Steelers Trio: Grading ingredients in preseason loss vs. Panthers

Tomatoes: Quarterback

Dobbs, Rudolph, and Hodges had many opportunities on Thursday evening. Some of those opportunities were seized at the moment while others slipped through their fingers.

The clear winner of the primary back up job was won by Mason Rudolph—confirmed by Jeremy Fowler. Rudolph continues to show poise and the intangibles that got him a first-round grade from many NFL teams. Throughout the preseason he had thrown three touchdowns, one pick, 243 yards, and completing 65.6% of his passes.

Rudolph continued his success completing 7 of his eleven passes, 125 yards passing, and a last-second touchdown to close out the first half. The odds were in his favor, and he ultimately sealed the deal.

Josh Dobbs aimed to not only give one last impression for the number 2 QB spot but also impress any potential trade suitors. Things did not go as he had hoped.

Going into the final preseason game, he had not led a drive that ended in a touchdown. The lack of success continued. Recording 21 yard passing with three completions on four attempts, his underwhelming preseason continued.

Despite his mobility and athleticism, his struggles with accuracy and decision making were too much for him to overcome in year three. The good news for him is he landed on the final roster. The bad news he may not get the opportunity to show the full potential he may possess and if it could ever translate to a starting job.

Verdict: Good Quality