Steelers going back to the future with Rudolph
PITTSBURGH — The Steelers are making another change at quarterback this week, but this time it’s back to the future with Mason Rudolph.
Offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner was asked about the difficulties in so much change at the position in seven games.
“They’re unique challenges,” Fichtner said. “But these guys have been here. They’ve been in the system. They’ve been working. It isn’t like Mason missed last week. He was here all week preparing. I don’t think it’s as harsh as it might sound, fourth quarterback. I don’t look at it like that.”
The Steelers lost with Ben Roethlisberger starting at New England, and lost with Rudolph starting at San Francisco, but won with Duck Hodges starting at Los Angeles. It’s back to Mason, who’s shown Fichtner no signs of being “gun shy,” as one reporter put it.
Rudolph, of course, missed the last game and a half after being knocked out by an Earl Thomas helmet to the jaw.
In four games, Rudolph has compiled a passer rating of 102.5, eighth in the NFL.
A potential flaw offered to Fichtner is that Rudolph sometimes hesitates to release the ball.
“I don’t think so,” Fichtner said. “I think Mason, like most young guys, wants to do everything perfect. None of us are perfect. We’re not going to be. That just doesn’t happen. And he’s an extremely hard worker. He wants to be perfect, and then that strive to do that daily, it doesn’t happen. I think he’s starting to learn it isn’t always going to be perfect.”
NO FITZMAGIC AT HEINZ
Part of the Miami youth movement was QB Josh Rosen, for whom the winless Dolphins traded second- and fifth-round draft picks. Rosen started games 3-5, but 36-year-old Ryan Fitzpatrick replaced Rosen to start the fourth quarter of Game 5.
The Dolphins trailed the Washington Redskins 17-3 and Fitzpatrick brought them to within one point before losing. He started the next game at Buffalo, and had the Dolphins within three points, before the Bills returned an onside kick for a late score.
“This guy has experience, leadership,” said Dolphins coach Brian Flores. “He’s got great rapport with his teammates. I think he gives us the best chance to compete.”
Fitpatrick has a passer rating of only 69.4, and he’s 0-6 against the Steelers. In three starts at Heinz Field, Fitzpatrick’s teams have lost by a combined 42 points.
“The Steelers — people can say what they want about their record but this is a very good defense,” said Fitzpatrick. “This is a top five defense in the NFL. Just watching them on tape, the speed they have at all positions, how physical they are up front. They’re very talented. It goes along with the history of the Steelers. Since 2007, when I was a Bengal and started playing them they play a certain brand of football, and this year is no different.”
MISSING MINKAH?
The Dolphins traded Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Steelers in time for their Week 3 game at San Francisco. The Steelers defense improved immediately. They’ve held their last three opponents to their lowest or second-lowest yardage outputs of the season.
His former teammates don’t seem to harbor any resentment.
“I hit him up after he had that big game,” Dolphins RB Kenyan Drake said of Fitzpatrick’s Steelers debut in San Francisco. “I look forward to him going out there to compete like I know he will and continue to represent himself and now the Pittsburgh Steelers they way that he does. I look forward to him going out there and doing what he always does.”
The respect is mutual. The previous day, Fitzpatrick had been asked about the Dolphins’ strengths.
“They have good skill-position players,” he said before listing jersey numbers. “They have a good running back corps — (Mark Walton), (Drake), (Kalen Ballage). (Walton)’s emerging as a pretty good running back in this league. He’s a tough player. He’s a guy I liked playing with and practicing against. He always gave a good look, always practiced hard. He always ran hard and never took a play off. I really respect him for that.”
Walton, in his second season out of Miami, started the last two games for the Dolphins and rushed 20 times for 98 yards.
INJURY REPORT
All but JuJu Smith-Schuster (illness) and T.J. Watt (abdomen) were full participants Thursday for the Steelers. Even RB Jaylen Samuels (knee surgery) practiced, but isn’t expected to play.
The other two are.
Watt sprinted on the sideline at Wednesday’s practiced and dressed and participated in individual drills on Thursday.
He injured an oblique muscle during the Chargers game. An oblique muscle normally responds well to pre-game pain medication.
“We’re getting chipped a lot,” said Watt’s bookend pass-rusher Bud Dupree. “That’s why he got hurt. So we’ve been trying to make sure we have plans for getting chipped. That’s been coming dramatically the last couple of games. But with him out there it takes pressure off me on the other side, as well as Cam (Heyward) on the inside.”
Watt leads the Steelers with four sacks.