack of Wins
Rudolph didn’t win the Browns game. He didn’t beat the lowly winless Lions. Blah blah blah… Yeah, we know.
Did you watch the games like I did? Cool. Here’s some facts.
First, the Week 17 game at Cleveland in 2020 saw the Steelers sitting many key starters, including Big Ben. Mason Rudolph got the nod, with J.C. Hassenhauer in place of Maurkice Pouncey.
T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward, Joe Haden, Terrell Edmunds and several others all sat or played very little to rest for their Wild Card playoff game coming up the next week.
The Browns were in a must-win situation, and still only pulled off a two-point victory with their full squad while Rudolph became the only quarterback since (and other than) Roethlisberger to throw for over 300 yards in a game.
Against a well-rested Lions squad coming off of a bye week, Rudolph was named the starter with less than 24 hours notice. He led one of the Steelers few opening possession touchdown drives of the 2021 season before the weather turned nasty – and resulted in not one, but two overtime fumbles that resulted in a draw. (And let’s not forget his record includes losses due to JuJu and Conner both fumbling in close games that were eventually lost against the Ravens and 49ers too.)
But that’s not all…
10 Starts
Is this the body of work we’re saying is enough to discount Mason from contending for the QB spot? 10 starts.
Mitch Trubisky has 50 starts under his belt with the Bears over a four-year span, with 46 of those games being one in which he threw 20 or more pass attempts. I’d argue with anyone who thinks Trubisky has “hidden” value or talent, but thinks they’ve seen “enough” of Rudolph to reconsider.
If Rudolph had 40 or 50 starts under his belt, then sure, we’d probably know what type of player he is. Just imagine, if you will, that the Steelers coaching staff cut Big Ben short after only 10 starts: 209 attempts, 68.4% completed for 1764 yards, 12 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. 23 sacks and a 105.4 QB rating.
You would want to see more, right?
Mason Rudolph’s ten starts amount to: 333 attempts, 60.9% completed for 2081 yards, 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. 15 sacks and a 79.4% QB rating.
I’m not sure we’ve seen enough, as Roethlisberger didn’t even throw 300 attempts in his entire rookie season. In his first three years (40 starts) Big Ben would average out to a 62.4% completion percentage, throwing for 8519 yards on 1032 attempts. He threw 52 touchdowns to 43 interceptions and was sacked a whopping 99 times.
The only difference is, the team found a way to win – via defense or just plain luck (that Bettis fumble to Vanderjagt field goal miss in Indy, anyone?)
He may not get the opportunity he’d like, but if he does, I hope that Mason Rudolph can prove his doubters wrong, because I strongly feel he still has more to show us before we can write him off as a “nobody”, “trash”, or “loser”.
Why Mason Rudolph deserves a shot at being the Steelers starting QB in 2022
Recently, I discussed some ideas on why the Steelers should pass on acquiring a quarterback in free agency or the NFL Draft this season. Much of that column was focused on the business aspect of signing or picking a QB in 2022, with the team seemingly setup to see if two of their other quarterbacks could potentially fill any void left by the retiring Ben Roethlisberger.
Now I’m going to share why those quarterbacks deserve a chance, in addition to the business end of pro football, starting with Mason Rudolph.
To recap: Mason Rudolph was the sixth quarterback taken in the 2018 NFL Draft. Previous to that event, many mock drafts had Rudolph being taken in the first round, even some hinting the Steelers as a potential landing spot.
Five quarterbacks were taken in the first round of that draft, with Rudolph falling to the third. The Steelers would trade up three spots in the third round, up from 79 to 76 to jump in front of the Cincinnati Bengals – who had back-to-back picks at 77 and 78 – to select Rudolph. The move was made to prepare for a future without Ben Roethlisberger, as Pittsburgh openly stated later that they had a first round grade on the Oklahoma State quarterback.
In much the same way fans are begging to develop a rookie QB this offseason, some even mentioning the same mid-round style of prospects who could represent value picks, Mason Rudolph was selected to sit and learn behind Ben Roethlisberger in the same manner.
He would spend the 2018 season as the team’s third quarterback, but would be thrust into action after winning the backup job in 2019, following a Week 2 mid-game injury to Roethlisberger: who would be placed on injured reserve for the remainder of that season.
Almost every argument I see against allowing Rudolph an opportunity to takeover the starting quarterback role in 2022 points back to this ill-fated season. Many of the complaints about the offense this season, or in 2020, were carried over from 2019 too.
Another “favorite” of fans was WR Donte Moncrief, who everyone recalls for his multiple drops in the season opener at New England. Even with Roethlisberger throwing the ball, Moncrief would only catch 3 of his 10 targets in that game, for a total of 7 yards.
Rudolph’s second pass target of the entire 2019 season was to Moncrief, who did the same thing as in New England, allowing the football to bounce off of his fingers and get intercepted by the Seahawks. It was a sign of things yet to come, as 33 different players would take a snap on offense that season.
Among Rudolph’s supporting cast:
- RBs Benny Snell, Trey Edmunds, Kerrith Whyte, Tony Brooks-James, and Jaylen Samuels
- WRs Donte Moncrief, Johnny Holton, Tevin Jones, Ryan Switzer, and Deon Cain
- TE Nick Vannett
Yes, he had some help, but it was sporadic. James Conner appeared in 10 games, with only 116 carries for 464 yards. JuJu Smith-Schuster missed four full games and portions of others, with TE Vance McDonald missing two games and some of others as well.
Now, he would have Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, and Pat Freiermuth to throw to, and hand off to Najee Harris, and shouldn’t have to worry about a running back, Samuels, playing wildcat snaps that lead to turnovers.
In fact, this is one of several reasons I think Rudolph gets a bad rep he doesn’t deserve: short-term memory.
Most fans have forgotten about those plays by Moncrief and Samuels. They’ve forgotten about a James Conner fumble in San Francisco up 20-17, which gave the 49ers the ball on the Steelers 24 yard line and the eventual go-ahead score. (This followed a 39-yard touchdown pass from Rudolph to Johnson.)
They’ve forgotten how Rudolph was knocked out of the Week 5 game against the Baltimore Ravens, and how JuJu Smith-Schuster fumbled in overtime, giving their opponent the ball well within Justin Tucker‘s field goal range.
Rudolph would bounce back, returning to lead the Steelers to three-straight wins before the worst game of his career: a Thursday Night Football game at the Cleveland Browns. Most remember it for Myles Garrett clocking Rudolph in the head with his own helmet at the conclusion of the game. Others remember Rudolph’s four interceptions too.
I remember the short week of preparation for a division opponent on the road, where in-game, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson, and James Conner were all injured. (Johnson was famously bleeding from his ear after a helmet-to-helmet hit penalty.)
That game would be followed by Rudolph, clearly not himself, getting benched for Devlin Hodges, who would then be benched back for Rudolph against the Jets – with Rudolph breaking his collarbone after going 14/20 for 129 yards and a touchdown before the injury sidelined him in the third quarter.
I also surmise that fans believe Rudolph is the reason the 2019 team missed the playoffs, despite Hodges starting the final three games. “The Duck” threw six interceptions and took nine sacks, losing all three games as the Steelers finished 8-8.
Outside of that disastrous 2019 season for the Steelers, Rudolph has had two more major appearances, first in a Week 17 game against the Cleveland Browns in 2020. On the road again, the Browns were clinging to playoff hopes in a must-win situation while the Steelers sat a handful of starters, resting them for the following week’s Wild Card round.
Even without a full supporting cast, Rudolph would become the first and only of Ben Roethlisberger’s backups to throw for over 300 yards in a single game.
Mason would complete 22/39 of his passes for 315 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. (Note: this time the pick came from a missed blow to the head by the Browns on Rudolph as he threw the ball. Referee Jerome Boger, infamous for butchering this year’s Bengals-Raiders playoff game, missed the foul in front of him.)
The Steelers still stayed competitive without T.J. Watt, Joe Haden or Cameron Heyward on the defensive side, but would lose 24-22.
Rudolph’s most recent start, came out of the blue, when he was notified the night before that he’d be starting in place of Big Ben, who was placed on the Covid reserve list.
#Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger is going on the Reserve/COVID-19 list and is out Sunday against the #Lions, the team announced.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 14, 2021
Most hold this start against Rudolph as well, because the Steelers didn’t beat (or lose to) a winless Detroit Lions team.
Left in the footnotes are fumbles lost by Diontae Johnson and Pat Freiermuth, plus a number of poor snaps by Kendrick Green. (Including one which sailed over the QB’s head in overtime.)
The Lions entered the game following a bye week, and the two teams played the entire game in rainy weather. Yet, it’s Rudolph who shoulders the full brunt of blame for not being able to beat the Lions, while the Baltimore Ravens required an NFL record-breaking field goal bouncing off of the crossbar in order to do the same just weeks prior, and the Browns similarly won by only three points one week later.
In total, Mason Rudolph doesn’t have the same amount of starts as some of the other quarterbacks being floated as free agent pickups for Pittsburgh. Some of those names, Jimmy Garoppolo, Marcus Mariota, and Mitchell Trubisky, all have around 50 starts. In 2017, the 49ers went all-in to acquire Jimmy Garoppolo from the New England Patriots, despite Tom Brady‘s former backup having attempted only 94 regular season passes to date.
The fascination with him as a potential franchise fit, both then and now, has always bothered me based on his his experience. I should note that Garoppolo, in particular, was three picks from falling into the third round back in 2014’s draft as the 62nd selection overall, the 5th quarterback taken that year. (Rudolph was pick 76 and the sixth QB taken in 2018.)
Yet, fans are unwilling to open the door as easily for Rudolph. They’ve “seen enough” so they claim. However, I disagree. Let’s compare some stats to cement the argument.
Rudolph has appeared in 17 games with 10 starts, completing 61.5% of his passes for 2,366 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He has been sacked 16 times on 384 pass attempts.
His closest competition, Dwayne Haskins, has appeared in 16 games, completing 60.1% of his passes for 2,804 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. He has been sacked 49 times on 444 pass attempts.
Then you have this year’s top prospects:
- Trevor Lawrence started all 17 games, attempting 602 passes, completing 59.6% for 3,641 yards, 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. He was sacked 32 times.
- Zach Wilson started 13 games, attempting 383 passes (55.6% completion rate) for 2,334 yards, 9 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, with 44 sacks.
- Justin Fields appeared in 12 games with 270 attempts (58.9%), 1,870 yards, 7 touchdowns and 10 picks. The mobile QB was sacked 36 times.
- New England’s Mac Jones fared better, but still 13 interceptions to 22 touchdowns in 17 starts.
Perhaps, first-time starters just struggle?
We’ve seen it happen with the greats, such as Aaron Rodgers, and even with Peyton Manning during their first seasons. We see it year after year with the incoming rookies as well.
Can we maybe consider this before piling on Rudolph as not being capable? Maybe consider the circumstances surrounding a concussion, a major in-game altercation that saw several players fined and suspended, a suspect offensive coordinator and a less than stellar supporting cast of players as reasons we haven’t seen more of what we’ve wanted to date?
And by more, we really only mean wins. In the grand scheme of things, Rudolph is more than capable of matching many current starting quarterbacks around the league.
Maybe, just maybe, that first year of experience for Mason Rudolph in 2019 was what he needed to succeed as a starter in 2022.
I believe he’s at least owed that opportunity.
Overreactions from Steelers Nation: Mason Rudolph and backup quarterbacks
Welcome to my weekly edition of “Overreactions from Steelers Nation”. This week, I’m trying to figure out if Steelers fans even watch the games!
My opening line for this weekly column couldn’t be any truer this week, especially in regard to “do people even watch the games?”
For those who missed it, some fans felt so entitled to a win over the 0-8 Detroit Lions that they failed to see the Super Bowl XL Steelers weren’t on the field. Heck, the 2021 version of this team was largely missing too. Already down JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyson Alualu and Stephon Tuitt most of the year, the Steelers entered Sunday minus Chase Claypool and one other big name: Ben Roethlisberger.
I saw the breaking news around 8pm Saturday night. I instantly knew that Mason Rudolph was going to start, but even in that moment, I saw fans crying like babies at the thought. I even saw one begging the team to go get Marcus Mariota from the Raiders, as if they could even do that (or would want to with less than 24 hours before kickoff!)
What ensued were memories of Mason Rudolph as a starter. If Sunday’s tie with the Lions reminded you of those previous games, they probably should. For once, I’d love to see what Rudolph could do with a fully healthy team. As was the case back in 2019, last season’s Week 17 game against Cleveland, or even yesterday: he did not.
Losing both starting guards, T.J. Watt, Joe Haden, and for a short spell, Najee Harris – all due to in-game injuries – certainly hurt the team’s chances of victory regardless of the opponent.
I would even argue that Ben Roethlisberger may have struggled, in less-than-ideal weather conditions too, when the veteran quarterback has had only one 300+ yard passing game all season and only two where he’s thrown for multiple touchdowns.
That said, here’s some other things Mason Rudolph didn’t do to lose the game against Detroit:
- Give up a 28-yard touchdown run (to a backup running back)
- Give up a 42-yard touchdown run (to a backup running back)
- Give up 114 yards of rushing by halftime
- Commit a holding penalty which negated a Najee Harris touchdown run
- Give up a 48-yard punt return (stopped by the punter himself, Pressley Harvin)
- Call three consecutive pass plays in the red zone* (half blame, which may have been an RPO)
- Allow a 38-yard kickoff return to start the second half
- Commit offensive pass interference on 3rd-and-5 from the Detroit 33
- Fumble a 39-yard pass reception in overtime, which may have setup field goal range for Chris Boswell
- Commit a holding penalty which negated a Minkah Fitzpatrick interception
- Lose 19 yards on a snap over his head – one of many bad snaps in the game
- Commit a holding penalty on a punt return, losing ten more yards
- Fumble the ball with 15 seconds remaining, in field goal range
- Make the above call to go for another play rather than attempt a ~58-yard field goal (which would’ve been the longest in Heinz Field history – 56 yards is the record held by Boswell)
- Have your backup quarterback attempt 50 passes in constant rain
That’s not to say that Mason Rudolph was perfect. Here are some of the positives and negatives that could be attributed to his play:
- Missing Ray-Ray McCloud short on a five-yard skip in the end zone
- Miscommunication with Kallen Ballage, who he went to twice – the second leading to an interception
- Handled several high/bad snaps with poise
- Did not get sacked once in 87 plays
- Led an opening possession scoring drive for a touchdown
- Scrambled four times for 36 yards, despite being labeled “immobile”
The latter half of these bullet points justify Mason’s ability to jump right into the game with fewer than 24 hours’ notice than not. He did benefit from Ben Roethlisberger sitting out of practice twice during the week, but Rudolph had only started one game over the last two seasons, the aforementioned Week 17 game against Cleveland.
I get that some fans are frustrated at not defeating a winless team. That’s not lost on me. However, some of that frustration has undoubtedly boiled over to a backup quarterback who shouldn’t be the scapegoat for a tie game.
Also, some fans, and even media, are still of a mindset that Dwayne Haskins was a better answer. I actually heard a local radio host claim Haskins would’ve given the Steelers a better shot five yards out, with his feet.
The narrative that Haskins is a mobile quarterback is a stereotype derived from other quarterbacks, namely those who also came from Ohio State: Haskins is a pocket passer. His 40-time at the 2019 NFL Combine was the slowest among all quarterbacks.
After seeing Rudolph play from under center, bootleg, scramble, and even truck a defender who tried to put a lick on him, can we honestly believe Haskins would’ve done differently? I think not.
The core of the blame in this game isn’t on a backup quarterback who is in the middle of an already struggling offense. In my opinion, this was a total team loss.
The number of injuries were something to overcome, but even at that point, the Steelers defense was gashed for 16 points – the most the Lions had been scoring all season – and done so on the ground, with impressive fashion. Missed tackles, blown assignments, inability to get off of blocks, and more, doomed the “kiss your sister” result.
Special Teams is also to blame for setting up good field position several times for Detroit. In fact, it’s special teams play from the Lions that we can all thank for not having a loss, as backup kicker Ryan Santoso missed a PAT and what would have been a game-winning 48-yard field goal in overtime.
The result of the game isn’t ideal, but it’s also not an indictment that Rudolph is a terrible quarterback. 18 years of having a Hall of Famer will get you spoiled, but the reality is, Ben Roethlisberger’s shoes will be difficult to fill no matter who steps into his spot.
I feel Rudolph did an acceptable job given all of the circumstances.
Look at it this way: would you rather have a situation like the Jets, Dolphins, Saints, Texans, Bears, or… even the Lions?
The Jets’ Mike White threw four interceptions in a 45-17 drubbing by the Bills on Sunday. The Arizona Cardinals watched Colt McCoy and Chris Streveler struggle to complete 17 passes for 143 yards and no scores in that offense.
Furthermore, the Cleveland Browns completed only 19 passes for 154 yards in a loss, and of course, the Lions starting QB Jared Goff completed only 14 passes for 114 yards, as Detroit avoided throwing the ball for much of the game.
Rudolph’s final numbers: 30/50 for 242 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
Not fantastic by any means, but that should’ve been enough for the rest of the team to overcome. Unfortunately, three turnovers in the plus-minus column is something most NFL teams are unable to win games with, and the Steelers should be fortunate they at least came away with a tie (if for anything, the standings).
A final look at Mason Rudolph’s and Dwayne Haskins’ preseason performances
This offseason was a fun one for Steelers Nation. Fans, aided by media desperate for clicks and quotas, created a backup quarterback controversy where there likely never was one.
Everywhere you turned, the talk was about Mason Rudolph versus Dwayne Haskins.
I’m sorry to report that the versus was something that is yet to be determined, perhaps as soon as next season – should Ben Roethlisberger decide to walk away for 2022.
Regardless, it was fun to analyze each of the quarterbacks and see their potential. This article isn’t a “he’s better, he’s worse” type. Instead, I pulled all of the statistics for both Rudolph and Haskins, so fans could get a better visual as to how each passer has potential to perhaps be the next signal caller in Pittsburgh.
With an extra preseason game this year, the Steelers had four opportunities to showcase their QBs. Here’s how each performed.
Mason Rudolph
There’s an old saying that goes like this: everyone loves a backup quarterback until they have to play.
Nothing could be further from the truth with Rudolph, who many fans still hold a grudge against for being thrust into action when Ben Roethlisberger was injured in 2019.
Even then, Rudolph’s statistics weren’t terrible (and compare favorably to those of Haskins in starting duty with Washington too.)
The same was true this preseason with the exception of Rudolph being unable to orchestrate a touchdown on any of his drives. As the main criticism, I find this one flimsy, as scoring touchdowns on every drive is difficult for any NFL quarterback – with opportunity being the chief reason as to why Rudolph didn’t get in the endzone.
| Week | Plays | Yards | Time | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H | 6 | 23 | 3:16 | Fumble |
| H | 6 | 30 | 3:13 | Punt |
| H | 7 | 49 | 2:50 | Missed FG |
| 1 | 7 | 41 | 4:43 | Punt |
| 1 | 5 | 44 | 3:50 | Punt |
| 1 | 3 | -2 | 2:10 | Punt |
| 2 | 10 | 55 | 5:41 | Field Goal |
| 2 | 14 | 76 | 5:38 | Field Goal |
| 2 | 10 | 42 | 5:25 | Field Goal |
Mason otherwise sustained some solid drives, but with only nine total series of play, there wasn’t much to show for – including a missed field by since released Sam Sloman and a dropped would-be touchdown by JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Rudolph had to settle for field goals on all of his Week 2 drives, with his Week 1 being marred by penalties and then an ugly sack – most of which wasn’t attributed as his fault. (The lack of finding success in Week 2 is a far better criticism.)
The first drive in the Hall of Fame game also sticks out, with a bad exchange between Rudolph and Chase Claypool leading to a lost fumble.
Overall, Rudolph still put up respectable numbers throughout the three games he played.
| Mason Rudolph | |
|---|---|
| SNAPS | 67 |
| ATT/CMP | 27/36 |
| CMP% | 75.00% |
| YDS | 299 |
| TD:INT | 0:00 |
| Y/A | 8.3 |
| SACKS | 1 |
| RATING | 99.2 |
Dwayne Haskins
The former first round pick from college powerhouse Ohio State arrived in Pittsburgh earlier this year after a falling out with the team which drafted him 15th overall in 2018, the Washington Football Team.
Criticisms of Haskins fell on “not having a good offense” and many were curious what he might do with the compliment of weapons the Steelers had. Coach Mike Tomlin also called him “checkdown”, alluding to Haskins propensity to go through his reads and then settle for a short outlet pass to a tight end or running back.
| Week | Plays | Yards | Time | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H | 5 | 16 | 2:14 | Punt |
| H | 1 | -1 | 0:01 | End of Half |
| H | 5 | 33 | 2:07 | Touchdown |
| H | 9 | 24 | 4:36 | Field Goal |
| H | 5 | 18 | 2:20 | Punt |
| 1 | 3 | 3 | 1:40 | Punt |
| 1 | 9 | 65 | 4:13 | Touchdown |
| 1 | 1 | -1 | 0:13 | End of Half |
| 1 | 10 | 60 | 5:28 | Touchdown |
| 1 | 11 | 50 | 5:45 | Touchdown |
| 1 | 14 | 76 | 5:33 | Field Goal |
| 2 | 12 | 51 | 5:34 | Field Goal |
| 2 | 5 | 23 | 1:53 | End of Game |
| 3 | 3 | 5 | 1:30 | Punt |
| 3 | 3 | 5 | 1:41 | Punt |
| 3 | 1 | 0 | 0:05 | Interception |
| 3 | 5 | 17 | 2:43 | Punt |
| 3 | 6 | 29 | 2:55 | Punt |
| 3 | 1 | 4 | 0:24 | End of Half |
| 3 | 3 | 9 | 1:28 | Punt |
| 3 | 2 | 15 | 0:40 | Fumble |
| 3 | 6 | 75 | 2:25 | Touchdown |
However, Haskins also showed prowess and leadership flashes throughout the preseason. His hard count against the Eagles led to a free play and a bust coverage touchdown pass to Anthony Johnson – one of Haskins’ longest completions of the exhibition games.
Despite critics claiming short fields or inadequate opposition, the quarterback took advantage of those situations as you’d expect an NFL passer to do. Yet, Haskins wasn’t immune to the non-scoring bug that plagued Rudolph, as his start in Week 3 would lead to nine drives, with only one of those ending in a score.
Regardless, Haskins was still as impressive as anyone might want from the third quarterback coming off of the bench – and provides nice upside for the Steelers in the future.
| Dwayne Haskins | |
|---|---|
| SNAPS | 118 |
| ATT/CMP | 37/58 |
| CMP% | 63.80% |
| YDS | 379 |
| TD:INT | 2:01 |
| Y/A | 6.5 |
| SACKS | 1 |
| RATING | 86.8 |
Final Thoughts
Proponents for Dwayne Haskins should level off some expectations from the Steelers backup, as his best showings came later in preseason games against sub-optimal competition. When called upon in the final preseason game against Carolina, against many Panthers starters, Haskins was tasked to potentially win the backup job.
One of the critiques had been Haskins “not playing with the starters”, though his first drives consisted of starters Chase Claypool, Eric Ebron and most of the Steelers projected starting offensive line. Without RB Najee Harris, and RB Benny Snell in his place, the onus was placed squarely on the former OSU quarterback to shine.
Unfortunately, the game did more harm to what was a great outlook on his preseason.
Mason Rudolph was sidelined entirely – perhaps to better evaluate Haskins and/or give him more reps with his new team. Therefore, we couldn’t evaluate how Rudolph may have played against the Panthers: and whether or not he would’ve gotten over the touchdown drought.
Overall, Haskins led 22 offensive possessions to Rudolph’s 9 through the four preseason games played. Four of Haskins drives could be tossed out – end of half/game situations taking a knee or running out the game clock. Each quarterback had one drive end with a fumble.
That leaves Haskins with 18 drives to evaluate to Rudolph’s 9.
Haskins would have 8 drives end in a punt to Rudolph’s 4 – so each player roughly had half of their drives end without a score. (Note: Haskins had an interception and Rudolph had the missed field goal also. Each would also have fumbles once on their drives.)
Rudolph would lead three series to field goals converted, equal to Haskins, who would also add five touchdown drives. Two of those drives ended with touchdown passes, including the aforementioned Johnson TD, and the final Steelers preseason drive capped off by Ray-Ray McCloud in Carolina.
Both quarterbacks have their strengths and shortcomings, but overall, the Steelers have a nice situation behind Ben Roethlisberger that many NFL teams would be envious of. The future appears to be bright for both players, but as of now, we can hopefully put a rest to the “position battle” behind Big Ben and focus on the future Hall of Famer taking the reigns in the regular season – following a perfect passer rating in his only exhibition action!
Mason Rudolph receives an unfair amount of criticism from Steelers Nation
The slow NFL offseason often leads to outrageous headlines – a prime example of which occurred earlier this week when Steelers backup quarterback Mason Rudolph joined an interview Zoom meeting with reporters. I knew as soon as I saw his name popup on the schedule that some ridiculous questions would be asked and some sound byte would be magnified ten-fold to maximize one’s blog or news site’s exposure.
One bit from the interview made “headlines”, as some “writers” around the internet cherrypicked Mason’s response about his future with the Steelers.
“That’s my goal, to be a starting quarterback in this league and for our team and I’m working towards that goal every single day,” Rudolph maintained after today’s OTA. “I can only control myself and the way I prepare and the way I approach and play in OTAs and in (training) camp. That’s on the forefront of my mind.
For whatever reason, some outlets amended that snippet, even paraphrasing, to help stoke the fires among fans and critics who have an axe to grind with the fourth-year pro and make Mason look foolish.
What is so wrong with any player striving to be the best they can be? Should Mason have just said he’s a bum and hopes to be traded or quit?
Of course not! Yet, there’s a segment of Steelers fans who are casually observing and making the wrong critiques of Mason’s career thus far.
Where it all started
Almost immediately fans started to project their own thoughts on the second-year player when he was drafted. I believe some of those fans had a Landry Jones hangover, the adequate and inconsistent backup quarterback the Steelers drafted in 2013.
The fans also had a love affair with another mid-round quarterback drafted a year prior to Rudolph – Joshua Dobbs – the previous year’s backup who won the hearts of fans with some spectacular play during the previous preseason. Unable to replicate the same success the following year, Dobbs not only lost his backup job to Rudolph in 2019, but was sent to Jacksonville in a trade. Another preseason fan favorite, Devlin Hodges, was called up as the team’s third quarterback.
It’s almost as if fans disliked Rudolph simply because he wasn’t Dobbs (a rocket scientist) or Hodges (who has a cool nickname).
Rudolph gets his opportunity
The best was yet to come, as Rudolph would ascned from backup to starter when Ben Roethlisberger would be sidelined for the entire 2019 season after exiting at halftime of a Week 2 encounter against the Seattle Seahawks.
During the span of games which followed, Mason appeared relatively limited – either by design or by ability. The Steelers offense was often criticized of being “dink and dunk”, that is, throwing short, quick passes while also abandoning their run game.
If that sounds familiar, it should, as recently canned offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner was the architect of the mediocre offense that season too. The Steelers would start the season 0-3, with Rudolph incorrectly receiving most of the blame, despite throwing for 7 touchdowns to 2 interceptions with a combined QB rating of 102.5, in his first four games.
He was then knocked out of the Ravens game by Earl Thomas in the third quarter. Mason returned two games later to lead the Steelers on a three-game win streak; where he appeared more apprehensive, taking six sacks (to the three in the four games prior) and throwing 4:2 TD:INT with a 84.8 rating.
He was unceremoniously benched later in the season, following a traumatic series of events in a Thursday Night Football encounter with the Cleveland Browns. (More on that below.)
Incidentally, fans have forgotten about who Rudolph did, or did not play with in 2019
One of those players was Donte Moncrief, the ill-fated wide receiver with butterfingers, who saw passes slip through his hands and into those of the other team. Fans remember those turnovers when it was Ben Roethlisberger throwing the passes in a primetime game against the Patriots, loyally defending their franchise quarterback’s ability, but have not made the same connection with Mason.
Rudolph also threw more in these three games, playing without some of his marquee pieces such as James Conner and Juju Smith-Schuster – each of whom along with Diontae Johnson, would exit the team’s next game on a short week, at Cleveland.
In that primetime game against the Browns Rudolph played with Jaylen Samuels, Trey Edmunds and Tony Brooks-James as his top backs, plus Tevin Jones and Johnny Holton as his passing targets… Jones would be released shortly after this game for two poor drops (out of four targets) while Holton’s peak playing time (58%) would never be seen again after securing only a single reception of his seven targets.
Fans will only remember, however, the four picks Rudolph threw – and the game-ending altercation with Browns DE Myles Garrett. Nothing else.
Rudolph was benched the next week in Cincinnati, but would also be brought back in a must-win situation against the Jets, after Hodges’ struggles during the middle of a final three-game stretch. Rudolph would complete 70% of his passes for 129 yards and a touchdown against New York before breaking his collarbone, which ended his season, giving way to Hodges as the signal caller once again. The duck-calling favorite would finish with a 1:6 TD:INT ratio over those three games – saving his worst for last, taking 9 sacks with a 39.6 QB rating as the Steelers missed the postseason.
Projecting other passers onto Rudolph
I feel the final stretch of games in 2019 have been unfairly projected onto Rudolph’s future aspirations to become an NFL starting quarterback. Especially when it wasn’t Mason on the field.
Some of those feelings should’ve been subsided in Week 17 of the 2020 season against the Browns.
Rudolph got the start while other starters were rested. He would go on to become the first quarterback not named Ben Roethlisberger, to throw for over 300 yards since November, 2003.
Not Charlie Batch, Byron Leftwich, Michael Vick nor Landry Jones accomplished the feat last seen by Tommy Maddox in a loss to the Bengals. Despite that, the loss sent the Browns into the playoffs, where they’d embarrass the Steelers a week later: something I feel fans are unfairly projecting onto Rudolph as well. (If only he won that game, right?)
Looking around the league at other failed quarterbacks, both as starters and backups, I’m bewildered at how fans can be so lukewarm on Rudolph’s progress. Some have clamored to see Josh Dobbs, who had a miserable 2019 preseason where he threw zero TD passes and two picks against subpar competition while often running for his life as well instead of making decisive throws.
Dobbs couldn’t get a single snap of playing time in Jacksonville over the likes of their awful depth chart.
Others were begging for Paxton Lynch, a flamed-out former first round pick who is no longer in the NFL. (Perhaps because he was a first round pick? I’m not sure why…)
Fans should stop projecting the shortcomings of past backups onto Rudolph, and rather look at his career thus far through its own lens. A bad game here or there should not define a player’s career either. Fans see what they don’t like (Browns game, 4 picks) and hold onto that the same as they did with Landry Jones throwing four interceptions in a preseason game.
Yet they hold onto Dobbs playing against preseason competition, or are begging for Dwayne Haskins (another first-round reclamation project) to immediately supercede Rudolph as the team’s top option behind Roethlisberger. (That’s not to say Haskins can’t still flourish, but he’s already thrown fewer touchdowns and more interceptions than Rudolph thus far in his career – and with more starts and games played.)
Final Thoughts
For all of these reasons above, I believe Mason Rudolph‘s good name should be cleared by Steelers fans. It’s entirely possible that he does not become the Steelers eventual successor to the future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger. However, it doesn’t mean that any of the quarterbacks drafted before, or since, will flourish to the same heights either.
With names such as Josh Rosen and the aforementioned Lynch already out of the league, finding a franchise quarterback has become somewhat of a lottery: there’s more losers than winners.
However, if you received a free ticket, would you play?
That’s how I view the Mason Rudolph situation, and when compared to others around the league, the Steelers could do much worse than give him an opportunity – after all, it took Big Ben until his 13th game to thrown for 300+ yards, something he would only do twice over the first two years of his career. (In other words, you’ve got to give quarterbacks a chance. Is that much to ask?)
