Real simple: Mason or Duck ?

[bradshaw2ben]

Explain your reasoning in the comments.

[955876]

Mason

1) He won the job as #2 QB with his performance in camp. He hasn’t done anything to lose that job.

2) He’s more experienced in the system than Duck is at this point.

3) The staff had a “first round grade” on him. Doesn’t say much about their evaluation process if that extremely pedestrian game from Duck on Sunday is all it takes to unseat a player they viewed so highly and gave the #2 QB job to.

Mason starts until he plays himself out of the job.

[SteelerDayTrader]

I hope Mason has a great season and gets traded for much needed draft capital

I dont know if Duck will be a HOF'er. The game isnt too big for him and he displays a gamers countenance. Thats more than enough IMO to be one of the backup QBs til Ben retires. If Paxton Lynch gets attached to his favorite childhood team the way Charlie Batch did and comes cheap henceforth; even better. Duck and Lynch could be a pretty decent and cheap QB stable.

[El Kabong]

Mason

1) He won the job as #2 QB with his performance in camp. He hasn’t done anything to lose that job.

2) He’s more experienced in the system than Duck is at this point.

3) The staff had a “first round grade” on him. Doesn’t say much about their evaluation process if that extremely pedestrian game from Duck on Sunday is all it takes to unseat a player they viewed so highly and gave the #2 QB job to.

Mason starts until he plays himself out of the job.

I agree.

[El Kabong]

I hope Mason has a great season and gets traded for much needed draft capital

I dont know if Duck will be a HOF'er. The game isnt too big for him and he displays a gamers countenance. Thats more than enough IMO to be one of the backup QBs til Ben retires. If Paxton Lynch gets attached to his favorite childhood team the way Charlie Batch did and comes cheap henceforth; even better. Duck and Lynch could be a pretty decent and cheap QB stable.

And I still oppose trading Mason. The Steelers had a first round grade on him. Suppose they were correct? Suppose Mason is destined to have a career worthy of a first round pick? You want to trade him before we know if that's true or not?

[K_C_]

Mason and he's clearly the QB of the future.

Without Moncrief's bumbling fuck up, Mason should have a 7-1 TD/INT ratio right now.

Sadly, I think they were really beginning to give the keys of the offense to Mason when he got injured and I believe he'll flourish.

Duck should improve too, with reps but I don't believe he'll ever overtake Rudolph as the starter.

Just don't see that happening but Duck is DEFINITELY an upgrade over Dobbs.

[K_C_]

I hope Mason has a great season and gets traded for much needed draft capital

I dont know if Duck will be a HOF'er. The game isnt too big for him and he displays a gamers countenance. Thats more than enough IMO to be one of the backup QBs til Ben retires. If Paxton Lynch gets attached to his favorite childhood team the way Charlie Batch did and comes cheap henceforth; even better. Duck and Lynch could be a pretty decent and cheap QB stable.

And I still oppose trading Mason. The Steelers had a first round grade on him. Suppose they were correct? Suppose Mason is destined to have a career worthy of a first round pick? You want to trade him before we know if that's true or not?

The idea of trading Rudolph is laughable.

Never. Gonna. Happen.

[El Kabong]

Just don't see that happening but Duck is DEFINITELY an upgrade over Dobbs.

Yes.

[benstunner]

Rudolph will be the QB after the bye assuming he clears protocol as he should be.

[Flanker]

Mason... he, by a large difference, looks more like a franchise QB to me than we've had as a backup in a very long time. I'm not saying he's the long term answer but he should be given the opportunity to prove himself one way or the other.

[beerbrother]

Mason for now as I believe he knows the playbook and system a bit better from having been with the team for a year.

But a combination of the two would be more preferable.

To the untrained eye Mason looks like he has really worked on his fundamentals.

He stands in the pocket and delivers the ball under pressure.

He appears to be executing the offense but isn't taking any risk.

The Duck on the other hand is a baller, he just makes shit happen.

Concerned that he rolls out to the right to frequently and makes some risky throws.

[Steelafan77]

Explain your reasoning in the comments.

Rudolph has played his way up through competition and has 2 seasons of the offense under his belt. Rudolph has the #2 designation after Ben before Devlin even knew he had a job. I'm so glad they've been given a sneak peek at what Hodges was able to do in the Chargers game. Confidence has to be pretty high. If nothing else once Ben returns the Steelers have their 3 QB's for the foreseeable future.

[bradshaw2ben]

I’ll just say that Mason won the competition against DOBBS for the #2 job. Hodges barely got a crack at that gig. Right now, Hodges has played 1.5 games and Rudolph has played 3, so let’s not say Rudolph has established himself so much more.

His 7 to 1 TD:INT ratio is pretty, but so many pop passes and dump offs. I thought Hodges in the Ravens game was the best QB play we’ve seen out of either of them. It won’t matter vs Fins but I wonder if Rudolph’s current style of play will lead to winning football.

[Ice]

I'm hopeful (increasingly less each week, though) that the coaches will loosen the leash on Mason as we go. If the WRs are indeed getting decent separation, you just have to loosen up that shoebox they're currently calling plays in at some point.

[COR-TEN]

I'm guessing that in tomlin's mind, opening the playbook for essentially, a rookie QB, is directly proportional to how well the defense plays and what their current record is. IOW, once they get to .500 and above, we'll start to see bigger plays if the defense holds up.

Contrary to what everybody wants.

[jewelsongs]

I think the bye week gives them time to put in Mason specific packages. I expect the offense to open up.

[K_C_]

I’ll just say that Mason won the competition against DOBBS for the #2 job. Hodges barely got a crack at that gig. Right now, Hodges has played 1.5 games and Rudolph has played 3, so let’s not say Rudolph has established himself so much more.

His 7 to 1 TD:INT ratio is pretty, but so many pop passes and dump offs. I thought Hodges in the Ravens game was the best QB play we’ve seen out of either of them. It won’t matter vs Fins but I wonder if Rudolph’s current style of play will lead to winning football.

Hodges led the world in pop passes and screens that allowed the back to win at the second level.

Didn't Moncrief lead our wide receivers with 1 catch for 11 yards?

You could see Mason getting more comfortable. The drive he led for a TD after Dumblin spotted the Ravens a 10-0 lead for no reason was the best QB play we've seen this year. By a lot. Then you have the superb play Mason made to Washington on the play he got injured.

Very Roethlisberger-esque.

[StillerDownSouth]

Mason by a mile, he at least throws some passes to wide receivers and tight ends, seemed like everyone of Hodges passes went to Connor or Snell monday night.

[K_C_]

I was wrong.

Diontae Johnson had 2 catches for 14 yards.

That led our wide receivers. I'm not kidding.

Donte Moncrief was second with 1 catch for 11 yards (and it took an amazing catch by Moncrief to get those 11 yards).

Third? JuJu had 1 catch for 7 yards.

Even the TE position was poorly represented (remember when Mason threw 2 TD's right off the bench to Vance when he entered the Seahawks game?)

Vannett had 1 catch for 5 yards. Vance chipped in with 1 catch for 5 yards.

Duck has a long way to go....just like Mason, but Mason has looked a lot better and looked a lot better right off the bat.

[fritzthecat]

Simply Rudy because he beat competition to win the job and I don't care if the potted plant had anything to say about it or not. It's Mason's job.
The Duck did a fine job and I thank him but he was brought in in case this problem occurred.

[bradshaw2ben]

You guys have short memories. In the SF and Cincy games, Mason barely three beyond the line. In the Ravens game, Hodges threw mostly downfield.

It’s all about your confirmation bias.

Fitchner said the opportunity for throwing downfield were there for Mason. It he just want making the choice to throw it. We shall see.

[El Kabong]

Fitchner said the opportunity for throwing downfield were there for Mason. It he just want making the choice to throw it.

This sticks in my mind when people complain about the coaches being too conservative and making Mason dump off all day. Maybe he's had deeper options? In my mind Mason and Hodges are about at the same level. We don't really know much about either. But Mason has been here longer, so I would make it his job to lose.

[Flanker]

I’ll just say that Mason won the competition against DOBBS for the #2 job. Hodges barely got a crack at that gig. Right now, Hodges has played 1.5 games and Rudolph has played 3, so let’s not say Rudolph has established himself so much more.

His 7 to 1 TD:INT ratio is pretty, but so many pop passes and dump offs. I thought Hodges in the Ravens game was the best QB play we’ve seen out of either of them. It won’t matter vs Fins but I wonder if Rudolph’s current style of play will lead to winning football.

You worship small school prospects to the point I think it sckews your judgement. I think the Big 12 is a shit tier conference as far as defenses go but I'd rather have a 6'5" record setting QB from a power 5 conference than a 6'1" record setting QB from FCS in almost every case. I think Mason has made many more plays from his legs, arm, and pocket awareness than I've seen from Hodges or any other backup in a very long time.

[drmalba]

I dont know if Duck will be a HOF'er.

This thread should have its own weed strain.

[Jobu]

I dont know if Duck will be a HOF'er.

This thread should have its own weed strain.

[shellwagnerblount]

I think our QB of the future resides in some college program and not on the current roster, just for the record. I like Mason's work ethic (it's mentioned in virtually every article that his attention to minute detaul is part of his DNA) and his size and relative mobility and quick decision making. He's impressed me with his bounce back ability and my wife thinks he is handsome so that's that. He'll do till our difference maker gets back

[jewelsongs]

This reminds me of Neil O'Donnell and Bubby Brister. One (O'Donnell, Rudolph) is conservative and polished, and one (Brister, Hodges) is a gunslinger. Both can play. I am happy we have both. I am very impressed with how they work together to understand the playbook.

[StillerDownSouth]

I was wrong.

Diontae Johnson had 2 catches for 14 yards.

That led our wide receivers. I'm not kidding.

Donte Moncrief was second with 1 catch for 11 yards (and it took an amazing catch by Moncrief to get those 11 yards).

Third? JuJu had 1 catch for 7 yards.

Even the TE position was poorly represented (remember when Mason threw 2 TD's right off the bench to Vance when he entered the Seahawks game?)

Vannett had 1 catch for 5 yards. Vance chipped in with 1 catch for 5 yards.

Duck has a long way to go....just like Mason, but Mason has looked a lot better and looked a lot better right off the bat.

One of the passes DJ caught was the jet sweep touch pass behind the line of scrimmage. I call this the Mahomes special, think he had 4-5 td passes like this last year.

[Scunge]

Yeah, I am in the Mason camp, think he should be the starter.

I think Fitchner/Tomlin are preventing both QBs from opening up this offense and taking shots down field.

In this past game with so much successful running in the second half with Snell, my god, can't you dial up some play action passes? Take some shots down field?? The Chargers had not just Derwin James on IR, but their other starting safety, Adrian Phillips on IR too, both starting safeties out and you don't attack them deep???

Mason in his last game, it did look like he was turning the corner, was starting to spread his wings, was being more aggressive. On the play that he got hurt, look at how he scrambled to make that play, how he threw off platform and completed a 26 yard pass to James Washington on 3rd and 11 at our own 12 yard line. That was a big time play and one that many of his critics say he shouldn't be able to make, and yet he did.

I get the hate on this player, I really do. Many of his detractors see a system type of QB, a Peyton Manning type of QB, who does not have that great arm or elite athleticism, but has to get by on smarts and poise and playing within the system. I am not going to fault Mason because he is not Ben, but there are many QBs that do not have Ben's talent that have won Super Bowls, that are system QBs.

It does not have to be the case that we need to replace Ben with another Ben. The Colts won a Super Bowl with Peyton Manning but they did not win anything with Andrew Luck. Luck had the better, stronger arm, the athleticism, the speed and running ability and now he has retired. Now they have Bissett and while he has more qualities like Luck, you can see them fine tuning their offense around him. If only we would do the same.

I do think Tomlin/Fitchner are doing a disservice by not tailoring the offense around Mason and all of our young players.

You do this team a disservice by putting the offense on hold, holding everything in place until Ben gets back. That is folly. Woulda, coulda, shoulda, what if Ben never makes it back?? What if he is never the same again?? You are going to just drag your feet and not change the offense this year hoping that Ben comes back, better than ever??? That is some serious bullshit right there.

The future is now, best to act accordingly, there may not be a tomorrow with Ben.

[Steelafan77]

I’ll just say that Mason won the competition against DOBBS for the #2 job. Hodges barely got a crack at that gig. Right now, Hodges has played 1.5 games and Rudolph has played 3, so let’s not say Rudolph has established himself so much more.

His 7 to 1 TD:INT ratio is pretty, but so many pop passes and dump offs. I thought Hodges in the Ravens game was the best QB play we’ve seen out of either of them. It won’t matter vs Fins but I wonder if Rudolph’s current style of play will lead to winning football.

Really prefer not to argue here B2B as I would likely lose in a football IQ argument with you. That said, let me just say that Rudolph went through all the progressions required to meet the expectations of the #2 QB behind Ben. He was challenged by Dobbs yes. Is it his fault that the Steeler OC draws up schemes that require him to dump off short passes for less than 5 yards? I think not. I can't nor would feel justified to blame Rudolph for his performances under those circumstances. I agree Hodges was not properly challenged during camp/preseason and saw hardly any reps. That's the usual process for any 4th string/camp arm. Is that Rudolph's fault? No. Right now, Rudolph, as a 3rd pick is an investment. We need to see what we're getting for that investment. Hodges came free of charge. Hodges has proven to be competent as has Rudolph. Lets see what we have in our young 3rd rounder.

Then there's this...

On Wednesday, Tomlin was asked if Mason Rudolph would be the starting quarterback when he recovered from his concussion.

“Yes,” Tomlin said flatly. “If that makes you guys feel good.”

Well, gosh, Mike. I felt good anyway. But thanks for making such an important decision on my account.

“Seriously, guys. That guy is our quarterback when he clears the (concussion) protocol. And it’s as simple as that,” Tomlin responded when I asked further about what went into the decision. “We appreciate the efforts of Duck. But as soon as (Rudolph) is ready to go, he’s ready to go.”

https://triblive.com/sports/tim-benz-st ... odd-logic/