When the Pittsburgh Steelers pulled off a surprise victory against the Ravens early in October, Mason Rudolph was nowhere near the starting quarterback position. Despite the Pittsburgh offense showing signs of struggle, there were no calls for a quarterback change at that time.
Fast forward to the final game of the regular season, and the Steelers find themselves in a position where making the playoffs may depend, at least in part, on the resurgence of their offense, led by none other than Mason Rudolph.
At the beginning of the year, Rudolph was relegated to the third-string quarterback spot, sitting behind both Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky. Remarkably, he now stands as the team’s go-to guy, even with Pickett making a full return to practice following his ankle surgery on December 4th.
Rudolph recently spoke to the media, and he’s projecting the aura of a leader for the Steelers. The true test, however, awaits in Baltimore this Saturday when Pittsburgh takes on the AFC’s top-seeded team.
Rudolph expressed, “We need to be great. That’s why we play. That’s why we’ve all put in the hard work over the last few weeks, trying to secure these wins and position ourselves for a shot at the playoffs. And we’ll aim to seize that opportunity on Saturday.”
The Steelers, with a record of 9-7, must secure a victory against the Ravens and then hope for either the Jaguars or the Bills to falter in their season finales to secure a wildcard playoff berth. Rudolph played a crucial role in making the playoffs a possibility by orchestrating victories over the Bengals and the Seahawks.
In those two pivotal games, Rudolph showcased his skills by completing 35 of 51 passes for 564 yards and notching two touchdowns. Against the Bengals, the Steelers utilized the deep pass effectively, while in Seattle, they relied on a ground-and-pound strategy with running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren.
It’s worth noting that the Ravens may lend the Steelers a small favor by resting several key starters, including their star quarterback, Lamar Jackson, who’s the frontrunner for the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award.
Regardless of Baltimore’s approach, Rudolph maintains a positive outlook, stating, “It’s another great opportunity to play a game, so I’m very excited. Obviously, we have a lot to play for. I’m just focused on having a good day of preparation, a solid week of practice, and understanding that all we can control is our performance, whether we win or lose. Our focus is laser-sharp on that, and we’ll let the chips fall where they may.”
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