With Ben Roethlisberger out of action for the rest of the season, the Pittsburgh Steelers will turn to quarterback Mason Rudolph Sunday against the 49ers.
While Rudolph came off the bench last week to play well in an eventual 28-26 loss to the Seahawks, he’s certainly no Roethlisberger.
That gives the 49ers an advantage going into the game at Levi’s Stadium as they try to pick up their third straight victory.
Roethlisberger has won two Super Bowls with Pittsburgh, passed for more than 56,500 yards and 363 touchdowns and is 144-71-1 as an NFL starter. Plus, Big Ben has a strong arm and loves to throw deep. Three times he’s led the NFL in longest touchdown pass, including 2017 and 2018 when he had 97-yarders each season.
So the Steelers will lose a QB who’s started 216 games and start one who’s only played in one NFL game ever – last week’s in relief.
So who is this new QB the 49ers will face?
Rudolph, 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds, was a third-round pick out of Oklahoma State in 2018, where he was a full-time starter for three seasons. For the Cowboys, he threw for nearly 5,000 yards as a senior, with 37 TD passes vs. just nine interceptions.
In his pro debut last week (after Roethlisberger was hurt), Rudolph completed 12-of-19 throws for 112 yards, two TDs and an interception, with a quarterback rating of 92.4. His TD throws both went to former 49ers tight end Vance McDonald, for 8 and 3 yards.
Because the 49ers’ pass rush has been strong so far – seven sacks in two games – it’s possible they could disrupt Rudolph and take advantage of his inexperience as he makes his first start on the road. To counter, the Steelers likely will try to keep his throws short and quick and hope to establish a solid running game early.
But Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin believes Rudolph is a mature QB, ready for the challenge.
“From a mental preparation standpoint, I think one of the reasons we have a great deal of comfort (in Rudolph), and he has a great deal of comfort, is because he’s always approached each day as if he’s the starter, and has brought that level of urgency to his preparation,” Tomlin told reporters in Pittsburgh this week.
The Steelers-49ers game is set to kick off Sunday at 1:25 p.m. Pittsburgh is 0-2 and oddsmakers have made them 6 1/2-point underdogs to the 49ers.
Photo Credit: Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Source: NBC Bay Area
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