Former Pittsburgh Steelers QB Mason Rudolph split drives with QB Malik Willis last night, but it was Rudolph who shined for the Titans in their 16-15 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday night. Rudolph finished the game 10-17 for 125 yards and a touchdown, and he also led Tennessee down the field for a game-winning field goal by K Brayden Narveson.
Tennessee didn’t play any of their starters, so it was Rudolph and Willis running the show all game at quarterback. Rudolph got the scoring going late in the first quarter for the Titans with a 15-yard touchdown pass to WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, a drive where Rudolph threw for 45 yards and a touchdown.
It took until the fourth quarter for Tennessee to get on the board again, as Willis led a field goal drive and then Rudolph followed suit. With Tennessee leading 13-12 with 3:39 to go, Willis threw an interception on third down and Seattle had to go just 22 yards on five plays to take the lead on a 50-yard field goal by Jason Myers.
Rudolph came back out for Tennessee with 1:55 remaining after a touchback, and with the ball on their own 30, Rudolph hit undrafted rookie tight end David Martin-Robinson for an 18-yard gain. A 10-yard scramble two plays later moved Tennessee to the Seattle 40, and then Rudolph dumped it off to RB Julius Chestnut for a 14-yard gain. A few plays later, Narveson knocked home the 46-yard game-winner.
Rudolph and Willis are competing for the backup job to incumbent starter Will Levis, and Rudolph’s performance last night could push him to the No. 2 job. After the game, Tennessee head coach Brian Callahan said that both Rudolph and Willis “did really good things” and thought both of them played and operated well, via video from The Tennessean.
Pittsburgh let Rudolph walk as a free agent this offseason after he led the team to three straight wins to end the regular season and helped the Steelers clinch a playoff berth. He also started the team’s Wild Card Round loss against the Buffalo Bills, but with the Steelers adding Russell Wilson, Rudolph left as a free agent and will look to make his mark with the Titans.
So far, the new-look Steelers quarterback room has been shaky in the preseason, but offensive line issues have been prevalent and the room should wind up being better this year with Wilson and Justin Fields.
But it’s nice to see Rudolph perform well. He’s someone who bided his time in Pittsburgh, a second-round pick in 2018 and always seemed to keep his head up despite being relegated to third-string duty late in his Steelers tenure. He took advantage of his opportunity last season when called upon and earned a new contract elsewhere, and hopefully, he’s able to find some success in Tennessee.