Originally Posted by
Edman
Welp, claiming that people are "worshipping" Rudolph in the main post for one. Yeah, getting behind the new guy who has actually shown very encouraging signs is "worshipping" him. Not a good look.
Mason comes in ice-cold off the bench. Hardly any practice with the starters. The start couldn't have gone any worse for him. Receivers dropping passes and a Perfect throw to Donte Moncrief that bounces right off of his concrete hands and is intercepted. Seattle turns that short field into a touchdown and a 14-10 lead. Mason showed great poise by responding and nearly leading the Steelers back into winning the game. Seattle actually didn't want to give him the ball back on that final drive. When you drastically alter an opposing team's gameplan, you know you have something.
And let's be real and blunt honest with ourselves. Ben didn't exactly setting the world on fire before he was hurt. He was hot garbage against New England, and he was...not good against Seattle. He goes out of the game, Mason replaces him, the Steelers Offense mysteriously and suddenly springs to life after being completely horrible for six quarters. What changed? Did Randy Fichtner suddenly become competent? Nope. The Quarterback changed.
In the NFL, It's the first and most damning sign that your time is up and its time to consider getting on with your life's work. We appreciate Ben for everything he has done. We really do. But this is a business league, and "what have you done for me lately" is the norm. This isn't 2000's 3-Time Super Bowl Appearance Ben we're moving on from. It's the 2010's. What we're moving on from is ten years without a championship while watching New England tie us in titles. Postseason losses to Blake Bortles, Locker Room Drama, a 3-5 postseason record, getting embarrassed by the Patriots, boneheaded interceptions, and Empty Shotgun sets.
It's a sad way to go out, we wish it went better, but not all NFL stories have happy endings. It's over.