Scout's take: Assessing Steelers starting QB Mason Rudolph

Former NFL scout Matt Williamson, who is based in the Pittsburgh area, writes about the league from an X's and O's perspective. 

Ben Roethlisberger’s season is over. An elbow injury has sent him to injured reserve, leaving second-year quarterback Mason Rudolph as Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback for the remainder of the 2019 season and maybe beyond. Here are five key points about the 24-year-old QB out of Oklahoma State:

1. Below-average arm strength

There is a misconception about Rudolph that he must be a power thrower because he is a big, strong quarterback who operates almost entirely out of the pocket. In fact, his arm strength is a little below average for an NFL starter. Rudolph doesn’t have a bad arm, but it doesn’t come close to Roethlisberger’s. We will see this most when Rudolph’s feet are not set and he is forced to throw off-platform. This could be a problem when the weather inevitably gets rough in Pittsburgh and at AFC North road games. We really don’t know how well Rudolph handles poor weather, something Roethlisberger excelled at throughout his career.

2. Timing, accuracy essential

Rudolph must rely more on timing and accuracy to get the job done rather than driving the ball into tight windows. At Oklahoma State, Rudolph was an extremely accurate passer. But the passing windows in college for Rudolph were massive compared to what constitutes “open” in the NFL. He'll need more time to adjust there. As for his timing, Rudolph looks advanced in this crucial area. However, we have a very small sample size -- preseason games and Sunday against Seattle. Still, those results are encouraging.

3. Rudolph is a hard worker, smart

Unlike Roethlisberger, he must rely on brains more than brawn. Of course, he will suffer many setbacks,  but his character and makeup are great foundations. Just judging from what I have seen this year as opposed to last, this young man obviously is putting in the work.

4. He moves well in pocket

A trait that really stands out for Rudolph is pocket movement. Many young quarterbacks take off and run when the play doesn’t go to script, or they run around behind the line of scrimmage to extend the play. Rudolph, on the other hand, stays within the confines of the pocket and navigates that space very well -- a rare trait for a young quarterback.  Rudolph can make plays with his legs, but he shows advanced quarterback traits with his pocket movement. He's not Dan Marino or Tom Brady, with their phenomenal ability to keep their eyes downfield while still buying time for a play, but he's not bad.

5. More play-action passing?

It will be extremely interesting how the structure of Pittsburgh’s offense changes. This has been one of the least “schemed-up” offenses in the NFL. The Steelers have relied more on having great players making plays rather than complex route combinations, pre-snap motion, misdirection and whatnot. The biggest thing to look for here is the use of play-action passing. With Roethlisberger leading the offense, Pittsburgh has consistently been at the bottom of the league with play action even though every advanced metric shows it is one of the easiest ways to create yardage. This is something that Pittsburgh must drastically change, and with Rudolph at the controls, it's the perfect time to make this happen. Pittsburgh would also be crazy not to run the ball more.

Bonus: Where does this leave the Steelers in 2019?

This is a tremendous opportunity for Rudolph, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he demonstrates he can be Roethlisberger’s successor. Pittsburgh’s pass protection is exceptional, so that gives him a chance. But if schematic changes aren’t made and the receivers don’t step up, the Steelers' offense will struggle. At wide receiver, JuJu Smith-Schuster seems to be the only viable option. Pittsburgh must incorporate Diontae Johnson and Rudolph’s college teammate, James Washington, more into the mix.

Tom Brady owned Pittsburgh’s defense in Week 1, and the unit crumbled in Week 2 against Seattle when it played too many snaps. Defending the middle of the field has been a real problem, but I think Pittsburgh’s past two first-round picks, linebacker Devin Bush and safety Terrell Edmunds, are improving. The cornerback play has been solid, and the defensive front can be dominant.

If the defense fulfills its vast potential and the offense plays to Rudolph’s strengths, Pittsburgh might be a .500 team. Chances are though, after a 0-2 start, Mike Tomlin will experience his first losing season as an NFL head coach.