Mason Rudolph stood on the sideline and watched helplessly as the Steelers lost, 17-10, Sunday night to the Bills.
The second-year quarterback remains ready to come back in and help the Steelers (8-6) to a playoff spot. And if Devlin Hodges, who threw four interceptions in the loss to the Bills, continues to falter, that could happen sooner rather than later.
With the Steelers needing a win Sunday against the Jets (5-9) at MetLife Stadium, even a slow start by Hodges could mean Rudolph could be back at quarterback. That was, after all, the scenario that saw Hodges replace Rudolph just after halftime Nov. 24 in a win at Cincinnati.
Rudolph, who has led the Steelers to a 5-3 record in his starts in place of injured Ben Roethlisberger, threw four interceptions in a loss at Cleveland Nov. 14. Then, he played an ineffective first half against the Bengals, leading Mike Tomlin to replace him with Hodges.
With Hodges now coming off a four-interception game, Tomlin might be ready to go back to the 2018 third-round draft pick over the undrafted rookie out of Samford.
Rudolph would welcome the opportunity, even if he isn't lobbying openly for it.
"Of course. We’re all competitors and we all love to play the game," Rudolph told me Monday. "When it gets taken away, it’s hard. You don’t know what it’s like until it’s gone."
Rudolph played well in his first seven games after replacing Roethlisberger at halftime of a Week 2 loss to the Seahawks. In seven games, six of them starts, the former Oklahoma State star completed 64.5 percent of his passes for 1,330 yards, 11 touchdowns and four interceptions. He posted a passer rating of 93.0.
But the Steelers fell behind in the 21-7 loss at Cleveland and Rudolph was intercepted four times, then got into a brawl with Browns defensive end Myles Garrett at the end of the game. Later, Garrett accused Rudolph of using a racial slur, something Rudolph vehemently denied and the league said was unfounded.
Hodges' loss was his first as a starter, dropping his record to 3-1. But he took four sacks and forced some passes -- albeit with some coming late in the game -- dropping his passer rating for the season to 82.7.
Mike Tomlin refused to answer questions regarding who his starting quarterback would be next week against the Jets, but it wouldn't be outside the realm of possibilities for him to turn back to Rudolph.
"I think we have a lot of good football ahead of us," Rudolph said. "This is a team that can make the run into the playoffs and really shake some things up with the way our defense is playing and the way we’re capable as an offense as long as we keep moving in the right direction. James Conner came back and looked great. We need to gel these moving parts."
JuJu Smith-Schuster could be back at wide receiver this week, as well, giving the Steelers their full complement of offensive players back on the field. Smith-Schuster hasn't played since suffering a concussion and knee injury in that loss to the Browns.
"Of course," Smith-Schuster said Monday when I asked if there's a sense of urgency to get back on the field. "We’ve still got two more games. You never know what the future holds. We’ve got to win out. I want to be out there. My mind is telling me I want to be out there. My body is telling my I want to be out there. But I don’t want to go out there and mess it up so that I’m out a whole another year. I’m playing the game smart."
The smart game, as Smith-Schuster put it, is the one Rudolph played for the majority of the season, as well.
He didn't turn the ball over much until doing so five times in his final six quarters. And he moved the offense. The Steelers have scored 14 offensive touchdowns in Rudolph's 30 quarters this season. They've scored seven touchdowns in 18 quarters with Hodges at quarterback.
Just as importantly, while Rudolph has nine turnovers in 30 quarters, Hodges now has six interceptions in 18 quarters and has fumbled in three consecutive games, though he hasn't lost one yet.
"I’ve never been one to turn the ball over," Rudolph told me. "I was under 10 interceptions all three years in college. One game with four picks doesn’t bother me at all. I know the kind of player I am. Sometimes, I’m too cautious. Sometimes I get criticized for not throwing those 50-50 balls up. It’s a fine line, taking care of the ball. But you get into those games where you’re not playing with the lead and we all, as humans, will press and try to make a play."
That's why Rudolph still stands behind Hodges. He saw the rookie trying to make plays late in the game against the Bills. Hodges' final two interceptions game in the end zone in the closing moments.
"Just yesterday, there were three or four guys that were three (interceptions) or above," Rudolph said. "It happens. He can’t lose confidence in himself. You’ve got to believe in yourself and turn the page and move on. That’s how I’ve looked at it."
LOLLEY'S VIEW
The Steelers have to be at least considering a move back to Rudolph at quarterback. It was understandable that they went with the hot hand when Tomlin went to Hodges. But with more tape out there of Hodges, the more opposing teams can make him throw the ball where he doesn't do it well.
The Steelers still believe in Rudolph as a long-term quarterback prospect. He just might give them the better chance to win this week against the Jets.
They don't have any margin of error any longer at this point. Rudolph took good care of the ball in his first six games and made plays. Things got away from him in Cleveland and then the events of the week that followed would have been an issue for anyone.
Even if Hodges starts against the Jets, Tomlin should have a quick hook with him if things start going badly.
