Rudolph steps into the breach with teammates’ support
Mason Rudolph left the field Sunday to rave reviews from those who matter the most.
鈥淚 thought Mase came in and did a great job,鈥� said All-Pro guard David DeCastro. 鈥�(He) had command of the huddle, was ready to go, calling the plays well, a lot of confidence. That was good, moving the ball well. 鈥� He handled himself really well. Really, really, really proud of him, how he came in ready to go, knew the playbook, had big command, was mixing the cadences. That was impressive. Wish we could鈥檝e got a win for him.鈥�
Those opportunities will come, since Rudolph is now the first-team quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers after the team placed Ben Roethlisberger on injured reserve with an elbow injury that will necessitate surgery this week.
Roethlisberger vowed to return next season, but this Steelers season is now up to Rudolph. On Sunday, he completed 12 of 19 passes for 112 yards and 2 touchdowns (with an interception that clanged off the hands of Donte Moncrief) for a passer rating of 92.4.
Rudolph not only compiled nifty numbers, he had a raucous stadium believing he could complete a comeback 鈥� but he never got the chance after the defense allowed the Seahawks a couple of big plays late in the game.
Rudolph looked the part. You probably even heard fans trashing Roethlisberger on Monday because Rudolph looks like the next big thing.
But let蘑菇视频 call whoa for just a minute, because Rudolph has had his problems this year. He opened camp with a bang, which he credited to the quarterback guru under whom he trained in the offseason. But he then went through a stretch of poor practices that kept Josh Dobbs in the running for that No. 2 job.
Rudolph might be 6 feet 4, but he had too many balls batted down at the line during training camp, and he doesn鈥檛 have the Roethlisberger rifle to throw the ball through the tiny windows this WR crew has been providing.
Rudolph, on his bad days, can be indecisive, and sometimes those soft, catchable spirals of his are returned the other way for six.
One of those bad practices occurred the other day. Vance McDonald sniped at him to 鈥淭hrow it to me when I鈥檓 open!鈥� and Ramon Foster growled at the young QB, and then the entire offense, for fouling up details on back-to-back plays.
It was a horrid practice in scalding heat with teammates in full pads. The vets weren鈥檛 all that pleased.
Did Rudolph take offense?
鈥淣o,鈥� he said with an easy smile. 鈥淚鈥檓 the young guy. I expect constructive criticism. They want me to be the best player I can. That蘑菇视频 an environment I love. Hearing from the older guys, positively or negatively, is good and it helps you grow.
鈥淗ey, I鈥檓 looking forward to this week,鈥� he added. 鈥淚t蘑菇视频 going to be a fun week of reps. I鈥檓 looking forward to it.鈥�
He meant every word of it, and that蘑菇视频 at the core of the positive scouting report on Rudolph. Yes, he蘑菇视频 had some poor practice moments. All QBs do, particularly a second-year quarterback who was drafted in the third round. But Rudolph truly loves practice and the learning that comes with it.
Before that became apparent, I knew these two things about Rudolph from his rookie season:
1. He might throw a soft out, but he蘑菇视频 stunningly accurate. In a drill that tests a QB蘑菇视频 ability to hit hands outstretched over a pylon in the back of the end zone 鈥� as in fade balls 鈥� Rudolph is uncanny. He hits the hands every. single. time.
2. He loves RPOs. Roethlisberger strubbles with him. The opener in Cleveland was one example; the goal-line pick by the nose tackle in Denver was another. But Rudolph loves them. If Roethlisberger would鈥檝e let him, Rudolph would鈥檝e shown the ol鈥� vet some valuable tricks 鈥� kind of like the way our kids fix our phones and computers.
Those things I knew coming into the year. And then he went to QB school to learn how to put more power into his outs. He does have the arm to launch some passes fairly deep down the field, but he doesn鈥檛 have that NFL howitzer to throw through small windows 15-20 yards at the sideline. He might not be blessed with Roethlisberger蘑菇视频 God-given talent, but he is blessed with not only the smarts and drive to improve but an enthusiasm for football that蘑菇视频 infectious.
鈥淥h, for sure,鈥� said James Washington, the second-year receiver who played with Rudolph at Oklahoma State. 鈥淭here are times he鈥檒l call me. I鈥檓 just in the house watching TV or something. He鈥檒l face-time me, 鈥楢ll right, signal quiz,鈥� and we鈥檒l go over plays together. Same stuff we did at Oklahoma State. He蘑菇视频 a student of the game, for sure.鈥�
Does Washington have a favorite story of Rudolph from their OSU days?
鈥淚 don鈥檛 really have a favorite story,鈥� Washington said, 鈥淚 mean, besides us murdering defenses. Other than that, we鈥檙e just boys.鈥�
Is your boy ready for this?
鈥淚 see him being a leader,鈥� Washington said. 鈥淚 think he蘑菇视频 ready for it. That蘑菇视频 all I can say. He蘑菇视频 been waiting his turn and he studies. Man, he studies like no other in the film room. I have a lot of faith in him.鈥�
Jaylen Samuels was also part of that 2018 draft class along with the OSU boys, and if James Conner蘑菇视频 knee doesn鈥檛 improve this week Samuels will join Rudolph in the backfield in San Francisco. Samuels has grown with Rudolph and was asked what he likes about the new QB.
鈥淗e gets fired up,鈥� Samuels said. 鈥淗e gets fiery. He蘑菇视频 got something about him that gets everybody going. He has something about him. He蘑菇视频 smart. He蘑菇视频 got a great arm. And he蘑菇视频 still learning. I believe in him.鈥�
After Sunday蘑菇视频 game, Seattle linebacker Bobby Wagner said the Seahawks didn鈥檛 have to worry about Rudolph making the checks that Roethlisberger could, and that the Seahawks could treat the Steelers like a basic offense. Samuels understood.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e in there with Ben, he鈥檒l give you the whole playbook,鈥� Samuels said. 鈥淗e can see a formation, see a defensive coverage, and he can check out of it and he can literally give you a signal that would change the whole play just based on how the defense is lined up. He蘑菇视频 a little bit more advanced than Mason. That蘑菇视频 a huge difference.鈥�
How long will it take Rudolph to get up to speed?
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it鈥檒l take long,鈥� said Washington. 鈥淚 think with the coaching staff around here, and all the veterans around here, they鈥檒l get him right this week.鈥�
This week? How much time does this guy put into watching film?
鈥淚 guarantee more than some of the starters around here,鈥� Washington said.
Then again, most of the starters do put in a ton of time. It蘑菇视频 why guys like McDonald snipe at young QBs whom they perceive as wasting their time.
Of course, Rudolph learned from McDonald that day. And the salty tight end was paid off with a pair of touchdown passes from the kid QB a few days later.
鈥淲ell, I had to after what he said,鈥� Rudolph said with a laugh.
He learns. Quickly.
Hopefully Steelers fans realize it won鈥檛 happen overnight, that young QBs require patience. They鈥檙e not all going to be like Roethlisberger.
But Mason Rudolph will maximize everything he has. That蘑菇视频 all fans can ask for right now.