Mason Rudolph Has Steelers Best QB Performance In Years

Breaking down Pittsburgh Steelers Mason Rudolph's performance against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 16. #MasonRudolph #Steelers #NFL
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[@pathutchison7688]

Just seeing a QB go through progressions, pump fake, give shoulder hitches, and being decisive overall is something we really needed as a team. This game was like a breath of fresh air after 2 years of struggling to find good QB play.

[@carrjeep7538]

When Mason hit Pickens in stride on the deep throw 3rd and 1 play that went for a TD, I yelled out at the TV that’s a Ben Roethlisberger play right there!

[@tharonjackson1545]

Wow imagine a qb adding the passing gm to the offense

[@robdishjr4912]

Since Canada's firing which was way past overdue. Pickett and Rudolph have both had good games. Trubisky is ass. That dude has the worst mechanics I have ever seen. He throws everything off his back foot. I'd still vote Rudolph to start bc I feel the team is behind him way more than Kenny. Let Mason have his chance damn it

[@IntoTheRealm]

​@@robdishjr4912pickett will make a solid back up for dolph next year

[@randywagner2073]

I appreciate your videos, Alex. You always deliver. I've always wanted Mason to have the chance to prove who he really is. I couldn't understand why so many fans and coaching didn't recognize Mason's value. Mason came through, and we're hoping he continues to rise above the doubters' expectations. Keep up your work, Sir!

[@Alex_Kozora]

Thank you! Happy for Mason to get the chance and succeed

[@algini12]

Why they didn't recognize Mason's value? That's easy if you watched him when Ben was hurt. He couldn't move out of the pocket. Repeat, he couldn't move out of the pocket. Touch him, he fell down. But he learned FINALLY how to scramble and move. I've been saying this since the 2022 and 2023 preseasons. I said after both preseasons, that this is a new Mason.

[@luciusthegreat5569]

I am happy to admit I was wrong about mason . He definitely has gotten better. Hopefully he can stack another great performance. Regardless of his Steelers career he has definitely made himself some money with that game .

[@wiggybends3632]

Aside from Masons early struggles to be accepted , he was knocked out vs Ravens in those early games which may also have affected play afterward. Dude deserves more starts as he is an improved player.

[@BrandRedacted]

I never understand all the hate he gets from steelers fans. He's no superstar, but he's a more than a capable backup, and he's far and away the best QB we have right now.

[@jonathanstevens8753]

Mason has gotten better an deserves his chance to be QB 1

[@t0dd000]

It almost seems that Pickett has more of a confidence issue more than anything. Rudolph has nothing to lose, and that allows him a lot of psychological freedom, I think.

[@wiggybends3632]

Regardless of whether Mason continues to play above par football, he still deserves to play next game

[@eddepersis4479]

Nice video Alex. I wasn't the least bit surprised to see Mason play well. His improvement is noticeable, and I don't see how you go away from him and back to Kenny now unless Mason has some sort of meltdown in Seattle. Winning, NFL-level QB play is fun to watch!

[@TS1r731]

The question will always be.. can it become consistent? We shall see.. glad that he is in line to get another start as we sit here today.

[@nightryder16]

The clear cut most improved part of Rudolphs game has to be his pocket presence and poise.

[@Treyson007]

Mason was balling out! Glad he had a chance to shine. Possibly we found our franchise qb? Only time will tell.

[@BrandRedacted]

No. He's a quality backup that can win a game or 2 if needed, but he's not a franchise QB. There is nothing wrong with being a good backup

[@kylesmith8061]

LMAO. Bro, sports fans are fucking insane. It's always the shiny new toy week in and week out. I remember when this fanbase thought Josh Dobbs was a God just weeks ago

[@JW0143]

It's so amusing how some people overreact week to week. Mason is a backup QB who came in and played well. Just like Dobbs or Browning. He's not a franchise QB

[@JW0143]

@@kylesmith8061 BINGO

[@Treyson007]

@@kylesmith8061 agreed I feel like everyone always overreacts to every game. I've always thought Mason never got a fair shake by Steelers always happy to see him succeed

[@johnwebb5614]

Those pockets werent there for Mason in the past. Mason also was allowed to participate in the game plan and play calls. Thats another thing he hadn't had in the past

[@thebeardedclam4565]

It’s been a minute. I just hope he can keep it up. I’m not really sure how you give Pickett his job back unless Rudolph falls on his face.

[@holysmoke8439]

Yea Tomlin is such a good judge o talent..hall o fame act bringing that garbage here from Chicago Too tank the season n sitting this kid who's been here for yrs

[@sonsofliberty3081]

Let's not get this twisted. Rudolph did all of these things before his head injury. He came back too soon. His last game vs lions is did great, and looked good here also. We all know Tomlin has his favorites to a flaw, and Rudolph isn’t one of them.

[@kurtjanicki7325]

This was probably an even better performance than even anything we saw in 2021 from Big Ben. How many times did we look absolutely inept in the first half of games that year before having to mount a comeback??? From start to finish this is probably the most complete game end-to-end since 2020.

[@sendtodevnull1269]

Imagine if we had this kid on the roster for the past 5 years.

[@nightryder16]

Love what I saw from Rudolph Sunday. I think we see a more realistic showing of what he is vs the seahawks. Not saying he's not capable of what he did but I think he will come back down to earth a little.

[@koreycain7263]

What’s funnier than this, Alan Saunders of SN said GP yac is what made Mason look good, dude is KP ball shiner sooo bad😂😂

[@curtjerrome4210]

Good breakdown, but why did you leave out the best dime he threw all day? The other touchdown to Pickens

[@Alex_Kozora]

Debated it but I honestly didn't have much insight to add. Just a really good throw.

[@curtjerrome4210]

@@Alex_Kozora Got it. Thanks for replying. I really enjoy these. You learn a lot about performances that you can’t see in real time.

[@jbatina]

Enjoyed another one Alex. While I don’t think Rudolph is a franchise QB, my opinion only. He’s competent without a doubt and will win more games in this league. I think he has good arm talent. Where I think he struggles is resetting his feet in the pocket. That said, the throw to Pickens before the half was good feet. Another thing he really did positively was be decisive and that helped the Oline

[@athleticgeek1]

I'm no expert but was recuited to be a D1 QB but stuck with baseball. Its obvious from looking as some of Mason's previous games and now this one he is better in the pocket than Kenny at this point in time. Mason is better with his eyes and progressions, and seems to be more accurate when not under too much pressure... with time Kenny can improve there, maybe. Kenny is certainly better outside the pocket and thows a more accurate ball when on the run. Both have similar arm stregth but I think Mason is a bit better overall due to his size. Neither of them have HoF like talent which isn't going to win you a SB but with a decent defense and O-line will win 9-11 games a season when healthy. Kenny does have some intangibles like his "clutch" factor which can be a game-changer. I think we still need to draft a QB every year, unless it just makes no sense from a value standpoint, until we find our man. I just hope we still have a defense and decent O-line when we do.

[@thebeardedclam4565]

I’m wondering how many times Kenny bails on these pockets. How many times he makes the wrong decision or throws a bad pass. His placement on completions can be done pretty bad

[@MikeEspigh]

Mason has a few perfect throws in this game

[@mc1993]

Alex, can you focus on the route tree. The scrapped the dink-n-dunk sit routes, and went motion aggressive. 1st pass, is the only time I like

[@gabrieltoldme5308]

I blame my fellow Steeler fans for the Pickett syndrome, those that are old enough to remember missing on Marino was adamant that he was the answer. It’s not rocket science to know that Rudolph was good enough to back up Ben but was third man with Trubiski on the chart. Pickett was never good enough to start period. He wasn’t a first round pick.

[@NimaN21]

I know this is insane but this is kinda what I expected outta mason. He's a league vet who knows the team and scheme well. He's healthy and hungry for opportunities. Weird feeling he's gonna be a franchise qb

[@jamy8575]

So the very 1st throw was a Steelers record.

[@DadBodDrumming]

290 with 2TDs is not a fantastic game. Think about it. Its Avg for a good QB. And yet we have had such poor QB play that this was the pinnacle of QB play for us and in fact the best we have seen in 3 years. The bar was set so low with Pickett that even avg stats are seen as miraculous.

[@richardmckinney4963]

Well let's look at the last three game average. 5 tds to 2 ints, 282 yards per game and scoring 24 per game.

[@Alex_Kozora]

It's why we watch the tape. And the tape was good!

[@IntoTheRealm]

Dolph led the league in passer rating last week, far from an average performance

[@nightryder16]

Nah this was impressive because Rudolph did this in basically 2.5 quaters. Remember they kinda let off the gas jus after halftime. He could've easily had 400 yards if they stayed aggressive.

[@tyguy3036]

Hey Alex, where do you find all the clips from the game?

[@Alex_Kozora]

You can watch All-22 I believe through NFL+

[@jamy8575]

Mason with 1st half DAGGER #36 yards between he and 50 then GP caught at 35 another #15yards.. So #51 AIR yards. When is last time for that?

[@wink101]

Mason played well, but it was against the same crappy Bungles defense where we got the magical "first 400 yard game in 58 game". I'd wait to see how Mason does against a real defense.

[@tdham97]

Does this game hurt Kenny? He’s supposed to be the 1st round QB. Hasnt had a game close to this and has had twice as many starts as mason. Might have to draft one this year

[@Getitleft]

I like Kenny. I like his attitude. I like his throwing. That said, he misses way too many wide open throws. And I know it's an issue when I can sit at home, watch the safety and linebacker, and see the play to the open receiver. And I'm not close to a pro at all. We must trade up for a top QB, and good thing there's a few to choose from.

[@pcizzle22]

His game against the Bengals was better than this game!

[@Monkey-Man21]

His last full game was literally almost this good stat wise without having Pickens to make a crazy catch that 97% of other WRs wouldn’t make and running 75 yards past everybody on the second play of the game.

[@fredericks5centphilosophers]

"Now and for the future"? Rudolf and Pickett are simply holding the spot for the next high draft pick at this position

[@Alex_Kozora]

I was talking broadly about what the Steelers need from the position

[@nightryder16]

@5:44 man talk about a bad Bengals defense. Look at the cushion he's giving and somehow still let's Pickens get on top of him!?

[@markwhite5344]

It’s funny because Arthur moats did a pole who should start, Kenny Pickett or Mason, Rudolph, and Mason Rudolph almost won that in the votes.

[@doubleohseven9934]

At the end of the video you say that "Rudolph is showing what you are looking for at the position now and for the future." does that mean you are done with Kenny Picket? Is that experiment over with? Your thoughts?

[@Gungadin0112]

Yes Yes Yes i am done with Pickett for sure unless you are on another planet he ain't it.

[@Monkey-Man21]

@@Gungadin011212 less yards than Rudolph in his last game without having Pickens make ridiculous plays might I add

[@bobbyfred7796]

Anybody else worried that our 2 best games offensively were against the bangles? Maybe the game plan was just that good not necessarily Mason or picket

[@brianjonker510]

Because Mason has accuracy issues he needs at least one WR that can track and adjust while the ball is in the air.

[@keijonsmith8546]

You mean pickett has accuracy issues

[@tharonjackson1545]

Playing with house money is bs,he was buried alive,more like returned from the grave

[@Getitleft]

When asked about Mason playing, Tomlin said, "It's not ideal." I'm sure he didn't want to play him and was just appeasing the fans. When Trubisky played a handful of games last year, I knew we shouldn't have brought him back. It was obvious that Rudolph was better, at least in my opinion.

[@byronnelson7580]

This is my concern if they start Kenny they'll lose that quick strike ability.

[@jerielspruell1607]

Cmon people. Alex is giving us the best content on the web. Don’t forget to like the video. Too many views, for so little likes. Let’s be better.

[@luboi386]

Trubisky did that the entire carolina game last year, the Baltimore game with no run support... No video..... lol

[@maggiemay5221]

Yep Trubisky played very well last year in relief. Made better throws in multiple games but unfortunately this year he gets NE on a short week who held Herbert to 6 points and Indy with a great pass rush. Mason gets the Bengals with a JV secondary and no Reader for the Bengals who is their best DL and he’s not new flavor of the week.

[@kylesmith8061]

"Now and for the future". Bruh. Stop lmao.

[@steelking22]

Look at Dionte "He Really Should Have Had That One" Johnson's blocking on Mason's scramble for a first down. In the Red Zone. Johnson was, is and will always be a soft, selfish, garbage player. Twice in this game, he ran 3rd down patterns short of the sticks. Garbage.

[@buck29tu15]

Before any long-term decision is made for QB, let's not forget Matt Canada was the OC for essentially almost all of Kenny Pickett's career. Yes Kenny needs to work on some things but how much of his ability and thought process was effected by Matt Canada? The first game without Canada Kenny looked like an all-pro, and even the Arizona game he was making strides before he was hurt. Right now the biggest mission for the Steelers this off season is to find an OC that knows how to use the players effectively and efficiently and then we'll see what we have at QB for real.

[@Apollocreed2076]

This was an injured, bad Bengals team. But Mason did well.

[@frankmaraschino]

A John Elway moment? I feel like your anti-Kenny bias might be compromising your objectivity, Alex. Rudolph misses an open Diontae Johnson running a crosser on that goal line scramble. Almost a mirrored carbon copy of the play versus the Browns where Pickett missed an open Johnson running a crosser, albeit from the other direction. Pickett was crucified for that missed read (versus a stronger Cleveland rush on that play), yet Rudolph showed moxie? I’m disappointed. I expect bias and oversights like this from run of the mill fans. Not from experienced analysts like you.

[@cylynnpa0192]

Completely agree. Kenny would've been crucified for missing the TD throw in that first play. He hit Pickens but could've had a TD there. Rudolph only completed 3 passes over 10 air yards. The rest were check downs to the sideline. I understand this fan base has been starved of competent QB play, but let's not act like this was a great performance.

[@kylesmith8061]

@@cylynnpa0192 Everyone is swayed entirely by the final score, which is entirely just results-based. Sports fans are fickle and stupid, what else is new

[@richardmckinney4963]

Wow do you two swallow when KP is done?

[@ruebenstone9161]

Mason here to stay, we about to shock the world Alex, 27-16 u watch

[@bobross1829]

All hail Mason, the guy before one good game every Steeler fan called a wimp for daring to not shrug off being knocked unconscious by the Ravens, wanted him benched for the Mighty Duck and booed him at every opportunity and not one team signed him last year. Yep, bench Pickett our first round guy who went 17-6 the last 23 games! He doesn't win the way the hot takers on the radio want!

[@IntoTheRealm]

The defense got all those wins, pickett scores .5 TDs a game

[@Monkey-Man21]

@@IntoTheRealmMatt Canada

[@Alan_Page]

Not to be negative but the Bengals defense is at the bottom of the league. When you say Rudolph played well from the pocket, a pocket actually existed for more than a second. I hope Rudolph plays well again, but this is the problem, for some reason the Steelers and their fans have become prone to fantasies. I’ve seen Rudolph have his chance as the starter. He didn’t do well. I’ve seen him need to win a game for us as a backup against a not so good team, (the Lions a few years ago), and he stalled drives by missing simple throws. This isn’t an opinion. This all happened. In reality. You can’t make up an alternate reality and alternative facts to fit your narrative. Unless he has committed himself with some kind of crazy exceptional work ethic in these past few years as a third string quarterback, he’s not the guy. Just because we don’t currently have “the guy”, it doesn’t mean he is. I’d like to see an amazing turnaround where all the sudden Mason Rudolph is the next great quarterback, but that’s a FANTASY, and this is REALITY. Pickett gets one more year under an OC that’s not a complete moron and hopefully a real offensive line and line coach, (Cole and Moore definitely aren’t up to the job, and the blocking schemes have failed miserably multiple times), and if he doesn’t show up, they need to draft a QB again, preferably at the top of a good draft class.

[@richardmckinney4963]

So it wasn't my lieing eyes that saw not ONE BUT TWO THUMBLES by receivers while in field goal range that cost the tie? That bumble goes to the head coach for not kicking the field goal.

[@vegastjg]

He for sure missed on 3 big throws or they would've scored 50+ #wedey

[@johnnypastrana6727]

Montana and Marino missed too...Jesus Christ talk about an unfair standard???

[@Monkey-Man21]

⁠@@johnnypastrana6727Kenny Pickett missed and everybody said that he sucked. Talk about an unfair standard