3 standouts and (2 big duds) in Steelers blowout preseason win over the Falcons

Steelers Dud: Mason Rudolph

Mason Rudolph really had a chance to get the coaching staff thinking about his role. While Mitch Trubisky had a good game last week against the Bills, he was terrible in the opener against the Buccaneers. In the preseason finale against the Falcons, Trubisky was less than spectacular -- managing a mere 6.0 yards per attempt and taking 2 unnecessary sacks in the first half.

Unfortunately for Rudolph, he could not find a way to capitalize on Trubisky's mediocrity. Instead, he drove himself into a deeper hole. Though Rudolph showed the willingness to sling the ball down the field, he simply couldn't connect with his receivers.

All of this equated to him completing 3 of 7 passes for a dismal 15 yards. His disgusting 2.1 yards per attempt and 50.3 passer rating were certainly nothing to write home about. I will say that Rudolph's play wasn't quite as bad as what the raw numbers suggest. The veteran quarterback did make a really nice play after breaking away from an egregious facemask.

Sadly, this sample showed exactly why Mason Rudolph has been a third-string quarterback in recent years. At this point, it's safe to say that he will only ever see the field in an emergency situation it Pittsburgh's top two quarterbacks go down.