Inside the ropes: Steelers' Mason Rudolph the 2nd QB in, Dwayne Haskins with scout team

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin indicated many of the other first-teamers would stay in the game Saturday after Ben Roethlisberger exited it. When that happens, it appears highly likely it again will be Mason Rudolph getting those reps with the projected starters.

During a practice at Heinz Field that began moments after Tomlin told reporters “not in this particular instance” would Dwayne Haskins play “with the ones” during Saturday’s preseason game against the Detroit Lions, Rudolph was repeatedly the “next man up” after Roethlisberger.

Haskins, for the most part, directed the scout team on a day the Steelers simulated a normal “Friday” regular-season practice — their final full-session get-together ahead of games.

Even during the early “Seven Shots” 2-point conversion simulation drill, Haskins was not given any snaps — four went to Roethlisberger and three to Rudolph. Typically, Tomlin splits up those reps three ways.

• Thursday’s practice mimicked a Friday regular-season session in that piped-in crowd noise was present. Thursday’s session was closed to fans, whose final appearance at Heinz Field during training camp was Wednesday. Beginning Monday, the Steelers will practice for the remainder of the season at their UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side.
• The final practice of 2021 that is open to reporting by media might have been the offense’s best showing in Seven Shots: touchdowns were nearly scored on all seven snaps. The only “win” for the defense was on the first snap when WR Dionate Johnson couldn’t hold on to a Roethlisberger pass after he’d gotten open running just inside the goal line to the right.
• Roethlisberger completed passes in the end zone to WR James Washington (beating CB Joe Haden to the right sideline), TE Pat Freiermuth (a quick throw over the defensive line) and WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (another quick flip, after the defense had been drawn offsides).
• Rudolph’s scoring throws went to WR Cody White (cutting inside from the left), Freiermuth and WR Anthony Johnson.
• With the exceptions of OLB T.J. Watt and DL Stephon Tuitt — who have missed team drills for all of camp thus far — and WR Chase Claypool (ankle), the entirety of the offense’s and defense’s projected starters were accounted for and fully participating in team drills. There were no surprises among the first-teamers, either. Rookie Kendrick Green was at center, newly acquired Joe Schobert at inside linebacker and Arthur Maulet at nickel cornerback.
• Claypool had his jersey on and did some light work on his own during practice.
• In as close to a simulation to a game as possible, Roethlisberger would approach the line of scrimmage with apparent ability to check out of plays. He was often seen looking down at a wristband on his left arm that is adorned with the play list.
• In a preview of the Matt Canada offense, the first two midfield plays of 11-on-11 for the first-team offense featured Roethlisberger under center and a play-action pass. The third play was out of the shotgun — and was a draw play run by RB Najee Harris.
• On a snap from inside the 5-yard line, Rudolph rolled out on a bootleg and hit a wide-open RB Kalen Ballage for a “touchdown.”
• The frustratingly tantalizing up-and-down nature of Haskins was on display on consecutive late-practice snaps while he was running the scout team. He threw a perfect back-shoulder pass about 30 yards down the left sideline to WR Rico Bussey (who beat Sutton). But Haskins’ next pass was intercepted by Haden, who leaped and tipped the ball to himself.

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