Pittsburgh Steelers head coach still unwilling to make obvious QB choice for must-win in Week 18
Despite the decision seeming obvious, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is still not willing to make a clear choice about who will be under center in a massive Week 18 game with their playoff hopes on the line.
This has been as up-and-down a season as the Steelers have ever had. At points in 2023, they seemed like a lock to at least land a Wild Card spot this season. However, while their defense led by pass-rushing superstar TJ Watt has been reliable the offense has been a mess for much of the year.
Related: Pittsburgh Steelers QB Mason Rudolph proves he was the solution all along in Week 17 victory
Second-year QB Kenny Pickett has seemingly regressed at times this season when he wasn’t out due to injury, and the Pittsburgh fanbase let offensive coordinator Matt Canada know about their dissatisfaction before he got fired a few weeks ago. However, the last few weeks have brought some unexpected hope and a pair of big wins.
After suffering three straight losses that nearly eliminated the Steelers from the playoff chase, Mike Tomlin’s switching away from Mitchell Trubisky to veteran backup Mason Rudolph has made a massive difference. They scored two huge surprise wins over other teams fighting for playoff spots and Rudolph threw for nearly 300 yards in each game. Something Trubisky never came close to in his previous three appearances.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach evasive about Week 18 starting QB
Yet following their victory over the Seahawks on Sunday, Tomlin was surprisingly — and characteristically — cagey about who would be under center for a must-win game in Week 18.
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“We’ll talk about that next week. Right now we’re just appreciative of the victory and we’ll give you guys something to buzz about,” Tomlin said their QB for next week, after their 30-23 win over Seattle. “… I thought he did a nice job.”
- Mason Rudolph stats (2023): 3 games, 567 passing yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, 115.3 rating
It really is a classic Tomlin answer that he got from the school of Bill Belichick media answers, but is still nonetheless frustrating. The Pittsburgh Steelers need a lot of help to reach the NFL playoffs even with a win this weekend.
