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Steelers QB Mason Rudolph has been efficient in his brief time as a starter, so much so, that he’s already matched a passer rating output of superstar Patrick Mahomes.
The signal caller has been in the lineup just three games for Pittsburgh, posting a perfect 3-0 record to get the team into the playoffs.
Rudolph took over under center in Week 16 following a blowout loss to the Colts. Replacing backup Mitchell Trubisky, who landed the gig due to an injury to Kenny Pickett, not many had high hopes for what had already proven itself to be a bad offensive unit.
But Rudolph quietly surprised.
Taking over for a 7-7 squad, he somehow strung together a three-game winning streak against the likes of Baltimore, Cincinnati, and Seattle.
In doing so, the Steelers clinched the seventh and final spot in the AFC playoff field.
In each of those three starts, Rudolph recorded a passer rating of 110 or better. His stat line in that trio of contests includes a 75% completion percentage, 239 YPG, and a spotless 3:0 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
The production matches that of Patrick Mahomes, who also posted three games this season in which his passer rating was above 110.
Mason Rudolph started 3 games this season
Yet he had the SAME amount of starts with a 110+ Pass Rating (3) as Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert. pic.twitter.com/8rQIs9p4Ub
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 8, 2024
Of course, Mahomes did so while starting 16 games for one of the NFL’s top offenses, though he does have two games with a 109 rating.
Rudolph > Mahomes?? Some are saying!
Jokes aside, it has been an impressive run for a Steelers offense that needed a spark. Prior to Rudolph’s insertion into the lineup, Steelers quarterbacks eclipsed the 250-yard mark just once in 14 games.
Rudolph has already done so twice!
Pittsburgh had been winning in spite of its offense, becoming the first team in NFL history to start the season 5-3 while being outgained by opponents in every game.
As the Steelers enter the playoffs, though, dare we say it’s become a strength!?
The team will need the offensive production to continue in the opening round when they face the Buffalo Bills – and that will start with Mason Rudolph.