Steelers QB Mason Rudolph quiets critics with 'gritty' performance

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‘I thought Mason’s performance was gritty.’ – Coach Tomlin on Mason Rudolph

— Teresa Varley (@Teresa_Varley) January 3, 2021

Last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers thrust quarterback Mason Rudolph into the starting lineup when Ben Roethlisberger was lost for the season with an elbow injury. Rudolph went 5-3 in eight starts but was carried by a dominant defensive effort and never inspired confidence.

However on Sunday, against the Cleveland Browns, Rudolph came out and despite a shaky start played perhaps his best game as a pro. Rudolph finished with 315 passing yards and two passing touchdowns on 22-of-39 passing.

Head coach Mike Tomlin characterized Rudolph’s performance as gritty and seemed overall very pleased with how he played.

Rudolph did enough to put the team in a position to beat the Browns with a depleted roster. If not for a handful of very questionable calls, Rudolph could have eliminated the Browns from the playoffs.

The main thing Rudolph’s big game did was to raise questions about whether or not he can be the eventual replacement for Ben Roethlisberger. Rudolph looked much more in control of the offense last week as opposed to last season but there are still some serious concerns about his decisions made under pressure.