Nfl Report Good news for Pittsburgh Steelers:he is back…
If Kenny Pickett’s right ankle is too painful to play against Seattle, the Steelers will turn once more to Mason Rudolph.
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ season was spared against Cincinnati thanks in part to Mason Rudolph’s outstanding performance.
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ season was spared against Cincinnati thanks in part to Mason Rudolph’s outstanding performance. On New Year’s Eve, when the Steelers visit Seattle, the seasoned backup quarterback might get another chance to do it.
Rudolph will “have the ball” to start the week and will start against the Seahawks if starter Kenny Pickett’s surgically repaired right ankle is not ready in a timely manner, according to coach Mike Tomlin’s statement on Tuesday.
The Steelers (8-7) ended a three-game losing streak when Rudolph threw for 290 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-11 rout of Cincinnati, Pittsburgh’s largest offensive explosion in a victory in more than three years. Rudolph appeared at ease as he lofted the pass to George Pickens, who finished with two touchdowns and 195 receiving yards.
“I felt he did a really good job of communicating with people regardless of the moment, and being comfortable being himself,” Tomlin said. That, in my opinion, demonstrated his self-assurance and
Since hurting his right ankle against Arizona on December 3, Pickett has not participated in any sports. A few days later, he had “tightrope” surgery, and last week, he made a limited comeback to practice. Regarding what boxes Pickett would need to check to return to the field, Tomlin declined to speculate. The team is adopting a similar strategy as last week, which calls for Rudolph to practice with the starting lineup while Pickett completes his rehabilitation.
“On Wednesday, we’ll see how (Pickett) performs,” Tomlin stated. As of right now, Mason Rudolph is the one with the ball.
With a little assistance from elsewhere, the Steelers can only hope to make the playoffs if they can defeat Seattle (8-7) and Baltimore (12-3) on the road. They would have virtually been eliminated had they lost to the Bengals. Rather, on Pittsburgh’s second snap, Rudolph hit Pickens for an 86-yard catch-and-run touchdown, providing one of the NFL’s worst offenses with a much-needed boost. From that point on, the Steelers easily won.
Even though Tomlin emphasized that he was optimistic Rudolph, who has one of the team’s longest tenures and has ranked third on the depth chart the last two seasons, could quickly overcome his rust, “we feel better having tangible evidence of performance this week.”
After scoring 36 points against Cincinnati in 2020, Pittsburgh’s 34 points in a win were its highest since then. Additionally, the victory margin of 23 points was the biggest since the Steelers defeated Jacksonville by 24 points in the same season. Pittsburgh only managed 397 yards in the end rather than more than 400 yards for the second time since 2020 because of one sack from Cincinnati.
Following his first victory as a starter since 2019, Rudolph expressed his hope for another opportunity but acknowledged that it wasn’t his call. Perhaps, but Tomlin’s more reserved attitude toward Pickett’s availability than even a week ago sent a clear message that, unless Pickett makes a huge improvement over the next several days, Rudolph will be on the field as Pittsburgh looks to win in
Elandon Roberts, an inside linebacker for the Steelers, suffered a pectoral muscle injury against Cincinnati. Tomlin is more upbeat about safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who may return to action this week following a knee injury sustained on December 16 against Indianapolis.
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Kenny Pickett Agreed to Join the Steelers Again
There are now concerns at quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
This week’s return of Kenny Pickett by the Pittsburgh Steelers will complicate matters somewhat while expanding their quarterback options for their Week 17 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks.
After missing the previous three games due to a high ankle sprain, Pickett is expected to make his comeback to the team this week. After the first injury, he had surgery, and although he was cleared to practice last week, he was not allowed to play in the match. He is now anticipated to be prepared for the Seahawks game.
After Mason Rudolph threw for 290 yards and two touchdowns against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 16, the Steelers will need to make a decision. With Rudolph starting at quarterback, Pittsburgh’s offense put on their best performance of the season, and nearly everyone has since argued in favor of keeping him in the starting lineup going forward.
For Pittsburgh, Rudolph has a 6-4-1 record as a starter. It was his first start since 2021 in Week 16.
This coming weekend, the Steelers will head to Seattle after three days of practice. Rudolph and Pickett will probably be allowed to practice with the starting lineup in Week 17, but it’s still unclear who will be selected.
They probably just like having options for the time being.
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