The Pittsburgh Steelers were finally able to break their horrific losing streak by beating the Cincinnati Bengals at home in Week 16 by a score of 34-11. The win was extremely important for the Steelers to be able to get back on the right track and give them a better chance of making the postseason. One of the most surprising parts of the game was the spectacular performance from quarterback Mason Rudolph. In his first start since the 2021 NFL season, Rudolph played amazing and led the Steelers to a victory when it mattered most.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Mason Rudolph during a victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in 2023
Steelers' Mason Rudolph Amazed To Hear His Name Chanted In Victory
Rudolph's career with the Steelers has been extremely rocky. He spent a lot of his career backing up Ben Roethlisberger and filling in for him whenever he was beat up. Rudolph has had some poor performances during his time with Pittsburgh, and has often heard a lot of hate thrown in his direction from fans. In Week 16 against Cincinnati, Rudolph got to hear everyone in Acrisure Stadium chanting his name due to his stunning performance. Rudolph reflected on this during his post game press conference.
"I think I said this this week, that we're all human. I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it or I didn't like it. It's a week-to-week league. I've been on the other end of it as I said, so, I try to block it out and play the game. I mean we still had a second-half to play, despite the lead, so you can't let that enter your mind and let yourself relax for a second. But you know, we've got a bunch of passionate fans and what a joy to play in front of them tonight. You know last home game, all my family it town. It was amazing."
Rudolph shocked everyone with his near-perfect performance against the Bengals. He finished with 17 completions on 27 attempts for 290 yards and two touchdowns. Rudolph also showed a lot of heart when the Steelers were facing a third down in the red zone. He took off and used his legs to get the first down, which included him lowering his shoulder and taking a hit to get the yardage. It's safe to say he shattered everyone's expectations with his performance.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Mason Rudolph following a touchdown pass against the Bengals in 2023
This was Rudolph's 11th start in his NFL career, and it was by far his best. He took care of the football and didn't turn it over once. He had one errant ball that went over a wide open Diontae Johnson's head late in the game, but that was really his only glaring mistake.
He continued to keep the Steelers offense on the field by making the correct throws on third downs. Hearing his name chanted in appreciation was definitely a change of pace for Rudolph, as more often than not he is the victim of a lot of hate from Steelers fans.
Arron Anastasia / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' TJ Watt and Mason Rudolph during a 2023 game against the Bengals
Rudolph had the best performance by a Pittsburgh quarterback during the 2023 season. He flirted with 300 passing yards, and fired two touchdowns to second-year wide receiver George Pickens. The Steelers starting quarterback, Kenny Pickett, began practicing again during Week 16 as he is working his way back from an ankle injury which required surgery. He is expected to be close to or at 100 percent for the Steelers Week 17 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, but Rudolph's strong performance certainly will force the coaching staff to make a difficult decision on who the starting quarterback will be.
Rudolph was able to get the Steelers back on track in Week 16, but the question is whether or not the coaching staff will allow him to continue throughout the rest of the season once Pickett is healthy. The Steelers will need to win out to have their best shot at making the postseason, and right now it looks like Rudolph might give them the best chance to do so.
What do you think about Rudolph's comments? Let us know in the comments below!
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