Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Had Faith In Mason Rudolph Because No One Expected Him To Do Well

The Pittsburgh Steelers gifted their fans an early Christmas present with a convincing victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, winning 34-11. What made this victory even more remarkable was the performance of Mason Rudolph, who was handed the keys to be the starting quarterback after an absence of approximately 800 days since his last start. Rudolph's exceptional display included 290 passing yards and two touchdowns, leaving Steelers fans in awe.

Ben Roethlisberger, a former star quarterback for the Steelers, drew attention to the fact that Rudolph's previous start occurred when Roethlisberger had to sit out due to COVID-19 during the 2021 season. In that particular game against the Detroit Lions, Rudolph threw the ball an impressive 50 times, completing 30 of his passes for 242 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, ultimately resulting in a 16-16 tie.

Steelers Offense Thrives With Mason Rudolph

With Mitch Trubisky's performances leaving Steelers fans less than thrilled, Rudolph taking the reins had them pondering what might have happened had Rudolph been the starter against the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts. Observing Rudolph's performance against the Bengals, one can't help but speculate that the Steelers' offense would have fared better with him at the helm. Perhaps maybe the Steelers win at least one of those two games and their playoff hopes are much better, and they'd still control their own destiny. 

However, that wasn't the case and Trubisky put the Steelers in a hole that they now must climb out of. Even Roethlisberger himself wasn't confident that Rudolph should have been starting over Trubisky.

During a recent episode of his podcast Footbahlin With Ben Roethlisberger that dropped on Monday, the former Steelers quarterback shared his unique perspective on his former backup, Rudolph. 

"I knew that Mason could throw the ball. I knew if they gave him some time, he was going to be able to throw the ball and get the ball down the field, be able to cater to the players and distribute the ball. A veteran guy who's now been in the league a few years and seen some different systems."

Roethlisberger's confidence in Rudolph's abilities stemmed from the quarterback's strong arm and extensive experience in various systems, giving him the knowledge of what works and what doesn't to move the offense effectively.

Roethlisberger further emphasized that Rudolph had nothing to lose in this situation, allowing him to play with a carefree attitude. 

"Mason really has nothing to lose. He can go out and play carefree because no one is expecting much. If he doesn't do very well, it's what they were expecting. If he does well, it's like, woah, we never expected it. He can go and just play free."

This newfound freedom allowed Rudolph to step into the spotlight without the burden of high expectations. 

"I expected Mason to throw the ball more because he can throw the ball well. He may not have it in his legs like other guys do, but he can throw the ball pretty well. He set a lot of records at Oklahoma State, so I expected to see him throwing the ball."

Fans had been clamoring for Mike Tomlin to give Rudolph a chance, and their wishes were finally granted. Although the Steelers' postseason prospects remained uncertain, Rudolph and Tomlin's decisive actions brought newfound hope to Steeler Nation.

As the season unfolds, the burning question is, what will Tomlin decide? Will he stick with the hot hand of Rudolph, whose recent performance reignited hope to an historically bad offense? Or will he return to starter Kenny Pickett, who has been sidelined due to injury since the game against the Arizona Cardinals? While Pickett's return is imminent, some remain hopeful that Rudolph will continue to lead the way for the Steelers in the games to come.

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