The Pittsburgh Steelers have an even .500 record through the first 15 weeks of the season, thanks in little part to the play of their quarterbacks. It is safe to say that the team has overachieved this year given the level of talent on their football team, and especially the offense, but the Steelers playoff hopes are slipping away as we hit the final three-week stretch. And starting with the must-win against the Bengals next Sunday, Mason Rudolph will be the player under center for Pittsburgh.
Rudolph Will Start At QB For The Steelers This Week
Steelers’ HC Mike Tomlin announced that Mason Rudolph will take over as the team’s starting QB vs. the Bengals.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 18, 2023
The job started out at Kenny Pickett’s to lose. The second-year QB went a respectable 7-5 in his rookie season, but had some glaring accuracy issues that had people questioning his long-term status as the team’s starter. And while his accuracy numbers improved in his second year, the production dropped from a place that wasn’t all that high in the first place.
Pickett started the same amount of games in 2023 that he did during his rookie season (12), and threw for nearly 400 fewer yards, 32 fewer first downs, and completed 44 fewer passes. There was no sign of marked improvement anywhere except the interception numbers, and especially not in the scoring category. Pickett’s 6 touchdowns in 12 games is an abnormally low number, with guys like Joe Flacco, Tommy DeVito, and Zach Wilson all coming in with more through the first 15 weeks.
The team tried its hand and having Mitch Trubisky come in and be the starter during the home stretch of the season, but to no avail. The Steelers are 0-2 in the last two games which have been started by Trubisky, and the team is in danger of falling out of the playoff race altogether after losing 3 of their last 4.
Could A Change Prompt A Run?
Steelers’ HC Mike Tomlin announced that Mason Rudolph will take over as the team’s starting QB vs. the Bengals.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 18, 2023
So in a last ditch effort to try and get something going with the offense and in an attempt to salvage their season, Pittsburgh with turn to Mason Rudolph to see if he can be the man for the job over the final three weeks.
Rudolph hasn’t started a game yet this season, and has started a total of just two in the three years since his rookie season. He has 16 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions on his career, and has a record of 5-4-1 as a starter. He was drafted by Pittsburgh in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
The Steelers will take on the Bengals in a massive divisional matchup this weekend, and Pittsburgh is currently listed as a 2.5 point home underdog for the contest.
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