However long it lasts, Mason Rudolph enjoying riding unexpected wave of success with Steelers

BALTIMORE — Mason Rudolph has been through enough during six years in the NFL that he has come to understand the importance of appreciating any moment he can.

“I’m just thankful,” Rudolph said after setting a Pittsburgh Steelers franchise record for completion percentage in a game during a 17-10 win against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday. “I’m enjoying each day, whether it’s practice or visiting with (media) or playing out there. It’s been a long time, and I’m just so thankful and grateful for the opportunity.”

Rudolph’s next opportunity — likely — will come in the playoffs. Though coach Mike Tomlin has yet to anoint him officially as the Steelers’ starter for the postseason opener next weekend, it would be almost incomprehensible that Tomlin would turn away from a quarterback who is on a three-game run as stellar as any by a Steelers QB in almost a decade.

Since taking over as starter, Rudolph has posted a passer rating of at least 112.2 in each of three games. The most recent time a Steelers quarterback did that was Ben Roethlisberger from Oct. 20-Nov. 2, 2014.

During his three starts, Rudolph’s passer ratings were 124.0 in a Dec. 23 win against Cincinnati, 112.2 in a victory at Seattle last week and 115.0 Saturday.

“Every week, he handles his composure very well,” defensive captain Cameron Heyward said after Saturday’s game. “You need that from the QB position.”

Rudolph said he barely could process what has transpired over the past three weeks. Few can. The Steelers’ third-string quarterback over the past two years, Rudolph was turned to out of desperation by Tomlin as a losing streak was about to hit three.

With the Steelers’ season on the verge of collapsing, Rudolph guided three consecutive wins in his first starts since a spot outing in November 2021. After completing 18 of 20 passes for 152 yards and a 71-yard touchdown to Diontae Johnson on Saturday, Rudolph has a 118.0 passer rating, three touchdowns, no interceptions and 719 passing yards while completing 74.3% of his passes since taking over for a benched Mitch Trubisky late in a Dec. 16 loss in Indianapolis.

TO. THE. HOUSE. ???? @Juiceup__3

????: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/T87FSnfvVk pic.twitter.com/BqHjowNuk6

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) January 6, 2024

“He has an unshakeable confidence in himself,” Tomlin said. “It is real.”

Certainly, the Steelers have done all they can to shake that unshakable confidence. After he had served as the backup to Ben Roethlisberger from 2019-21, after Roethlisberger’s retirement in January 2022, Rudolph actually dropped a spot on the organizational depth chart last season.

The Steelers signed Trubisky and drafted Kenny Pickett, and despite Tomlin pledging a competition between the three, it was obvious Rudolph ended up the QB3 by a method that largely was preordained.

It took an extraordinary set of circumstances — Pickett suffering a knee injury, Pickett’s underwhelming play and Trubisky’s performance compelling Tomlin to bench him — to get Rudolph another opportunity.

All he has done with it is save their season.

Mason Rudolph on the 71-yd TD to Diontae Johnson pic.twitter.com/YdPaiJJpFl

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) January 7, 2024

During sloppy, slippery conditions and with an offensive line and running back tandem that largely was controlling play Saturday, Rudolph mostly was a game manager in Baltimore. But he did make the one throw that was enough to beat the Ravens.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Rudolph hit on his second-longest pass in terms of air yards down the field, hitting Johnson in stride 16 yards past the line of scrimmage on an in-breaking route.

“It was perfect,” Johnson said. “Right through two defenders. It was on me, right where I needed it.”

In just three starts this season, Rudolph has as many throws that have gained 34 or more yards (seven) as Pickett has in 12 starts. Rudolph over a 22-day span accounted for five of the Steelers’ eight longest passing plays of the season.

Pickett never has had a game with a passer rating as high as Rudolph’s worst rating for a start this season. Neither has Trubisky with the Steelers. Over the final 25 starts of his career (including playoffs), Roethlisberger bested Rudolph’s 2023-low passer rating only once.

Hey, Steelers Nation, get the latest news about the Pittsburgh Steelers here.