With Mason Rudolph under center for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team is 2-0 and has put up at least 30 points in back-to-back to wins. That’s something that the team hadn’t done in its previous 55 games, and Rudolph has clearly given this team a new energy.
On KDKA’s The Extra Point postgame show, former Steelers defensive lineman Chris Hoke said even though people might not want to admit it because of the presence of Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph is the spark for the Steelers.
“Everybody’s dodging the question: who’s the spark? What’s the spark? Mason Rudolph. There’s no question Mason Rudolph is the spark. Nobody will say it because Kenny’s the No. 1 draft pick. Kenny’s started all year and there’s relationships there and nobody wants to put it out there, but the reality is that Mason Rudolph has come in here and has doubled the point production in the two starts he’s made. He put more yardage on the table than any [Steelers] quarterback has put on the table in four years,” Hoke said.
He added that Rudolph’s ability to throw the deep ball has helped open up the run game because teams can’t stack the box, and that led to the “most dominant running” Pittsburgh has had in recent years during its 202-yard outing against Seattle.
I imagine it’s tough for even the most diehard Pickett fan to try and make a case for why he should be starting over Rudolph. Pickett has just been pretty meh for most of the season, and the offense has had major struggles with him under center. The most points Pittsburgh scored with Pickett under center was 26 against the Cleveland Browns in Week Two, but that game doesn’t reflect on Pickett because the Steelers had two defensive touchdowns. Their 24-point outing against the Los Angeles Rams was probably the offense’s best performance with Pickett, but over the last two games, the Steelers are averaging 32 points per game with Rudolph.
Rudolph’s individual numbers have also been impressive, as he threw for 290 yards in the Week 16 win over the Cincinnati Bengals before adding 274 yards in the win over Seattle. He’s targeted George Pickens, who has 11 catches for 326 yards and two touchdowns over the past two games, finally unlocking his potential with Rudolph at quarterback. At this point, it’s clear Rudolph is Pittsburgh’s best option going forward, and turning back to Pickett would be a huge mistake.
I’m sure they’re still going to ride with Pickett as their QB1 going forward, at least for another year. But right now, Mason Rudolph has this team and this offense playing the best football they have in years. He’s provided a spark for a team that had almost no hope after a brutal three-game losing streak, and now the Steelers are in a position where they can realistically make the playoffs in Week 18. It’s a testament to Rudolph being ready for his opportunity, and he just might be the most beloved man in Pittsburgh over the last two weeks.
