‘I was just hoping he’d give me a shot,’ Steelers’ George Pickens said of his connection with Mason Rudolph.
Pickens instantly set the tone for Pittsburgh in what was a must-win game, scoring an 86-yard touchdown on the Steelers’ first drive. Rudolph struck Pickens on a post route with an accurate short pass before Pickens took off, leaving Bengals defenders in the dust for more than half the field.
“I was just hoping he’d give me a chance,” Pickens told reporters after the game. “Because you never know where he’ll throw the ball, I didn’t have a complete plan.” But whenever he throws the ball, I’m going to try to make the best play I can.”
Rudolph, making his first start of the season, understood the significance of finding a groove early on and was well aware of which playmakers can help make it happen.
“A quick start. It makes a difference whether you’re in high school, college, or the pros,” Rudolph said. “Especially at this venue at home, it gets the crowd into it.” To get a guy like George going as soon as possible. His ability to run after a catch is unrivaled, so it was a very exciting sight as I tried to catch up to him from behind.”
But the duo didn’t stop there. With a 16-point lead following the Bengals’ only touchdown of the game, Rudolph connected with Pickens again on a deep pass for a 66-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
“Mason’s always been doing that,” Pickens remarked when asked how they made big plays. “It’s similar to what I said about Mitch (Trubisky) and KP (Kenny Pickett) when he was behind Mitch. Those guys, they always do their job and play their roles well, and Mason has done so the entire time.”
Pickens had his greatest game of the season, with four receptions for 195 yards and two game-changing touchdowns.
According to NFL Research, the second-year WR joins Tyreek Hill as the only players in 2023 with two receiving touchdowns of 60 yards or more in a game. His 48.8 yards per reception rank third among all players with four or more receptions in a single game since 1970.
The Steelers’ offensive output was a breath of fresh air after they had battled to find points all season. Pickett’s ankle problem has made offensively harder in recent weeks. Trubisky started the last two games at center, but after two losses, head coach Mike Tomlin went back to Rudolph.
Rudolph threw 17 of 27 throws for 290 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions in his first start since the 2019 season.
Pickett is likely to return for the Steelers’ Week 17 game against the Seattle Seahawks, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, but Rudolph’s lone start was crucial in keeping Pittsburgh in the game and connecting with Pickens for a big showing.ย With a confident WR1, the Steelers look to build on their recent success.