The Pittsburgh Steelers were on the ropes against the Chicago Bears. Their starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers was lost to injury. Standing in for him, Mason Rudolph took the starting job, putting on a shaky performance during the contest. The Steelers played valiantly, but ultimately fell in their last stand. Now, uncertainty looms over the team’s quarterback position as they begin to transition to their upcoming primetime showdown against the Buffalo Bills.
Mason Rudolph, in his first game as the full-time starter under center, went 24 for 31 passing for just 171 yards. He got off to a hot start and set the tone early with a few jaw dropping completions. A series of critical errors quickly derailed his efforts. He had his first full-fledged chance last year and threw an interception on his very first pass attempt. He was taking his shots deep downfield for DK Metcalf, just looking to give him an opportunity to go make a play.
“Just trying to give DK a 50/50 shot there to start the game,” – Mason Rudolph
Rudolph’s day would take a further unfortunate turn when he fumbled after being sacked by Montez Sweat. He did make one impressive fourth-quarter touchdown pass, around the edge of pressure and off balance, to tight end Pat Freiermuth. The truth is, he was very erratic overall.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin expressed confidence in Rudolph’s preparation heading into the game. “That’s kind of been a rough week for that quarterback position, no real rhythm to it,” he said. That sort of variability in practice is almost certainly what led to Rudolph’s uneven play all throughout the outing.
“I’m here to analyze what just transpired,” – Mike Tomlin
Rudolph didn’t need egging on, he appreciated the Bears’ defensiveness to agree with that sentiment through the game. He said that their overall, physical, man-tight coverage and pressure caused for a lack of timing on plays.
“They played some tight man coverage and heated us up there at the end and was able to bat the pass away. So they played a good game, and you got to give credit to the defense,” – Mason Rudolph
In the locker room before the game, many of his teammates learned Sunday morning that Aaron Rodgers would not be taking the field. Zach Frazier mentioned that although Rodgers was active and communicated with his teammates during the game, his presence did not alter the preparations for Rudolph.
In addressing Rudolph’s performance, Tomlin stated that Aaron Rodgers’ availability for the upcoming game against the Bills would not be influenced by how well Rudolph played against the Bears.
“I’ll talk to you guys about next week, next week,” – Mike Tomlin
Mason Rudolph remained optimistic despite the setbacks. He emphasized that no matter what, he and his teammates were prepared for either signal caller to step onto the gridiron. Their key concern was making sure they did the game plan well.
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