As week two of the Pittsburgh Steelers 2021 preseason comes to an end, one QB is starting to turn heads and separate himself from the rest.
Since the clock clicked down its first seconds of the Hall of Fame Game vs. the Dallas Cowboys, there has been no more prominent headline than Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins for QB two of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Marking each rep as if it’s their last, every throw essentially has become a social media post.
Whether it’s good or bad, in support of or to the detriment of the thrower, fans have taken allegiance for the future of the Steelers. Rudolph, is the more experienced of the two in the league and to the team, currently holds the role; however, with what feels like a pivotal, career-staking moment for Haskins, he is proving himself to be a viable backup option.
Catching the eyes of those dripped in Black and Gold in the stands, he’s also starting to receive praise from the ones that matter most in the upcoming decision.
Steelers HC Mike Tomlin recognizes potential but also warrants more
For the length of the preseason, finding any detailed observations of players through Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, or any coach of the manner, will essentially be null and are textbook responses. “Player X gave us some good reps. It was a nice day for him and we are looking to build on that going forward”. Knowing there’s no real effect to a win or loss in the preseason and that most of the game is schematically run through base concepts on both sides, coaches want to see effort and assignment lead to plays being made.
Coming off a performance against the Dallas Cowboys in the Hall of Game that only totaled 54 yards on 8-13 passing, Haskins’ response in week two of the 2021 NFL preseason as they took on the Philadelphia Eagles had to be convincing.
FREE PLAY and @dh_simba7 makes the most of it. Six!@steelers | #PITvsPHI pic.twitter.com/bNqP1Jzr5g
— NFL (@NFL) August 13, 2021
Although it would be his one passing touchdown on the night, Dwayne would go 16-22 for 161 yards while also leading a trio of TD drives of 70, 75, and 50 yards as well. As much as you don’t want to count someone out in the race, in comparison to Rudolph’s zero, it’s a testament.
“I thought he was in command tonight,” said Coach Mike Tomlin. “He did a great job of communicating with people, going through progressions. He had a third down play, third-and-eight, and I saw him go through three or four reads and throw the ball over the middle of the field and convert for us. That was just a snapshot of the type of night he had tonight. I thought he was very much in command of his play.”
As reported by Steelers own media personality, Teresa Varley, Tomlin also stated that there’s still more for Haskins to prove, but the wits he showed at the position were significant for his night.
A decisively well-played game for the year two QB, we now see what will be the responses of both Rudolph & Haskins, and if the Steelers would possibly take the step to bump the newest face of the QB room ahead of his counterpart in their reps against the Detroit Lions next week.