The Pittsburgh Steelers head into the playoffs after a few things broke their way in Week 18.
After the Steelers took down the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, Pittsburgh earned a postseason spot when the Jacksonville Jaguars lost to the Tennessee Titans the following day.
Now in the playoffs, the Steelers had a decision to make between Week 1 starter and now-healthy Kenny Pickett or Mason Rudolph, who won all three of his regular-season starts for Pittsburgh since taking over for Mitchell Trubisky.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin opted to continue to ride the hot hand, even on the road against the AFC East champion Buffalo Bills, according to SteelersNow’s Nick Farabaugh.
The Steelers will stick with Mason Rudolph once again, Mike Tomlin says. He will start in Buffalo.
— Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) January 9, 2024
This is a striking development for the Steelers, but not one without merit considering how Rudolph has operated under center over the past three weeks.
Pittsburgh had a slim chance to make the postseason after a blowout loss to the Indianapolis Colts in December, but Rudolph navigated the Steelers to three consecutive wins to push them into the playoffs.
He looked poised in the pocket, delivered on his passes, and led an effective offense during his three wins.
Clearly, too, Rudolph looked better than Pickett did when he was under center, as the second-year quarterback’s health doesn’t appear to be an issue anymore.
Rudolph is the man for right now, but he’ll face a Bills defense that’s been on fire lately and hungry for a deep postseason run.
So it’s unclear how long Tomlin’s leash is with Rudolph and if he’d pull the plug for Pickett if the game goes south quickly.
NEXT:
Insider Reveals Potential Return Timetable For T.J. Watt