Make no mistake, this was the biggest game of the season for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In Seattle facing a fellow 8-7 team with everything on the line, Mason Rudolph and the Steelers delivered a big time performance to boost the Steelers’ chances of a playoff berth.
Heading into this game, all eyes were on the Pittsburgh quarterback. After conflicting reports about the health and status of injured starter Kenny Pickett, the former first rounder was designated inactive ahead of the game, serving as the team’s emergency quarterback.
Rudolph, who put together the best game by a Steelers quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger, had questions swirling around him. Can he perform like that again? Can he show up the other Steelers’ QBs again? Can he lead the Steelers to victory again?
Check, check, and check.
Rudolph went 18/24 for 274 yards in the win. He was really effective in his decision making, not putting the ball at risk, but at the same time, willing to take shots down the field.
Just like last week, he took the best aspects of both Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky and perfected them.
Early in the game, Rudolph was wise in his decision-making. He smartly threw the ball away or in the turf when there was no play to be made, and was mobile enough to avoid the pressure.
His pocket presence also stayed rather sharp. That is one of his biggest improvements since his early days in the NFL. He stepped up and made big time throws, but none were better than this long ball to George Pickens.
Rudolph steps up into the pocket and delivers a throw that only Pickens can come down with.
Give Rudolph credit for making this a catchable ball, but give Pickens equal credit for somehow coming down with this catch. He truly is an alien.
Rudolph shined, but his success came secondary to the dominance that the running game enjoyed in this game.
Najee Harris eclipsed 100+ yards for the fifth time in his NFL career, rushing for 122 yards and 2 touchdowns. He dominated the ground game and gashed the Seahawks’ defense time and time again over his 27 carries.
Najee was straight up killing people in the game.
His partner, Jaylen Warren, had a heck of a game in his own right. Warren rushed for 75 yards on 13 carries, and no matter who was in the game, the running game succeeded.
Warren, for his part, also killed defenders.
In the passing game, the ball was pretty evenly distributed between targets for the Steelers. Pickens was the main man, catching 7 passes for 131 yards. Diontae Johnson had 4 catches for 76 yards (and was lucky to not turn the ball over on a wacky fumble). Warren also caught 4 passes, for a decent 23 yards. And Pat Freiermuth caught 3 passes for 44 yards.
Now at 9-7, the Steelers have a multitude of paths to the playoffs as Week 18 kicks off. They will play the Baltimore Ravens next game, on the road.
The Ravens, who clinched the 1-seed in the AFC in Week 17, have absolutely nothing to play for in the season finale. Assuming the Ravens decide to play things safely and rest some of their starters to avoid injury risk, the Steelers could have an easier path to victory against their divisional rival.
Although, knowing this team, they could still very well lose that game.
The easiest path to the postseason includes a Steelers win, and either a Jacksonville or Buffalo loss.
Of course, that’s not the only path. Others include a potential spot even if the Steelers lose in Week 18.
While Mike Tomlin was noncommittal to who would start at quarterback at Baltimore, there’s no possible way that you start anybody other than Mason Rudolph in Week 18.
A Rudolph-led offense has strung together back to back 30+ point games, something that hasn’t happened in literal years.
Put aside the development argument and the football politics aside. This is your season right here, you have to play the hot hand. Start Mason.
More thoughts down below:
-Rudolph actually played better than I expected in this game. I predicted around 200 yards passing in this game, but he far exceeded that number. I know the touchdowns weren’t there, but he still did more than enough to help get the Steelers the win.
-Nick Herbig might have had the play of the season. His strip sack of Seattle’s Geno Smith, in essence, sealed the game for Pittsburgh. It got the Steelers the win and, depending on what happens next week, could be the play that got the Steelers into the postseason.
-For better or worse, Mike Tomlin’s non-losing seasons streak reached 17 with this win. It’s an amazing accomplishment by itself, but it will be marred for its lack of playoff success to go along with it.
-Mason Rudolph deserves every bit of love and glory that he is getting right now. This man has been in an abusive relationship with this team for his entire NFL career, but now he is getting a true chance, and excelling in it.
-I said this already, but there’s no way you can turn to Kenny Pickett for Week 18. You just can’t. That being said, I do genuinely wonder what’s going on in his head right now. It’s just such an odd situation. Same can be said for Mitch Trubisky.
-Furthermore, I think we all know who George Pickens’ favorite QB on the roster is.
–Odd stat of the game: Pressley Harvin punted just 1 time. That’s unheard of in the 2023 Pittsburgh Steelers.
Fifth Avenue Sports 
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