Mason Rudolph hadn’t started an NFL game in two years. In the “year of the backup quarterback,” that doesn’t matter.
Rudolph threw for 290 yards, two touchdowns and a 124.0 quarterback rating in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 34-11 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
It was the highest-yardage performance by a Steelers QB this season and kept the team alive in the AFC wild-card race as the Bengals and Steelers both went to 8-7. Pittsburgh also clinched the tiebreaker over Cincinnati.
Pittsburgh scored touchdowns on their first two possessions and three of their first four. The Steelers went into the half leading 24-0, a stunning start for a team that’s notoriously struggled on offense in first halves.
It’s the most successful game by a Steelers QB all year, and it came from a player who drew so little interest in free agency that he returned to Pittsburgh to be the backup to the backup quarterback.
He’s one of many backups pressed into action for potential playoff teams this season, joining the likes of Gardner Minshew, Josh Dobbs, Joe Flacco and his Saturday opponent, Jake Browning.
Browning threw for 335 yards, but hurt his team with three interceptions.
But beyond the magic of the year of the backup QB, the Pittsburgh third-stringer’s success could owe a little to Christmas magic as well. After all, there’s another Rudolph who wasn’t allowed to play in any game, who then unexpectedly led his team to success at the end of December.
Sure, that was a red-nosed reindeer, but this Rudolph helping the Steelers score a season-high 34 points feels like even more of a Christmas miracle.
