The Pittsburgh Steelers were able to keep their playoff hopes alive with a dominant 34-11 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 16. The victory snapped a three-game losing streak for the Steelers, who had dropped games to the Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts in embarrassing fashion.
The ultimate motivator, Tomlin got his team ready for what was a must-win game against a division rival. Despite being short-handed at multiple spots, the players answered the call, drawing praise from their head coach.
“They stepped up big in a big moment,” Tomlin said of his players. “They smiled in the face of adversity and played well on a lot of fronts and did what was required to secure victory. I think highlighting that obviously was the play of Mason Rudolph. … We talked about him having a great deal of belief in himself and being aggressive in mentality and play and those things were confirmed in game.
NFL News & Rumors: Mike Tomlin, Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh Steelers Updates
“I thought he did a really good job of being comfortable being himself, communicating with people regardless of the moments I thought that showed the confidence that he has in himself showed, and I also thought that he remained aggressive throughout.”
Mason Rudolph, who threw his first regular season passes since the 2021 season in relief of Mitchell Trubisky in Week 15, was excellent. He completed 17-of-27 attempts for 290 yards and two touchdowns, finding wide receiver George Pickens for huge gains on several occasions.
Pickens recorded three 40+ yard receptions in the game, including an 86-yard touchdown on the team’s first drive of the game. His second touchdown was a 66-yarder where Rudolph hit him in stride and he outran the Bengals’ defense.
It was a great bounceback performance by Pickens, who was called out for his effort, or lack thereof, on run-blocking plays against the Colts the previous week. It was nice to see him get back on track with some big plays to keep the Steelers offense moving in the right direction.
NFL News & Rumors: Mike Tomlin, Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh Steelers Updates
On defense, the Steelers had a revamped secondary. Cornerback Patrick Peterson made his second career start at safety alongside Eric Rowe, who was called up from the practice squad. Minkah Fitzpatrick and Trenton Thompson were both sidelined with injuries while Damontae Kazee is serving a suspension.
Peterson and Rowe both recorded interceptions, along with Alex Highsmith. That contributed to Jake Browning having his worst start since taking over the starting job for an injured Joe Burrow.
The Steelers will look to keep the positive momentum going in Week 17 when they travel to take on the Seattle Seahawks. Victory is a necessity, as Pittsburgh faces the Baltimore Ravens in Week 18 on the road in what will be a very difficult matchup.
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