The Steelers are now back at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, facing down a long regular season that looks a lot more promising given how things have gone leading up to it. Finishing just above .500 last year, they anticipate being able to compete with any team in the league this season with second-year QB Kenny Pickett leading the way.
They’ve done a great deal to address what they identified as their shortcomings during the offseason, which included addressing the offensive and defensive lines as well as the secondary and the inside linebacker room, which is nearly entirely different from last year. The results have been positive so far.
Even well into the regular season and beyond, there are going to be plenty of questions that need to be answered. When will the core rookies get to play, or even start? Is the depth sufficient where they upgraded? Can they stand toe-to-toe with the Bengals and the other top teams in the league? We’ll try to frame the conversation in relevant ways as long as you stick with us throughout the season, as we have for many years.
Question: How long is Mason Rudolph’s leash, now that Kenny Pickett is healthy, in a game with the season on the line?
Let’s preface this by making one thing clear: I’m rooting for any outcome in which a player is benched. I’m simply posing the question out of curiosity as a point of discussion. We have a quarterback who, until recently, was listed as third on the depth chart, starting ahead of the player who is listed first on the depth chart, so one has to imagine there is some sort of leash we’re working with.
Complicating matters slightly is the reality that the Steelers’ season isn’t explicitly hanging in the balance based on a win or a loss. They can win and not make it to the playoffs. They can lose and still make it—though it’s a lot easier to get in while winning.
And so let’s have the discussion. The Steelers offense has executed at a high level on the whole over the course of the last two games. Rudolph’s role in that shift in dynamic is undeniable. He has protected the ball while making plays. He has also been supported by a strong running game and a largely successful defensive effort.
Given their success the past two weeks, it’s more than understandable why the coaches are sticking with Rudolph in the hopes that that continues. But what if they’re trailing by 10 at halftime, and Rudolph has turned the ball over twice and overall playing a mediocre to below-average game?
The way the Steelers seem to want to portray the current situation is that they are riding Rudolph’s hot hand, so if his hand grows cold, do they tag him out? And what triggers the hook? It’s now or never with the season hanging in the balance at this point. There’s no next week if they don’t make the playoffs, and the path to the playoffs is easier with a win.
I will add this: Tomlin has made multiple switches over the years, specifically citing the desire to seek a spark. If the offense lacks a spark and Tomlin feels he needs one, he might be inclined to make a change in the hopes that it triggers something.
And I would imagine he expects Pickett to be rather motivated, given the past month. But hopefully, he never has to come off the bench because that likely means the team is winning, or at least in the game.
