For however much longer the Pittsburgh Steelers’ season lasts, they are going to have one big question to answer from week to week.
That question is who the starting quarterback will be in the next game.
For the last three weeks, it has been Mason Rudolph, but Kenny Pickett was the starter before getting injured in Week 13.
Rudolph just won his third consecutive start and now he’ll get a chance at a fourth.
During his press conference on January 9, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin revealed that Rudolph will be getting the start when the team travels to Buffalo for a matchup with the Bills in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
“We’re simply staying with the hot hand and not disrupting the apple cart,” Tomlin said. “We’ll continue in that vein.”
Rudolph has had the Steelers rolling over the past few weeks as they worked their way into a playoff spot, and now Tomlin hopes his “hot hand” approach can help the team pick up the franchise’s first playoff win since the 2016 season.
Another Big Day for Mason Rudolph
After a pair of strong performances that got the Steelers back into the playoff hunt, the team decided to stick with Rudolph in Week 18 with their playoff hopes still hanging in the balance.
This time around, he was facing a familiar foe, but with a whole lot of unfamiliar faces.
He was set to take on the Baltimore Ravens, but with many of their starters resting.
Unfortunately, the matchup was still going to be a difficult one for Rudolph to shine in thanks to miserable weather in Baltimore.
The wind and rain made it difficult for both teams to throw the ball, leading to a combined 64 rushing attempts.
It still didn’t stop Rudolph from a memorable day.
His 71-yard touchdown pass to Diontae Johnson in the fourth quarter that gave the Steelers a lead they wouldn’t relinquish was the clear highlight of the game, but the day as a whole was historic for him.
Rudolph completed 18 of his 20 pass attempts in the game. That 90% completion percentage was a single-game record for the Steelers by any QB with a minimum of 15 passes, according to SI.com.
The third consecutive win with Rudolph under center ended up clinching the final AFC spot in this year’s playoffs.
Rudolph finished the regular season with 719 passing yards and 3 touchdowns while completing 74.3% of his pass attempts in just four total appearances.
Steelers Still Confident in Pickett
While the Steelers will be sticking with Rudolph for the upcoming matchup against the Bills, their future plans still revolve around Pickett, according to insider Ian Rapoport.
Football fans have already begun speculating about the Steelers potentially making a move at the position during the offseason, but Rapoport’s recent report indicates the team is happy with what they have.
Before Saturday’s game against the Ravens, Rapoport reported that the team had no plans to move on from Pickett.
According to Rapoport, the team is still confident in Pickett despite his struggles over the past two seasons.
That confidence hasn’t convinced the Steelers to turn back to Pickett for their playoff run, but it sounds like he’ll enter the offseason as the team’s QB1.
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Mike Tomlin Reveals Steelers’ Starting QB for Wild Card Round