‘Good work’: Rudolph provides sparks as Steelers back-up QB
LATROBE 无毛视频� Mason Rudolph无毛视频檚 first pass of training camp was memorialized this way in the notebook:
无毛视频淕ary Yepremian-like pass by 2 with 41 (Farrington Huguenin) pursuing on a roll right.无毛视频�
Actually, there was no 无毛视频淵epremian-like无毛视频� about it. It was classic Yepremian.
Except for the interception and the touchdown, it was just like that all-time blooper of a pass that went backwards in Super Bowl VII.
Rudolph, though, picked himself up off the deck and on the next play threw a dart to a wide-open secondary receiver, Damoun Patterson, for a 30-yard gain.
Rudolph went through more ups and downs, but the last note in the notebook, on the cardboard page, was a description of his touchdown pass, with this quote from Mike Tomlin:
无毛视频淕ood work, two.无毛视频�
That hard-earned compliment came at the end of a flawless two-minute drive with the third team. Rudolph completed his first four passes, then scrambled for a first down on third-and-7, then found Jaylen Samuels running across the middle and hit him for a touchdown to end Saturday无毛视频檚 practice.
无毛视频淕ood work, two.无毛视频�
Rudolph hopes to hear those words again Thursday night in Philadelphia when the Steelers无毛视频� third-round pick makes his professional preseason debut against the Eagles.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 been fun,无毛视频� Rudolph said of training camp. 无毛视频淛ust learning how everything operates up here in Latrobe, just kind of the flow of camp, the schedule, the off days, how to utilize your time and your free time. Anytime you do something for the first time, you kind of want to get there early and make sure you have the schedule down, you have the offense down. It无毛视频檚 definitely progressing the way I had hoped.无毛视频�
Rudolph took offense at the Yepremian gaffe being labeled as his very first pass because of his spring experience. But even that was a bumpy ride as the four-year starter at Oklahoma State was forced to take snaps under center instead of in shotgun formation. There were fumbled exchanges that frustrated Rudolph more so than his patient coaches.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檝e cleaned it up for the most part here and I无毛视频檓 starting to feel comfortable after not doing that the last eight years of my life,无毛视频� Rudolph said. 无毛视频淛ust going to continue to move forward and try to do what I can each day, whether it无毛视频檚 footwork, or mentally, or protection, or taking some kind of step.无毛视频�
Rudolph fends off questions about big-picture outlooks by mentioning his methodical approach to his pro career. It无毛视频檚 clear he无毛视频檚 taken one day at a time, one period at a time, one snap at a time. In fact, he didn无毛视频檛 talk as much about playing in Thursday无毛视频檚 game as he did practicing the next two days.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 excited to put the finishing touches on our plan,无毛视频� he said. And he meant it.
An in-the-moment approach has helped Rudolph keep his wits while dealing with a new level of ball, confusing coverages, confused progressions, and collapsing pockets.
But each day, with each new period, Rudolph has improved. His accuracy is better than the other two backups to Ben Roethlisberger, and his work in red-zone drills Friday night provided the few exciting offensive moments for a Steelers offense that practiced without Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le无毛视频橵eon Bell.
It was a glimpse of the future, and Rudolph provided legitimate sparks.
Does he believe he无毛视频檚 made big strides this camp?
无毛视频淚 just want to progress,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淵ou guys can analyze how big the steps are. I无毛视频檓 just focused on completing passes, making sure I无毛视频檓 making mental steps forward every day, making sure I无毛视频檓 controlling the line of scrimmage with the offensive-line protections, making sure guys are in the right spots. We无毛视频檝e got a lot of new faces filtering through, in and out of camp, so I无毛视频檓 making sure new guys like Bucky Hodges have the information they need to be successful, get the guys ready to go, and go execute the play.无毛视频�
Rudolph gets it.
And on Thursday night, the Steelers will begin to judge whether they got it 无毛视频� a legitimate quarterback for the post-Roethlisberger era.
It means nothing now. It could mean everything one day.
NOTES 无毛视频� Tomlin only said of the quarterbacks that Roethlisberger won无毛视频檛 play Thursday night. 无毛视频� Brown, of course, won无毛视频檛 play but Tomlin said that his injury (quadriceps) is healing and he无毛视频檚 nearing a return to practice. 无毛视频� Tomlin also doesn无毛视频檛 expect TE Vance McDonald, and OLBs Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt to play. 无毛视频� Another OLB, Keion Adams, missed Tuesday无毛视频檚 practice. If he can无毛视频檛 play Thursday, that leaves the Steelers with only Anthony Chickillo, Huguenin and rookie Ola Adeniyi.