Rudolph steps into the breach with teammates’ support
Mason Rudolph left the field Sunday to rave reviews from those who matter the most.
无毛视频淚 thought Mase came in and did a great job,无毛视频� said All-Pro guard David DeCastro. 无毛视频�(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. 无毛视频� 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无毛视频檝e got a win for him.无毛视频�
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 无毛视频� 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无毛视频檚 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无毛视频檛 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 无毛视频淭hrow it to me when I无毛视频檓 open!无毛视频� 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无毛视频檛 all that pleased.
Did Rudolph take offense?
无毛视频淣o,无毛视频� he said with an easy smile. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 the young guy. I expect constructive criticism. They want me to be the best player I can. That无毛视频檚 an environment I love. Hearing from the older guys, positively or negatively, is good and it helps you grow.
无毛视频淗ey, I无毛视频檓 looking forward to this week,无毛视频� he added. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 going to be a fun week of reps. I无毛视频檓 looking forward to it.无毛视频�
He meant every word of it, and that无毛视频檚 at the core of the positive scouting report on Rudolph. Yes, he无毛视频檚 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无毛视频檚 stunningly accurate. In a drill that tests a QB无毛视频檚 ability to hit hands outstretched over a pylon in the back of the end zone 无毛视频� as in fade balls 无毛视频� 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无毛视频檝e let him, Rudolph would无毛视频檝e shown the ol无毛视频� vet some valuable tricks 无毛视频� 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无毛视频檛 have that NFL howitzer to throw through small windows 15-20 yards at the sideline. He might not be blessed with Roethlisberger无毛视频檚 God-given talent, but he is blessed with not only the smarts and drive to improve but an enthusiasm for football that无毛视频檚 infectious.
无毛视频淥h, for sure,无毛视频� said James Washington, the second-year receiver who played with Rudolph at Oklahoma State. 无毛视频淭here are times he无毛视频檒l call me. I无毛视频檓 just in the house watching TV or something. He无毛视频檒l face-time me, 无毛视频楢ll right, signal quiz,无毛视频� and we无毛视频檒l go over plays together. Same stuff we did at Oklahoma State. He无毛视频檚 a student of the game, for sure.无毛视频�
Does Washington have a favorite story of Rudolph from their OSU days?
无毛视频淚 don无毛视频檛 really have a favorite story,无毛视频� Washington said, 无毛视频淚 mean, besides us murdering defenses. Other than that, we无毛视频檙e just boys.无毛视频�
Is your boy ready for this?
无毛视频淚 see him being a leader,无毛视频� Washington said. 无毛视频淚 think he无毛视频檚 ready for it. That无毛视频檚 all I can say. He无毛视频檚 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.无毛视频�
Jaylen Samuels was also part of that 2018 draft class along with the OSU boys, and if James Conner无毛视频檚 knee doesn无毛视频檛 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.
无毛视频淗e gets fired up,无毛视频� Samuels said. 无毛视频淗e gets fiery. He无毛视频檚 got something about him that gets everybody going. He has something about him. He无毛视频檚 smart. He无毛视频檚 got a great arm. And he无毛视频檚 still learning. I believe in him.无毛视频�
After Sunday无毛视频檚 game, Seattle linebacker Bobby Wagner said the Seahawks didn无毛视频檛 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.
无毛视频淲hen you无毛视频檙e in there with Ben, he无毛视频檒l give you the whole playbook,无毛视频� Samuels said. 无毛视频淗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无毛视频檚 a little bit more advanced than Mason. That无毛视频檚 a huge difference.无毛视频�
How long will it take Rudolph to get up to speed?
无毛视频淚 don无毛视频檛 think it无毛视频檒l take long,无毛视频� said Washington. 无毛视频淚 think with the coaching staff around here, and all the veterans around here, they无毛视频檒l get him right this week.无毛视频�
This week? How much time does this guy put into watching film?
无毛视频淚 guarantee more than some of the starters around here,无毛视频� Washington said.
Then again, most of the starters do put in a ton of time. It无毛视频檚 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.
无毛视频淲ell, I had to after what he said,无毛视频� Rudolph said with a laugh.
He learns. Quickly.
Hopefully Steelers fans realize it won无毛视频檛 happen overnight, that young QBs require patience. They无毛视频檙e not all going to be like Roethlisberger.
But Mason Rudolph will maximize everything he has. That无毛视频檚 all fans can ask for right now.