Can you imagine the amount of money you would be swimming in right now if at the beginning of the season, you had bet Mason Rudolph would be starting a playoff game for the Pittsburgh Steelers?

I actually have no idea what that number would be, but nevertheless, here we are. The Rudolph story continues with his biggest test yet, on the road in Buffalo on Super Wild Card weekend, now wilder than ever.

Rudolph, 3-0 as the starter for the Steelers this season, is the biggest reason they are even in the postseason to begin with. His presence as the starter, taking over for the struggling Mitch Trubisky, has sparked something in this offense we have not seen in years.

The Steelers scored 30+ points in back to back games for the first time in over three years during Rudolph’s first two starts, and there is an evident buy in from everyone on the offensive side of the ball in recent weeks.

Rudolph’s impact has been so great that the team has kept him in at quarterback, even after Kenny Pickett, the team’s first rounder from last year, was cleared to play.

However, Rudolph has yet to face a test like the one he will receive in Buffalo. Rudolph’s success, while magnificent, did benefit from playing two of the below-average defenses in the NFL against Cincinnati and Seattle, and playing a 1-seed Ravens defense that was resting some starters.

There’s no resting anymore, and the teams that deserve to still be around are the ones he will face from here on out. That includes, certainly, the Buffalo Bills, who are riding a five game winning streak into the postseason.

It wasn’t all that long ago that the Bills were 6-6, on the outside looking in. People doubted them, and some discounted them from the playoff picture. But man have they stormed back.

With a reconfigured offense under new coordinator Joe Brady, promoted mid-season after the firing of Ken Dorsey, Buffalo has earned impressive wins over Kansas City, Dallas, and Miami, the last of which propelled them to their fourth division title in a row.

With Josh Allen having perhaps the most Josh Allen season ever, the Bills are hoping to keep the good times rolling against a pesky Pittsburgh team who scratched and clawed their way to the 7-seed.

Allen has 29 touchdown passes, tied for fifth in the entire NFL. When he is on his game, he is a top QB in this league, no questions asked. With powerful weapons like Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis (although his status is in jeopardy), as well as multiple tight ends, Allen has more than enough talent around him to succeed. It’s just a matter of actually doing it.

Allen also has 18 interceptions, which is second in the entire NFL. He is prone to malfunctioning at times, which can definitely work in the Steelers favor if they play their cards right.

The key for Pittsburgh is trying to get the bad version of Allen in this game. An early turnover would do wonders for this Steelers team, who could feed off that and use it as momentum as the game goes on.

They also need to apply pressure on him, early and often. Josh Allen is a wild man; when he takes off, he runs with no regard for his body at all. He runs the way a running back like Najee Harris would, trying to run you over.

It’s what makes Allen a true double threat, one that could burn a weak front line for the Steelers. Edge rushers like Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, and Markus Golden are going to need to find ways to get to Allen.

Unfortunately for the Steelers, their biggest threat in that regard, TJ Watt, has been ruled out for this game. Watt suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in the season finale, and will not be able to return in time for Buffalo.

The Steelers are 1-10 all time without Watt, with their only win coming against Tampa Bay in Week 6 last year.

In almost any instance when Watt was hurt, the entire city would panic. His impact is high enough for the sky to usually be falling if he is absent. This time around, however, there seems to be a bit less of that.

It’s not for a drop in production from Watt; the Defensive Player of the Year two years ago led the NFL in sacks for the third time in four years. And it’s certainly not for the reasons that the folks over at Pro Football Focus would have you believe.

Instead, it seems to be more of the fact that even if Watt was healthy, the Steelers would still be massive underdogs.

Pittsburgh is absolutely playing with house money this postseason. They aren’t supposed to be here, yet here they are, scrappy as ever.

Since the NFL expanded the playoffs, no 7-seed has ever won a playoff game.

They are injured everywhere and don’t seem to care, and are riding off the Cinderella run of a third string quarterback who was public enemy number one just a few weeks ago.

That’s exactly what makes them a dangerous team. They have nothing to lose, while Buffalo has everything to lose.

The Bills have tons and tons of pressure on them this year for a deep playoff run. This core, while experienced at getting to the tournament, has yet to make it over the hump. The Bills were never as bad as their record stated earlier in the year, and now that they seem to have reverted back to better numbers, this is a fan base expecting playoff success.

A tortured fan base will rightfully erupt if a talented Bills team falls well short again, especially to a team like Pittsburgh.

So, how much does that actually impact the game? It’s impossible to say, but the longer the Steelers hang around, the more anxious the fans inside the stadium will get.

For the Steelers, it will be crucial to be in the game at halftime. You have to strike fear into the Bills during halftime that they may not actually win this game. You have to plant doubt in their mind, and as Allen and the gang get more desperate, you may very well be able to capitalize on that.

On the other side, it’s all about being smart with the football for Pittsburgh. In frigid and windy conditions, short, smart passes are the way to go. We have hated that kind of offense all year from the Steelers, but rather than take unnecessary risks this time of year, Pittsburgh should do whatever it takes to win the game.

Mason Rudolph has shown he can be efficient in bad weather conditions. Sure, he only threw for 152 yards against the Ravens, but he went 18/20 in passing. It’s that kind of consistency and assuredness that the Steelers will need to prevail. Run the ball well with your two powerful backs, and have Rudolph make the throws when he needs to.

Don’t force anything in this game if you’re the Steelers, and you stand a fighting chance in Orchard Park.

(Featured photo by Matt Durisko/AP)