Rudolph lights up the Bengals
PITTSBURGH — Mason Rudolph isn’t afraid to admit his mind would drift toward the future as the seasons passed and he remained at the bottom of the Steelers’ depth chart.
“You have confidence in yourself as a player,” the longtime backup quarterback said. “But I’m kinda thinking, ‘Am I going to jump into the commercial real estate realm next year or am I going to play quarterback?’”
A job change may have to wait. There may be life in Rudolph’s NFL career — and in the Steelers’ unwieldy season.
Two-plus years after his last appearance in a regular-season game, Rudolph threw for 290 yards and two long touchdowns to embattled wide receiver George Pickens on Saturday as the Steelers gave their fading playoff hopes a jolt with a 34-11 victory over the Bengals.
With Kenny Pickett still recovering from right ankle surgery and with second-stringer Mitch Trubisky ineffective in two starts, the Steelers (8-7) turned to the third-longest tenured player on the roster. Rudolph responded by making the kind of big plays that have been lacking in the NFL’s 28th-ranked offense for years as the Steelers snapped a three-game skid.
He hit Pickens for an 86-yard catch-and-run touchdown on the Steelers’ second offensive snap and lobbed a rainbow in the third quarter that Pickens turned into a 66-yard score as the Steelers posted their highest point total in a win since 2020.
“I felt like we were balanced and we were clicking,” said Rudolph, who completed 17 of 27 passes for 290 yards.
That feeling has been rare for the Steelers even before Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement after the 2021 season. The Steelers have spent the last three years relying heavily on a defense that would find ways to win tight games, with the offense mostly along for the ride.
Rudolph spent the overwhelming majority of that time on the sideline with a headset on or a clipboard in his hand, feeling a bit like a “freeloader.” The 28-year-old knew opportunities to prove himself were running out, one of the reasons he couldn’t sleep before practice on Tuesday.
There was no sleepless night on Friday. Maybe because Rudolph felt prepared. He certainly looked that way while directing the Steelers to a 24-point halftime lead.
With his team’s season hanging in the balance and speculation mounting that his 17-year tenure may be drawing to a close, coach Mike Tomlin told his players “scared money don’t make money.”
Translation: Go out and let it rip.
The Steelers, for the first time in a long, long time, did just that, with the 22-year-old Pickens shrugging off criticism for his sometimes lackadaisical play by showcasing the game-breaking talent that Tomlin was so enamored with before the 2022 draft.
Pickens caught four passes for 195 yards, including a 44-yard sideline grab just before halftime that set up a field goal.
“People like to question (our commitment) a lot,” Pickens said. “But that just shows you (who we are).”