Rudolph has everything to gain, Bills have everything to lose
The player with the most to gain in Monday’s SteelersBills game is obvious: Mason Rudolph. It is one thing to play well against bad Cincinnati and Seattle defenses and the Baltimore Ravens’ JVs. It is something much different to do it on the road against a 9.5-point favorite and lead the Steelers to their first playoff win in seven years. That would open a lot of eyes around the NFL.
Thecoach and player with themost to lose Monday are justas obvious: Buffalo’s Sean
McDermott and Josh Allen. A loss would be the worst in Bills post season history, basedon the point spread. That makes for a lot of pressure, especially considering the Bills’ history is pretty bleak. They are one of 12 teams to never win a Super Bowl despite getting four consecutive crack sat it with Marv Levy, Jim Kelly and their bunch from 1990-93.
First, the Rudolph situation.
Basedon his comments and his general lack of public praise for Rudolph, it seems clear Mike Tomlin plans on going back to Kenny Pickett ashis quarterback next season. That makes sense in a way, even though Rudolph did more in the past three gamest han Pickett did in his 25starts. The Steelers have a lot invested in Pickett. They used their No. 1 pick on him in the2022 NFL draft. They are going to give him every chanceto succeed, even though he hasn’t even faintly resembled a franchise quarterback.
Butwhat happens if Rudolph plays well again? If he doesn’t turn the ball over in what figures to be abysmal weather conditions? If he makesthe one big play to win thegame, as he did in horrible weather in Baltimore last Saturday when he hit Diontae Johnson for a 71-yard touchdownpass in a 17-10 win?
Tomlin would be foolish notto give Rudolph at least a chanceto compete for the starting job next season. I think Rudolph is better than Pickett.He has a better pocket presence and throws a better deepball.
All of this is assuming Rudolph comes back to the Steelers.He is a free agent after the season.He has put himself in position to make really good money, if not from the Steelers, from another NFL team. I can’t wait to see what happens with him.
Now, McDermott and Allen.
The two have led the Bills to double-digit wins in each of thepast five seasons. The team made it as far as the AFC championshipgame after the 2020season but lost to Kansas City38-24. Even more painful, it lost to the Chiefs the next season42-36 in overtime in the divisional round after taking a36-33 lead with 13 seconds left in regulation. McDermott elected to kick off out of the endzone rather than calling fora seconds-eating squib kick. That left Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes enough time to complete two passes for 44 yards to set up the tying field goal.
“Devastated in our locker room,” Bills center Mitch Morse said after the game.
“It sucks,” safety Jordan Poyer said. “Something we’re going to have to live with.”
McDermott was fiercely criticized after that loss.
There views won’t be much kinder if the Bills lose to the Steelers.
The wise guys have Buffalo asthe third favorite to win the SuperBowl after San Francisco and Baltimore. The Steelers are considered No. 14 outof 14 playoff teams. Allen is rated as the third-best quarterback after Mahomes and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson. Rudolph is 14th. A No. 7 seed, which the Steelers are, has never won a game under the current post season format. Theyare 0-6.
Canwe agree the Bills have plenty to lose?
People in Buffalo won’t blame rotten weather if their team falls short on Monday. Theywill be too busy wondering if McDermott and Allen ever get the Bills over the hump.