Steelers face tough roster trim
With Ben Roethlisberger the starter and Landry Jones at No. 2, that leaves Dobbs and rookie Mason Rudolph, and they are not going to cut their third-round pick who also has had a good summer. Would they trade Jones if presented with a handsome offer by some of the teams desperate for a quality backup?
Dobbs said he cannot worry about the ultimate outcome when the Steelers start cutting on Friday and finish by 4 p.m. Saturday.
“Hopefully, I’ll stay here. Butthat will all play itself out. I don’t’ know what the future holds. That’s just how it is andthe business we’re in.”
Rudolph entered Thursday night late in the first half and played the rest of the way. He threw two touchdown passes, both on third downs while completing 5 of 9 for 102 yards.
There was some thought he eventually could climb to No. 2 behind Roethlisberger this season, but that is not likely to happen if Landry Jones remains.
“Tonight was good, but I still have a lot of room to grow,’’ said Rudolph, adding the coaches did not reveal their plans with the quarterbacks.
Rudolph fired a 24-yard touchdown pass through a small window over the middle late in the first half to Tevin Jones, who caught two touchdowns against Carolina.
He then ran a quarterback draw from the 1 for a 2point conversion and showed some moxie afterward. Carolina’s Andre Smith hit Rudolph after he crossed the goal line, and the rookie got in the linebacker’s face, drawing a personal foul for it but possibly applause from his coaches.
In the third quarter, Rudolph rolled away from pressure to his right from the Carolina seven, stopped and threw a soft pass back to the left to a wide-open Quadree Henderson in the end zone.
One rookie who probably sealed his place on the roster is linebacker Matthew Thomas, undrafted from Florida State. He may have made it anyway based on a strong summer but his spectacular play to open the fourth quarter should put the hammer down on it.
Carolina had a first down at the Steelers 19 when Thomas swooped in, sacked quarterback Kyle Allen, forcing a fumble that Thomas picked out of the air and took off with it. He ran all the way to the Panthers 1, where halfback Reggie Bonnafon caught up with him to prevent the ultimate accomplishment — sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery and touchdown on one play.
“I think he’s been continually on the rise in terms of his performance,’’ Mike Tomlin said. “He put a nice exclamation point on his efforts with a ridiculous splash play.”
Dobbs converted two third downs while leading his offense 75 yards on 10 plays in the first series. He threw a 36-yard pass just before he was hit to tight end Bucky Hodges to the 3. From there, Dobbs kept the ball around right end and broke through three defenders to score.
Dobbs’ second series covered 86 yards in three plays. The first was a 46-yarder to Hunter. The last featured Dobbs sliding away from pressure to toss a 27-yard touchdown pass to Tevin Jones.
They scored again on Dobbs’ fourth series, this time driving to the 3 before Chris Boswell kicked a 21yard field goal.
If it were his last game, it also was his best.
“I’m not too concerned, not too worried,” Dobbs said of the roster outcome Saturday.