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Let’s accept it: Rudolph isn’t Roethlisberger

DKPittsburghSports

DKPittsburghSports

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He may not be Roethlisberger, or anything close to that, but he's got to be a better version of himself moving forward. His pocket awareness is close to zero at times - see the sack in endzone play - and holds onto the ball way too long. I think Fichtner's play calling has been horrible, which hasn't helped, but Rudolph is playing D+/C- football right now, in my view. The kid is simply too tentative and seems to be walking on eggshells out there.
 
Well look, I think part of this is tailoring your game plan to the strengths of your QB. If you acknowledge that Rudolph isn’t Big Ben, then don’t ask him to do the things Big Ben does. The Steelers have a bad habit of thinking everyone is plug and play, no need to adjust anything ever. Getting the running game going would help out too.
 
A good example is the Ravens. For as much as people here make fun of Lamar Jackson, the Ravens designed an entire offense tailored to what Jackson does well. And it works. If the Steelers had drafted Jackson, we would be watching Dennis Dixon part two right now.
 
Rudolph is what he is. A play it safe game manager who throws very short passes. In the intermediate to deep routes he throws high, low, behind his man, and sometimes due to the lack of velocity on the football turns it into a 50.50 play.

This excessive amount of dink and dunk passes makes it harder to run.

He holds the ball far too long ( And he's lucky to have a good line in front of him ) and is a bit fumble prone in my opinion. An NFL back up, fans will see it once the " he hasn't started enough games " excuse goes away.

I like him as a cheap back up, not much beyond that.

Compared to past Steeler QB, I'd say Maddox and O'Donnell were better.

What are 3rd party rating systems saying?

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...k-9-russell-wilson-aaron-rodgers-share-throne

he remains the league's third-lowest rated QB by Pro Football Focus and is ranked No. 26 in QBR. He's going to need to have more success throwing downfield to move up our board.
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I put Fitz ahead of him, and being that this article is a week old, that might happen.

Face it Steeler fans rookie QB's and 2nd year players are better that they don't have as good as OL and weapons as the Steelers do in general.
 
Let's remember a guy named Terry Bradshaw who threw 6 TDs and 24 interception when he started, then the rest is history. I know Mason is not an elite quarterback but these are the cards that we are dealt, and remember this guy has never played as a starter in the NFL until this year. As a Steeler fan for over 50 years it is very frustrating but due to the s circumstance I support Mason and hope that he will get better with each rep. HERE WE GO!!!!

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Sarge said:
The Steelers have a bad habit of thinking everyone is plug and play, no need to adjust anything ever.
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Mikey Cool Shades says your assessment is below the line.
 
Sarge said:
Well look, I think part of this is tailoring your game plan to the strengths of your QB. If you acknowledge that Rudolph isn’t Big Ben, then don’t ask him to do the things Big Ben does. The Steelers have a bad habit of thinking everyone is plug and play, no need to adjust anything ever. Getting the running game going would help out too.
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You mean like, throwing passes to WRs more than 15 yards down field??
 
Steel Ballin said:
You mean like, throwing passes to WRs more than 15 yards down field??
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I agree. There's a huge difference between expecting him to play like Ben and where Rudolph is right now. There has to be something in between those two extremes.
 
tamash said:
Let's remember a guy named Terry Bradshaw who threw 6 TDs and 24 interception when he started, then the rest is history. I know Mason is not an elite quarterback but these are the cards that we are dealt, and remember this guy has never played as a starter in the NFL until this year. As a Steeler fan for over 50 years it is very frustrating but due to the s circumstance I support Mason and hope that he will get better with each rep. HERE WE GO!!!!

Sent from my SM-G973U using Steeler Nation mobile app
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No no no. There is no such thing as a progression. You are what you are the first day. Is what it is. I mean the guy was third string in his rookie season so I'm not even sure what you can count on that. He passed the second string clearly in camp and pre season and has pretty much played up to that standard as a starter. They have won or been in every game he played. He is a long way from being a franchise guy, but he should be. He isn't close to a finished product
 
Steel Ballin said:
You mean like, throwing passes to WRs more than 15 yards down field??
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That is something any NFL QB should be able to execute. I'm not defending Rudolph. At all. He needs to be a lot better. He's not even attempting to hit anyone other than the check down. My main point was that maybe if they tailor the game plan to what Rudolph feels comfortable with, he'd be better. I don't know if it is the game plan, or Rudolph, but he has to be better against the Rams. Either that or give Duck or Lynch a chance. How much worse could it be, really?
 
Sarge said:
A good example is the Ravens. For as much as people here make fun of Lamar Jackson, the Ravens designed an entire offense tailored to what Jackson does well. And it works. If the Steelers had drafted Jackson, we would be watching Dennis Dixon part two right now.
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What you are seeing with Lamar Jackson is exceptional coaching on the NFL level.
 
Rudolph definitely needs to improve over the remainder of the year. Fichtner should have also been putting him in positions to succeed rather than the bullshit play calls he has been utilizing thus far. But, if Rudolph doesn't improve this year, Hodges, very well may/should get an opportunity to move to No. 2 next year like Rudolph did this year. And if neither impress, the Steelers may be looking at drafting a QB in the 1st round in 2 years since we have no 1st rounder this year.
 
That's another thing with Rudolph and Hodges and even Dobbs previously - why the **** don't we have a QB coach to help them develop. Ben may not have needed a QB coach this late in his career but the young guys coming in 100% do. Another job of terrible coaching and player development by Tomlin.
 
The only thing wrong with Mason is the Steelers, period. This offense was designed for one guy, Ben and no one else. So Ben goes down enter Mason and Tomlin and the in over his head Fitchner panic and dummy everything down. Just keep it simple Mason, short stuff to the backs and TE's, and intermediate to the WR's. We want to to manage the game and not do anything that will beat us. Nothing and I mean nothing was designed to play towards his strengths since it was all set in place for Ben. Whereas Lamar Jackson had the entire offense designed for him playing to his strengths and he was the starter from day one this year. Mas had none of this but instead was thrown to the Lions in game two against a pretty damn good Seattle team and has done a pretty good job since he took over.
Stop trying to compare him to Ben which is totally unfair to this young man who if you haven't noticed is salvaging a pretty dismal season so far. Is he throwing for 400 yards and 3-4 TD's? No, but so what! He's dong whats asked of him and thats managing the game and not putting the team in harms way. Is he missing receivers who are open and looking at times tentative in the pocket? Sure he is but he's young and that stuff happens to young guys especially those that never figured to be starting this quickly.
I watched the anointed one yesterday Baker Mayfield stare down a receiver so obviously he looked like a busher, and this guy was drafted no.1. Hell, Mason's looked better than Mayfield and his stats indicate it.
Again, Jackson was set to be the started day one and the offense was built around him for 2019. Not the case with Mason who was pressed into duty due to Ben's season ending injury. This offense strictly tailored for Ben and Tomlin and Ficthner are only having him game manage.
 
After watching Baltimore dismantle New England, word on the street is that the Redskins still want Tomlin.
 
The comparison to Ben is inescapable. Ben is a HOF QB. They come around like Haley's Comet. Mason Rudolph is a good young QB. He has a lot of talent that needs to be developed. I like his pocket presence and his willingness to take a hit. He needs help in the scheming of games. Check downs are fine. The routes by the WR's need improving. You're not getting the play ground stuff you get with Ben. The WR's need to be crisper and catch the damn ball. Do they ever call seam plays for McDonald? Screen plays with Connor (not bubble screens). The OL has to play better. It was Mason's fault on the safety but the line could hold that pocket a little better. I'm not willing to say MR is going to be great but I think that he is going to be good. Oh, and Lamar Jackson is a phenomenal athlete but only until his first major knee or leg injury. You can't run a QB like that without a major injury coming. At some point DC's are going to figure out lower body hits (knees and ankles) will slow him down. Not that they are in the same league as far as quickness but for example see Jacoby Brissett.
 
I knew by the 2nd pre season game we had something with Ben and didn’t want to see Maddox take another snap!

This isn’t 1970. Rookie qb’s are ready to show their stuff much earlier. The problem here is Rudy doesn’t have much to feature.

When Hoyer came in the game, a 3rd string guy he was much better.

I would not rule out trading for something better. Who has retired recently?


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Coach said:
When Hoyer came in the game, a 3rd string guy he was much better.

I would not rule out trading for something better. Who has retired recently?


Sent from my iPhone using Steeler Nation mobile app
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You know what? This is the kind of **** I tire of reading.

You sit there and point out that Hoyer is a "3rd string guy" which is untrue. You do it in an effort to make Rudolph seem worse. You also completely gloss over the fact that Hoyer has been around the league for a long, long time, and has been decent everywhere he has played. He even made the Browns look ok for a while. It is intellectually dishonest at best.

You don't like Rudolph and don't think he is very good. Great. Just say that, dude. Explain your point. Some people will agree, some will disagree. You don't have to go through all of the nonsense just because you have this idea that you are so smart and so right about everything. It is incredibly off-putting.
 
And I'm not Rockerfeller....
 
Coach said:
This isn’t 1970. Rookie qb’s are ready to show their stuff much earlier.
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Coach ain't wrong on this one boys...
 
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