A wildfire can start with a spark. You can light up a city with the flick of a switch. And a quarterback with an eager eye for an opportunity can work miracles.
Mason Rudolph can perhaps best be described with two metaphors and a truth. The Steelers’ 30-23 triumph in Seattle marked their second straight victory under the leadership of the previously unnoticed third-string quarterback, which kept their postseason hopes alive.
Rudolph is fast turning into a folk hero for a team that three weeks ago didn’t look like they could be saved. He’s
playing with confidence, pride and determination. It’s the kind of success not had by a Steelers quarterback since 2018 — the final year Ben Roethlisberger still had his mojo.
Rudolph completed 18 of 24 passes for 274 yards in Sunday’s win. He didn’t toss a touchdown pass, but he also didn’t make mistakes. The Steelers scored 30 or more points in consecutive games for the first time since Weeks 5 and 6 of 2020.
Trust grows with each set of downs. Rudolph commands an offense that expects — rather than hopes — to score. He kept drives alive Sunday with fourth-down sneaks. He stayed in a collapsing pocket, pump-faked a pass before hitting George Pickens to convert an important third-and-6 in the fourth quarter. The play covered 34 yards and led to a field goal. The Steelers punted only once.
Maybe it’s a fluke. Or maybe Rudolph is taking advantage of an opportunity to shine without the shadow of a Super
Bowl-winning quarterback smothering him. The latter is becoming more difficult to dismiss.
The importance of a stable quarterback can’t be overemphasized. Rudolph’s steadiness has been a rarity for too long
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Rudolph will start Saturday in Baltimore. A healthy Kenny Pickett will sit. Should it be surprising he’d rather play?
It wasn’t a tough decision. Rudolph is the team’s best option. It’s not close.
The Steelers are 7-5 with Pickett. But they often won in spite of him.
Rudolph is hot. The Steelers are winning and jelling. You don’t sit a crucial piece in critical games — especially one who is rallying his teammates.
The Steelers rushed for 202 yards against the Seahawks. Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren ran with anger in their bodies behind an offensive line determined to clear pathways. Left tackle Dan Moore’s block well past the line of scrimmage allowed Warren to run 18 yards for the Steelers’ first touchdown. Warren rushed for 75 yards on 13 carries. Harris ran for 127 yards on 27 carries — numbers that barely magnify his performance. Harris ran with aggression. He ran through and over defenders. He stiff-armed his way to first downs and willed his way to a pair of touchdowns.
Harris’ decision to slide rather than score a third touchdown with less than a minute remaining exuded a team-first attitude that has defined these past two games.
Used dental floss continues to hold together the Steelers’ defense. Practice-squad players again mended holes and outperformed their abilities.
Players and coaches are smiling. Once again, the game is fun. And Rudolph is at the center of this unlikely turnaround.
The Steelers’ first victory in Emerald City since 1981 has to have you wondering if they’re following a yellow-brick road into the postseason.
They still need to beat the Ravens and hope for the Jaguars or Bills to lose. It won’t be easy. But what seemed to be a farfetched dream three weeks ago is evolving into a potential reality.
Rudolph might want to tap his cleats for good luck, but it wont be necessary. No curtain can shroud his surprising ascendancy or fairytale story.
The Steelers remain in the AFC playoff hunt after a 30-23 win over the Seattle Seahawks in a road game that saw Mason Rudolph carry his Christmas miracle into the New Year with another big game.
The former third-string QB – forgotten and buried upon the signing of Mitch Trubisky and drafting of Kenny Pickett in the spring of 2022 – completed 18 of 24 passes for 274 yards in compiling a 112.2 passer rating.
For the second consecutive game, Rudolph was sacked only once and didn’t commit a turnover. He also converted three critical short-yardage down with QB sneaks in Seattle.
True to his character, Rudolph remained humble after the win.
“Really a team win; very cliche, but very true,” he said. “The turnover there, late in the fourth quarter to give us the ball in a short field, and the offensive line. I don’t know what we rushed for. I don’t know if we broke the 200 mark (pause) we did. OK. So, that was incredible.”
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