The grind of the season has finally caught up to the Pittsburgh Steelers, it seems. After defeating these very Cincinnati Bengals to improve to 7-4, it seemed more likely that the rematch between these teams would have playoff seeding implications. But a Steelers Week 16 status check sees the arrow pointing in the wrong direction for this team.
Mike Tomlin cannot help but hear the whispers about his job security as he prepares to trot out third-string quarterback Mason Rudolph for his first start since November of 2021. (A tie versus the Detroit Lions.) It feels like giving Rudolph a shot cannot hurt this offense, considering how feeble it's been for a majority of this season. At 7-7 and their playoff odds below 10 percent, what do the Steelers have to lose? Besides this game, obviously.
The Bengals know all about losing their first-string signal caller, but the show has gone on in Cincy. Jake Browning has led the team to three straight wins and currently has it situated in the AFC's sixth playoff spot. Star wideout Ja'Marr Chase already being ruled out with a shoulder injury isn't going to make things easier on Browning, but maybe he is ready for the difficulty meter to climb a bit anyway.
An AFC North matchup in December. You can almost picture the battle for field position and conservative play-calling now. But who will rise from the cold, hard ground and claim victory in this one? Perhaps our Steelers Week 16 predictions can show you the way.
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Rudolph guides the way
Kenny Pickett has the most productive passing game for a Steelers QB this season with a 278-yard performance. That came in Week 12 against…you guessed it, the Bengals.
In 10 career starts, Mason Rudolph has surpassed that total just once.
Let's get bold and predict that Rudolph tops Pickett's season-high on Sunday. There are two reasons for thinking this might just come to fruition.
The first one is the Bengals' pass defense. As indicated by allowing Kenny Pickett to run it up yardage wise, it's a lousy unit. Only the Washington Commanders give up more total yards per game than Cincy does, and the pass defense is sixth worst in the NFL. Maybe the cold weather and general nature of AFC North meetings results in a more favorable game script for the Bengals' defense. But make no mistake, its a group that has trouble stopping even mediocre quarterbacks.
The other factor comes from the state of Rudolph's career.
Once seen as the successor to Ben Roethlisberger, things have not gone Rudolph's way. He started eight games in 2019, but just one apiece in 2020 and 2021. He didn't play a single snap in 2022.
Now on a one-year deal with Pittsburgh, Rudolph should be prepared to grip it and rip it on Sunday. He began the year behind both Pickett and Mitch Trubisky, he's facing a weak secondary, and he's leading a team that's basically out of the playoff race. If not now, when?
If there was ever a time to shoot your proverbial shot if you are Mason Rudolph, the time has come. Treat this as an audition for 31 other teams and let it fly.
Pickens picks it up
Speaking of players who need to step up, George Pickens seems to be at a crossroads in his Steelers career. His effort level has been questioned and he's gotten the stern talking to from Tomlin after last week. The assembly line of productive wide receivers never stops in Pittsburgh, so Pickens needs to use the team's last three games to show why he's worth keeping around.
Pickens has three games of 100+ yards receiving in 2023. Adding a fourth would be a suitable response to the negativity surrounding him this week. Even just finding the end zone, something he hasn't done since before Halloween, would be nice.
Steelers get merry with win over Bengals
It's tough to predict a winner in a battle of backup quarterbacks.
Browning has looked great for Cincinnati, but he's also liable to turn in a stinker. After all, he's a 27-year old backup for a reason, presumably. The Bengals have owned the month of December under Zac Taylor, however, 2023 included.
So why choose the Steelers to prevail?
Home-field advantage for one. Tomlin's ability to weather storms is also a well-known trait, and just as his team feels like it's falling apart, this is when a great coach (and make no mistake, Tomlin qualifies) pulls it together in common cause.
Also, these are bold predictions, no? So Steelers in a tight one.
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