Pittsburgh Steelers: 5 Reasons to Believe in Mason Rudolph
By Chris Ross
Improved Defense Means Less Pressure
The Steelers defense has struggled mightily through the first two weeks of the season, but it appears a big turnaround is on the horizon. After trading for former No. 11 overall pick Minkah Fitzpatrick, the Steelers have added a potential game-changer to their secondary. Fitzpatrick is a versatile player that fills the Steelers most significant need: talent in the defensive backfield. Between his ball skills and ability to hold up in run support, Fitzpatrick has a chance to be the Steelers best safety since Troy Polamalu, and that could mean a significant defensive improvement is on the way, taking the pressure off the offense to carry the entire team.
As we saw earlier this decade when the Seattle Seahawks were the NFL’s premier team, having a good defense takes so much pressure off of a young quarterback. Seattle put together a defensive squad that was able to control games, so Russell Wilson didn’t have to do everything himself, and it looks like Pittsburgh is trying to follow that blueprint. This is a defensive roster loaded with former first-round picks. Yes, many of them have been disappointments (looking at you Bud Dupree and Artie Burns), but there is still talent at every level. Devin Bush has shown flashes of stardom in the linebacking group, while guys like Stephon Tuitt and Terrell Edmunds help round out the rest of the defense. Add a guy like Fitzpatrick to that group, and there’s certainly an opportunity for a breakthrough.
By improving the defense, the Steelers are hoping that Rudolph won’t have to carry the team on his shoulders before he is ready. If they can keep the games relatively low-scoring, Rudolph can develop while allowing the defense to win games. As we saw in Seattle with Wilson, this blueprint can allow a quarterback to become something special.