As Steelers Face Adversity, They Need Rudolph to Step Up to Reach Playoffs

As the regular season is nearing its end, every game counts. As the Steelers face adversity, they need Mason Rudolph to help deliver them to the playoffs.

After suffering a 14-point loss to the Browns on Thursday night, the Steelers have an uphill battle to make the playoffs. The Steelers dropped to 5-5 after the loss putting them at .500 on the season. To make matters worse, the Ravens pulled off a big win on Sunday against the Houston Texans to advance to 8-2 on the season. This puts the Steelers 3 games behind the Ravens with only 6 games left to play in the season.

While the Steelers are likely out of play to win the division, they still have hope to land a wildcard spot in the playoffs. The Steelers are currently the 8th seed in the AFC and have a fairly comfortable schedule heading forward. Their next 6 opponents feature the Bengals, Browns, Cardinals, Bills, Jets, and Ravens. 4 of these 6 matchups are against teams with a below .500 record. But the Steelers could be missing some critical pieces in this stretch of games.

The Steelers suffered many losses on Thursday night. Not only did they lose to the Browns, but they also lost center Maurkice Pouncey due to a 3-game suspension. Pouncey received this suspension for his actions against Myles Garrett in the brawl that occurred at the end of the game. No Steelers fan should fault Pouncey for his actions, as he stood up for his quarterback and did what any locker room would want from a player. Regardless, this hurts Pittsburgh going forward as Pouncey is one of the best leaders on the offensive line.

The Steelers also could be missing wide-receivers Juju Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson after both sustained concussions Thursday. Running back, James Conner’s status remains up in the air as well after he re-aggravated his should injury that had left him sidelined for 2 weeks this season. From an offense that already seemed lack-luster, Mason Rudolph is now tasked to win enough games to take this Pittsburgh team to the playoffs.

This Steelers team has fought through adversity from the start of the season. When Ben Roethlisberger went down with a season-ending injury, Mason Rudolph was thrust into the lineup as the starting quarterback, and Pittsburgh started the season in a 0-3 hole.

While trading for who appears to be a defensive superstar in Minkah Fitzpatrick, they seemed to have turned their season around. They picked up consecutive big wins against the Colts and Rams, both fighting for a playoff spot as well. But after losing to the Browns and falling to 5-5 on the year, the Black and Gold have a tight window to make the playoffs.

The Steelers drafted Mason Rudolph with their 3rd round pick in the 2018 draft in hopes he can be the successor to Ben Roethlisberger. In his first true season as a starter, Rudolph has been underwhelming, to say the least. He has passed for just 1,551 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. He has a QBR of just 35.2, which ranks 31st in the NFL among quarterbacks.

If Pittsburgh hopes to make the playoffs, it is time for Mason Rudolph to step up and lead this team to victory. The Steelers need him to produce now more than ever.