WATCH: Kenny Pickett has a ‘crazy’ reaction to Acrisure Stadium chanting Mason Rudolph’s name during Steelers’ victory over the Bengals

Rudolph lead the Steelers to their 8th win of the season and kept them in the hunt for a playoffs spot.

WATCH: Kenny Pickett has a ‘crazy’ reaction to Acrisure Stadium chanting Mason Rudolph’s name during Steelers’ victory over the Bengals

Acrisure chants Mason Rudolph's name after Bengals win (Image via Screengrab/YouTube)

Mason Rudolph saved Christmas for the Pittsburgh Steelers, much to the dismay of Kenny Pickett. It may sound a bit surreal, but after the 34-11 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, the entire Acrisure was chanting Rudolph’s name.

After weeks of quarterback struggles, the Steelers finally managed to find some stability in that spot with Rudolph, who balled out on Saturday night. They have been in desperate need of it since Pickett picked up an ankle injury in early December.

Rudolph, who has been with the Steelers for six seasons, started his first game since 2021. And once again, it proved that 2023 is the year of the backup. Pittsburgh, who had yet to have a losing season with head coach Mike Tomlin, was on the verge of it if they had lost the Bengals game.

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They jumped to a 24-0 lead in the first half. Cincinnati failed to make up ground as quarterback Jake Browning threw three interceptions. With that loss, the Bengals’ (8-7) playoff chances fell to just 14% as they crashed 6 spots to No. 10 right under the Steelers.

Rudolph finished the day with 17/27 for 290 yards and 2 touchdowns. He became the first Steelers quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger to throw more than 250 yards and two touchdowns in a game. No wonder Pittsburgh was hyped up with the performance, unlike Pickett, who never managed that.

Mason Rudolph helped George Pickens silence the critiques

Besides the QB situation, the Steelers were struggling to score because their frontline was all too short in almost every game. Both receivers, George Pickens and Diontae Johnson, have had a season to forget. Pickens became the center of criticism because of his temper tantrum earlier in the season for not seeing the ball enough.

WATCH: Kenny Pickett has a ‘crazy’ reaction to Acrisure Stadium chanting Mason Rudolph’s name during Steelers’ victory over the Bengals
#14 George Pickens and #2 Mason Rudolph (Image via Steeler Nation)

The 22-year-old showed what he was capable of in patches throughout the season, but fans mostly remember him for sitting gloomily on the sidelines and not blocking opposition runners. It was a different streak against the Bengals. Although Mason Rudolph only found him four times from six tries, Pickens made it count twice, running to the endzone and completing a career-high 195 yards.

This was a much-needed breather for Pickens as the Steelers stay on the hunt for the playoffs. If he and Rudolph can combine their efforts in the remaining games, the Steelers will have the necessary confidence to look forward to the postseason. That starts now with a trip to Lumen Field to play the 7-7 Seattle Seahawks.

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