How the Steelers’ Mason Rudolph has completely turned around the offense, kept Pittsburgh in the playoff race

Akin to what’s transpired with their orange-and-brown-clad rivals to the west in Cleveland, the Steelers’ former third-string quarterback has given the offense a shocking boost of efficiency with the playoffs on the line. 

In two starts, Mason Rudolph is 35 of 51 (68.1%) for 564 yards — that’s an enormous 11 yards per attempt — with two touchdowns and no interceptions in two wins in which the Steelers have scored 30-plus points. It has marked the first Steelers occasion with 30-plus points in consecutive games since October of 2020.

And much of what Rudolph’s done as a passer harkens back to his time as a prodigious producer at Oklahoma State before Pittsburgh selected him in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

Sample sizes matter, but all we can do now is use a two-game sample for Rudolph, and in those two starts, in which the Steelers offense has done a 180, he’s attempted a pass 20-plus yards down the field on 14.8% of his throws. Before his injury, Kenny Pickett’s downfield throw rate was just 9.5%. 

Now, Trubisky’s was almost identical to Rudolph’s at 14.9%, but the former No. 2 overall pick was ghastly on those long balls, completing just 4 of 16 throws for 101 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. Pickett was 11 of 31 for 389 yards with a score and two picks. 

Rudolph’s 4 of 8 for 181 yards and a touchdown.

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Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/how-the-steelers-mason-rudolph-has-completely-turned-around-the-offense-kept-pittsburgh-in-the-playoff-race/

Author : Chris Trapasso

Publish date : 2024-01-06 19:04:09

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