Key game for Rudolph

[Six Rings]

Rudolph has two wins, and they were over winless teams ( Miami and Cincinnati ). He has a defense producing turnovers and Boswell back on form.


I still don't see him as much more than a fringe starter in the NFL or good back up. His arm is average. He can't zip it between defenders down the field. His accuracy to hit moving targets isn't good. This is a reason why I think he holds the ball for as long as he does at times.


Having said that, he can really show the organization something if he can beat the Colts at home as we are thin right now at running back. A win here and we are back in the division race.

[HollywoodSteel]

Rudolph has two wins, and they were over winless teams ( Miami and Cincinnati ). He has a defense producing turnovers and Boswell back on form.


I still don't see him as much more than a fringe starter in the NFL or good back up. His arm is average. He can't zip it between defenders down the field. His accuracy to hit moving targets isn't good. This is a reason why I think he holds the ball for as long as he does at times.


Having said that, he can really show the organization something if he can beat the Colts at home as we are thin right now at running back. A win here and we are back in the division race.

One thing we did learn about Rudolph is that he has mental toughness. I’m glad we got to see how he reacts to being in a 14 point hole and beeing booed by the home crowd.

Of course it takes a lot more than mental toughness to be a successful QB, but at least I’m not worried about pushing him to hit his ceiling as quickly as possible. He won’t get shell shocked from being thrown into the fire.

I’m confident he’ll get better at seeing the field and making quicker decisions with each passing week. I just hope we see better footwork and zip on the ball. He doesn’t seem like a guy who can make those off balance throws using just his upper body strength the way Ben can.

[Born2Steel]

I support Rudolph the same as any backup QB for the Steelers. If Landry Jones or Josh Dobbs were still in there I would be 100% for their success. I haven't seen anything from Rudolph yet that makes me think he is more than Ben's backup moving forward though. It has only been 4 games with a concussion so yes he still has plenty of time to prove himself and I hope he does. I want too much for Rudolph to be the next franchise guy(had hope for Jones at one time too) but he has to earn it. Not just because he was the plan. This game will be a prove it game for Rudolph true, so will the rest of this season and post season.

[Edman]

One thing we did learn about Rudolph is that he has mental toughness. I’m glad we got to see how he reacts to being in a 14 point hole and beeing booed by the home crowd.

Of course it takes a lot more than mental toughness to be a successful QB, but at least I’m not worried about pushing him to hit his ceiling as quickly as possible. He won’t get shell shocked from being thrown into the fire.

I’m confident he’ll get better at seeing the field and making quicker decisions with each passing week. I just hope we see better footwork and zip on the ball. He doesn’t seem like a guy who can make those off balance throws using just his upper body strength the way Ben can.

Mental toughness is the foundation that goes into being a successful player in the NFL. Nothing else matters if you don’t have it upstairs.

As we have witnesses, Mason isn’t a gifted athlete or a jock. He’s a brain, and we have already seen the advantage/flaw that comes with it. Mason will not make the stupid game-killing mistake, but he takes a while to make a decision. He’s indecisive right now. He doesn’t lack confidence, he just thinks a little too hard about things instead of just doing them. This will cost him because he lacks the raw physical talent to make up for it.

Ben can hold onto the ball forever and get away with it because in his prime, the guy was the master of the Houdini act when the play broke down.

Mason’s best chance is punching up his game clock. He has no chance otherwise.

[HollywoodSteel]

Mental toughness is the foundation that goes into being a successful player in the NFL. Nothing else matters if you don’t have it upstairs.

As we have witnesses, Mason isn’t a gifted athlete or a jock. He’s a brain, and we have already seen the advantage/flaw that comes with it. Mason will not make the stupid game-killing mistake, but he takes a while to make a decision. He’s indecisive right now. He doesn’t lack confidence, he just thinks a little too hard about things instead of just doing them. This will cost him because he lacks the raw physical talent to make up for it.

Ben can hold onto the ball forever and get away with it because in his prime, the guy was the master of the Houdini act when the play broke down.

Mason’s best chance is punching up his game clock. He has no chance otherwise.

All true. But not having the natural physical abilities will always cut into his odds of greatness.

If we have any shot at actually making the playoffs, Rudolph will really have to be on a steep learning curve. The odds might be long, but the only way I see us doing it, is managing to stack wins while also maximizing his growth.

The Dolphins game was the perfect example of how to do that. But obviously there will be a lot less room for error and recovery against better teams.

I’ll admit that I don’t know the exact balance to hit when it comes to play calling going forward. I just know that at some point we’re gonna need him to do a lot more than just not lose the game for us. So I’m inclined to take more chances to maximize his growth quickly.

[Craic]

Rudolph has two wins, and they were over winless teams ( Miami and Cincinnati ). He has a defense producing turnovers and Boswell back on form.


I still don't see him as much more than a fringe starter in the NFL or good back up. His arm is average. He can't zip it between defenders down the field. His accuracy to hit moving targets isn't good. This is a reason why I think he holds the ball for as long as he does at times.


Having said that, he can really show the organization something if he can beat the Colts at home as we are thin right now at running back. A win here and we are back in the division race.

So far I would agree with you. But with that said, I would also think he's a guy I'd want to keep around for the next decade as the backup. He definitely has the skills for it and most-likely, the type of mind that can really help starting QBs in this league as well. In short, he looks to be a rich-man's Landry Jones. And, as a back-up or spot starter, that is not a bad thing at all. Jones wasn't bad. He just couldn't go out and win a game for you. I think Rudolph will be able to do that some. Just not enough to be an everyday starter. Then again, it's still his first year playing, so let's see.

[HollywoodSteel]

So far I would agree with you. But with that said, I would also think he's a guy I'd want to keep around for the next decade as the backup. He definitely has the skills for it and most-likely, the type of mind that can really help starting QBs in this league as well. In short, he looks to be a rich-man's Landry Jones. And, as a back-up or spot starter, that is not a bad thing at all. Jones wasn't bad. He just couldn't go out and win a game for you. I think Rudolph will be able to do that some. Just not enough to be an everyday starter. Then again, it's still his first year playing, so let's see.

It would be a severe miss for a third round pick (with a first round grade) if all he ends up being is a career back up.

And Ben will have turned out to be absolutely correct. lol

[Craic]

It would be a severe miss for a third round pick (with a first round grade) if all he ends up being is a career back up.

And Ben will have turned out to be absolutely correct. lol

Not really. Especially at that position. Besides punter, what other position is there in the NFL where a set of skills translates to exactly one position? For all the misses on first round QBs, getting a very good backup QB that can spot-start and win games is a very good trade-off, in my opinion. Especially in a league where the QB is becoming even more important, if that were possible.

I did get a chuckle out of your reference to Ben, though!

[JimHarbaugh'ssoakedtissue]

We need Rudy to be our future starter and Hodges is good enough to be the back up for years to come.

[86WARD]

I need to see some stuff “click” for him. Even struggling rookies that turn out to be nice starters have some “click” moments.

[teegre]

Rudolph trying to use his arm “only”: our current situation

Rudolph moving his feel, aligning his shoulders, and stepping into his throws: the QB of our future

[RunNGun]

Rudolph trying to use his arm “only”: our current situation

Rudolph moving his feel, aligning his shoulders, and stepping into his throws: the QB of our future

That's about right.

[BnG_Hevn]

Are you people for real? No wonder previous Steelers QBs (including Ben once he hangs them up) hate Pittsburgh.

[HollywoodSteel]

Rudolph trying to use his arm “only”: our current situation

Rudolph moving his feel, aligning his shoulders, and stepping into his throws: the QB of our future

Are you confident that he will get there? And if so, do you think there’s a reasonable strategy for how to get him there as quickly as possible?

He also needs to be able to read the ENTIRE field a lot faster and make decisions. I am confident that Mason will be good at that eventually, but I’ve never really paid much attention to how long it usually takes a young QB to master this.

I’m sure some guys came into the league doing it well... like Andrew Luck. Big Ben seemed to take awhile before he could read the entire field quickly. But he had the advantage/disadvantage that his physical skill set allowed him to hold onto the ball much longer than any sane QB would, and still make a play... or take a sack. But I’m guessing he used his physical abilities as a crutch for a while and it slowed his NEED to read and react instantly.

Mason doesn’t have Ben’s crutch. And therefore doesn’t have the luxury of being slow to master this part of the game. So how steep do we think Rudy’s learning curve is?

[FrancoLambert]

Are you people for real? No wonder previous Steelers QBs (including Ben once he hangs them up) hate Pittsburgh.

Unbelievable, but true. Ready to label him nothing more than a career backup based on a handful of games.
There might be a learning curve attached to being a productive starting QB.
Bradshaw didn’t look very good for awhile...that turned out pretty well.
Give the kid a chance, have a little patience.

[Mojouw]

Good points on Rudolph. As I said in another thread, look at other comparable QBs. Some look better (Murray, Minshew) and others look worse (Jones) and some look about the same (Allen).

I don’t yet see that thing that Rudolph does well that gets him out of the “really good backup” category. Even when Brady was fist playing and the physical skills didn’t jump out, his timing, accuracy, and decision making did.

If someone asked me about Rudolph’s most dominant traits to date in the NFL , I would have to answer toughness and extreme aversion to taking risks. Those are awesome back-up QB traits. Now can he take the next steps and add something from the accuracy, decisiveness, playmaking, and anticipation category of starting QB traits?

[Edman]

He was much better today. First shot of the game hit Juju in the hands that changed the fabric of the game. Still had his pops that created the Safety, but I think Mason grew a little more today. That's what I can ask for from him.

Rams next week. Time to let Rudolph grow and fast.

[Craic]

Unbelievable, but true. Ready to label him nothing more than a career backup based on a handful of games.
There might be a learning curve attached to being a productive starting QB.
Bradshaw didn’t look very good for awhile...that turned out pretty well.
Give the kid a chance, have a little patience.

You might want to reread the thread. Most here, including me are saying this is where we see him at the moment. In other words, right now, his game puts him at the level of very good backup QB. No one is saying this is where he tops out. I think he might top out there. In fact, I would even bet that he only has about another 10-15 percent improvement. But, not even I am saying that's a guarantee and I'm willing to wait and see.

[teegre]

Are you confident that he will get there? And if so, do you think there’s a reasonable strategy for how to get him there as quickly as possible?

He also needs to be able to read the ENTIRE field a lot faster and make decisions. I am confident that Mason will be good at that eventually, but I’ve never really paid much attention to how long it usually takes a young QB to master this.

I’m sure some guys came into the league doing it well... like Andrew Luck. Big Ben seemed to take awhile before he could read the entire field quickly. But he had the advantage/disadvantage that his physical skill set allowed him to hold onto the ball much longer than any sane QB would, and still make a play... or take a sack. But I’m guessing he used his physical abilities as a crutch for a while and it slowed his NEED to read and react instantly.

Mason doesn’t have Ben’s crutch. And therefore doesn’t have the luxury of being slow to master this part of the game. So how steep do we think Rudy’s learning curve is?

If Rudolph had a good QB coach (which he hired on his own), then he will indeed improve. The hard part is that players tend to revert back to bad habits when under duress. Then again, Tiki Barber was a fumbling machine, got some good advice, and then ripped off a few Pro bowl seasons.

As always, I'm optimistic. (Duh. LOL)

It also does not help that his OC falls in love with two plays, and runs them into the ground (i.e. until the defense keys in on those plays & eliminates them by the second half).

[FrancoLambert]

You might want to reread the thread. Most here, including me are saying this is where we see him at the moment. In other words, right now, his game puts him at the level of very good backup QB. No one is saying this is where he tops out. I think he might top out there. In fact, I would even bet that he only has about another 10-15 percent improvement. But, not even I am saying that's a guarantee and I'm willing to wait and see.

Thanks for the tip; I did reread the thread. You should do the same..
The OP sees Rudolph as a fringe starter and a good backup. Another poster asks if he might be the next franchise guy. Your own post describes him as a guy you’d keep around for the next decade as a backup.

They’re posts projecting his future not just his present level of QB play.

[86WARD]

Things wrong with Rudolph:

• He hangs in the pocket to the point where he can’t get full motion on a throw because the O-Line isn’t giving him much time.

• He doesn’t have that pocket presence sense that a lot of QBs seem to have...its only a matter of time before he takes a hit from behind that rocks him.

• May be because of above but a lot of his throws are one of three things: too high, too short, take too long to arrive. I don’t think I’ve seen him hit a receiver in stride other than maybe the Diontae Johnson TD. ???

• At some point, the check downs are going to need to stop...or maybe the receivers (and offense) just aren’t good enough to get people open. I tend to think that that is more of the problem then Mason.

[Mojouw]

Things wrong with Rudolph:

• He hangs in the pocket to the point where he can’t get full motion on a throw because the O-Line isn’t giving him much time.

• He doesn’t have that pocket presence sense that a lot of QBs seem to have...its only a matter of time before he takes a hit from behind that rocks him.

• May be because of above but a lot of his throws are one of three things: too high, too short, take too long to arrive. I don’t think I’ve seen him hit a receiver in stride other than maybe the Diontae Johnson TD. ???

• At some point, the check downs are going to need to stop...or maybe the receivers (and offense) just aren’t good enough to get people open. I tend to think that that is more of the problem then Mason.

No idea if I am right, but I see the -TOTAL opposite of that. Line is giving him acceptable to staggering amounts of time and Rudolph still holds the ball. Agree on pocket presence. THe check downs, I would be wiling to bet money, are 70+% on Rudolph not taking risks and hamstringing the offense by his inability to throw anything but fluttering ducks over 15 yards.

[Craic]

Thanks for the tip; I did reread the thread. You should do the same..
The OP sees Rudolph as a fringe starter and a good backup. Another poster asks if he might be the next franchise guy. Your own post describes him as a guy you’d keep around for the next decade as a backup.

They’re posts projecting his future not just his present level of QB play.

[EDIT] Original post was too snarky. Sorry. It was unwarranted. After having to watch ever word I post at work (Most of my courses are online), I tend to just let it roll when I don't have to be so on top of every post. Sorry.

I'll repost all posts here and bold/explain the "at the moment" I see in them.

So far I would agree with you. But with that said, I would also think he's a guy I'd want to keep around for the next decade as the backup. He definitely has the skills for it and most-likely, the type of mind that can really help starting QBs in this league as well. In short, he looks to be a rich-man's Landry Jones. And, as a back-up or spot starter, that is not a bad thing at all. Jones wasn't bad. He just couldn't go out and win a game for you. I think Rudolph will be able to do that some. Just not enough to be an everyday starter. Then again, it's still his first year playing, so let's see.

See that last line? That means: "This is all predicated on what we're seeing right now and I realize it's only his first year. So, let's wait and see what he really does."

Rudolph has two wins, and they were over winless teams ( Miami and Cincinnati ). He has a defense producing turnovers and Boswell back on form.


I still don't see him as much more than a fringe starter in the NFL or good back up. His arm is average. He can't zip it between defenders down the field. His accuracy to hit moving targets isn't good. This is a reason why I think he holds the ball for as long as he does at times.


Having said that, he can really show the organization something if he can beat the Colts at home as we are thin right now at running back. A win here and we are back in the division race.

See that last line? That means: "The above is what he is right now (and it's an accurate assessment), but he can still prove himself to the organization." In other words, we're not seeing his ceiling.

One thing we did learn about Rudolph is that he has mental toughness. I’m glad we got to see how he reacts to being in a 14 point hole and beeing booed by the home crowd.

Of course it takes a lot more than mental toughness to be a successful QB, but at least I’m not worried about pushing him to hit his ceiling as quickly as possible. He won’t get shell shocked from being thrown into the fire.

I’m confident he’ll get better at seeing the field and making quicker decisions with each passing week. I just hope we see better footwork and zip on the ball. He doesn’t seem like a guy who can make those off balance throws using just his upper body strength the way Ben can.

Seems pretty clear that is a statement about what he can achieve going forward and as such, the rest is about what he is right now.

I support Rudolph the same as any backup QB for the Steelers. If Landry Jones or Josh Dobbs were still in there I would be 100% for their success. I haven't seen anything from Rudolph yet that makes me think he is more than Ben's backup moving forward though. It has only been 4 games with a concussion so yes he still has plenty of time to prove himself and I hope he does. I want too much for Rudolph to be the next franchise guy(had hope for Jones at one time too) but he has to earn it. Not just because he was the plan. This game will be a prove it game for Rudolph true, so will the rest of this season and post season.

See that word, "yet"? That means, "Up to this point. (or, at the moment)." And, even if you missed that, the next bolded section seems pretty intent on letting him develop.

Mental toughness is the foundation that goes into being a successful player in the NFL. Nothing else matters if you don’t have it upstairs.

As we have witnesses, Mason isn’t a gifted athlete or a jock. He’s a brain, and we have already seen the advantage/flaw that comes with it. Mason will not make the stupid game-killing mistake, but he takes a while to make a decision. He’s indecisive right now. He doesn’t lack confidence, he just thinks a little too hard about things instead of just doing them. This will cost him because he lacks the raw physical talent to make up for it.

Ben can hold onto the ball forever and get away with it because in his prime, the guy was the master of the Houdini act when the play broke down.

Mason’s best chance is punching up his game clock. He has no chance otherwise.

Granted, this one is a bit harsher, but even so, Edman nuanced it with "right now." In other words, it can change going forward. So, the post is about him at the moment. This assessment is what we're currently seeing. Not what will be for all time. As for his latter sentence in this paragraph, talent shows itself rather quickly. It's the skills to play at this level that takes time to develop.

All true. But not having the natural physical abilities will always cut into his odds of greatness.

If we have any shot at actually making the playoffs, Rudolph will really have to be on a steep learning curve. The odds might be long, but the only way I see us doing it, is managing to stack wins while also maximizing his growth.

The Dolphins game was the perfect example of how to do that. But obviously there will be a lot less room for error and recovery against better teams.

I’ll admit that I don’t know the exact balance to hit when it comes to play calling going forward. I just know that at some point we’re gonna need him to do a lot more than just not lose the game for us. So I’m inclined to take more chances to maximize his growth quickly.

Seems to me this post is talking about him improving and helping him improve. That means he's not being assessed as a finished product, but rather, at the moment.

It would be a severe miss for a third round pick (with a first round grade) if all he ends up being is a career back up.

And Ben will have turned out to be absolutely correct. lol

This was just a response to me on whether a third round pick as a backup would be a miss or not. It has no bearing on whether HS or I believe he WILL be a career backup.

We need Rudy to be our future starter and Hodges is good enough to be the back up for years to come.

Seems pretty positive to me. Not even an at the moment assessment, just a hope he's the starter of the future.

I need to see some stuff “click” for him. Even struggling rookies that turn out to be nice starters have some “click” moments.

See the bold? This means, "at the moment, it hasn't" So, 86WARD wants to see it happen going forward.

Rudolph trying to use his arm “only”: our current situation

Rudolph moving his feel, aligning his shoulders, and stepping into his throws: the QB of our future

I didn't even bold this one. teegre helped out by bolding his own posts! First one is "at the moment." Second one is "future star."

Are you confident that he will get there? And if so, do you think there’s a reasonable strategy for how to get him there as quickly as possible?

He also needs to be able to read the ENTIRE field a lot faster and make decisions. I am confident that Mason will be good at that eventually, but I’ve never really paid much attention to how long it usually takes a young QB to master this.

I’m sure some guys came into the league doing it well... like Andrew Luck. Big Ben seemed to take awhile before he could read the entire field quickly. But he had the advantage/disadvantage that his physical skill set allowed him to hold onto the ball much longer than any sane QB would, and still make a play... or take a sack. But I’m guessing he used his physical abilities as a crutch for a while and it slowed his NEED to read and react instantly.

Mason doesn’t have Ben’s crutch. And therefore doesn’t have the luxury of being slow to master this part of the game. So how steep do we think Rudy’s learning curve is?

Once again, this means, "at the moment" he isn't good at reading the entire field at a fast(er) pace.

-----------
And that is every post pertinent to Rudolph's level of play until your post to which I responded. And, that's why I said to reread the posts. They're all "at the moment" type posts and, if he continues at this level here's what he'll be going forward." That's vastly different than stating, "He sucks and will always suck." Or, "he simply does not have the skills to be a starter and never will."

[Edman]

At some point, the check downs are going to need to stop...or maybe the receivers (and offense) just aren’t good enough to get people open. I tend to think that that is more of the problem then Mason.

In the Offseason, the Offense was fine-tuned and customized with Ben in mind. Mason wasn't even a passing mention. As far Mason was concerned, the Steelers were banking on him coming in near the end of games in blowouts and hand the ball off, or if anything should happen to Ben, Mason would just hold it down until Ben returned. Except that didn't happen.

Compare Pat Mahomes back in 2018. Mahomes may have been a second year quarterback, but going into that season he was the new man in Kansas City, and the Chiefs built their Offense around him. Mason was the 2019 backup, and he's playing exactly like he is: the backup. Except Mason isn't the backup. He's the starter from now until the end. Mason is being asked to gain veteran experience within a few weeks.

Mason's situation is basically being thrown into the ocean without a life raft. It's what happens when you stick what is basically an on-the-fly backup quarterback with no offseason reps and a non-Ben skillset into an Offense specifically designed for Big Ben.

[RunNGun]

Things wrong with Rudolph:

• He hangs in the pocket to the point where he can’t get full motion on a throw because the O-Line isn’t giving him much time.

• He doesn’t have that pocket presence sense that a lot of QBs seem to have...its only a matter of time before he takes a hit from behind that rocks him.

• May be because of above but a lot of his throws are one of three things: too high, too short, take too long to arrive. I don’t think I’ve seen him hit a receiver in stride other than maybe the Diontae Johnson TD. ???

• At some point, the check downs are going to need to stop...or maybe the receivers (and offense) just aren’t good enough to get people open. I tend to think that that is more of the problem then Mason.

Imo, his strongest asset is his pocket presence. He hangs in there very well. It actually reminds me of Brady's pocket presence.

His weaknesses right now are his inability to read a defense and be decisive. The Oline is giving him plenty of time. It reminds me of when Ben was a rookie and he lead the league in getting sacked, but most of it was due to Ben hanging onto the ball too long.

His other weakness is his arm strength. He really needs to step into his throws to get zip on the ball. I do see a lot of potential in Rudolph, but I could just as easily see him be a career backup.

[pczach]

In the Offseason, the Offense was fine-tuned and customized with Ben in mind. Mason wasn't even a passing mention. As far Mason was concerned, the Steelers were banking on him coming in near the end of games in blowouts and hand the ball off, or if anything should happen to Ben, Mason would just hold it down until Ben returned. Except that didn't happen.

Compare Pat Mahomes back in 2018. Mahomes may have been a second year quarterback, but going into that season he was the new man in Kansas City, and the Chiefs built their Offense around him. Mason was the 2019 backup, and he's playing exactly like he is: the backup. Except Mason isn't the backup. He's the starter from now until the end. Mason is being asked to gain veteran experience within a few weeks.

Mason's situation is basically being thrown into the ocean without a life raft. It's what happens when you stick what is basically an on-the-fly backup quarterback with no offseason reps and a non-Ben skillset into an Offense specifically designed for Big Ben.

I agree.

Rudolph hasn't gotten tons of time getting reps in practice. He was the third string quarterback his entire rookie year, then Ben goes down early this year. He is getting great in-game experience, and he is seeing many things for the first time. There is a huge difference between knowing everything in the playbook and being able to draw every play up on the chalkboard, and trying to execute every one of those same plays when you haven't done it in live action, while simultaneously having to diagnose every defensive scheme pre-snap, locate blitzers, change protections at the LOS, identify safeties pre-snap and after snap, move safeties with your eyes, etc...etc... It's all new to him because he is experiencing it for the first time.

I think the biggest leap he will take in improvement will come from the end of this season to the beginning of next season. He needs a full training camp to really get things right in his head and to get all those reps. His recognition should be much better, and he should see the field much better and be more at ease in the pocket and more comfortable with the speed of the game and merging the knowledge of the playbook with the on-field play and where all his weapons are on the field in regard to the defense he is up against. More things should just click for him when he can apply what he learned this year. Even if Ben comes back and is able to play, the offseason and training camp will be a great opportunity to better grasp and execute everything he couldn't do this year.

Many people just don't seem to understand how hard it is to do what he is attempting to do. There are only a handful of people on the planet that are able to do it at a high level at any one time. I'm willing to give him more time to work on his craft.

[HollywoodSteel]

I agree.

Rudolph hasn't gotten tons of time getting reps in practice. He was the third string quarterback his entire rookie year, then Ben goes down early this year. He is getting great in-game experience, and he is seeing many things for the first time. There is a huge difference between knowing everything in the playbook and being able to draw every play up on the chalkboard, and trying to execute every one of those same plays when you haven't done it in live action, while simultaneously having to diagnose every defensive scheme pre-snap, locate blitzers, change protections at the LOS, identify safeties pre-snap and after snap, move safeties with your eyes, etc...etc... It's all new to him because he is experiencing it for the first time.

I think the biggest leap he will take in improvement will come from the end of this season to the beginning of next season. He needs a full training camp to really get things right in his head and to get all those reps. His recognition should be much better, and he should see the field much better and be more at ease in the pocket and more comfortable with the speed of the game and merging the knowledge of the playbook with the on-field play and where all his weapons are on the field in regard to the defense he is up against. More things should just click for him when he can apply what he learned this year. Even if Ben comes back and is able to play, the offseason and training camp will be a great opportunity to better grasp and execute everything he couldn't do this year.

Many people just don't seem to understand how hard it is to do what he is attempting to do. There are only a handful of people on the planet that are able to do it at a high level at any one time. I'm willing to give him more time to work on his craft.

All true.

To be clear most of my points are really about maximizing Rudolph’s growth this season because I really want this season to be relevant. And relevant means a chance at a Super Bowl.

Even if that’s not a reasonable expectation, it’s still a possibility until it isn’t, but only if Rudolph takes huge strides towards his ceiling quickly.

I’m definitely pleased with his progress. I’m not gonna predict what his ceiling actually is. But I will hold out hope.

[86WARD]

Imo, his strongest asset is his pocket presence. He hangs in there very well. It actually reminds me of Brady's pocket presence.

His weaknesses right now are his inability to read a defense and be decisive. The Oline is giving him plenty of time. It reminds me of when Ben was a rookie and he lead the league in getting sacked, but most of it was due to Ben hanging onto the ball too long.

His other weakness is his arm strength. He really needs to step into his throws to get zip on the ball. I do see a lot of potential in Rudolph, but I could just as easily see him be a career backup.

He hangs in the pocket and that’s great, but he hangs in the pocket at times to the point where 9-10 guys are surrounding him and he can’t get full motion on his pass and the ball either goes too high, throws a Duck or hits the ground before the receiver. How many times has he thrown high, low or behind receivers? He’s done it a lot and maybe over time it will get better but I don’t recall seeing any QB with the pocket closing around him as much as it does to Rudolph...if that makes sense.

[pczach]

All true.

To be clear most of my points are really about maximizing Rudolph’s growth this season because I really want this season to be relevant. And relevant means a chance at a Super Bowl.

Even if that’s not a reasonable expectation, it’s still a possibility until it isn’t, but only if Rudolph takes huge strides towards his ceiling quickly.

I’m definitely pleased with his progress. I’m not gonna predict what his ceiling actually is. But I will hold out hope.

I still think he is going to improve as the season goes on, but we also have to remember that he may take steps back before moving forward at times. Being able to get all the snaps at practice is huge for him, but he is still at the point in his career where he is seeing certain looks for the first time. He is going to get confused by things he sees and have trouble identifying coverages and blitzes. He really needs to start trusting what he sees and be able to deliver the ball down the field. He is very good at the short passing game, but he falls back to that because he either doesn't see where he needs to go with the ball through recognition or he simply is too cautious and doesn't like to make tight throws into coverage. An NFL quarterback needs to be able to make tight throws into tight coverage and trust receivers to make plays. If he gains confidence and loses that concern about forcing balls, his downfield accuracy will also get better. It works hand in hand.

With all that said, I still believe that another off-season and training camp will really help him apply what he has learned in live action stick with him and help make quicker, better decisions on where to go with the ball. Every single quarterback that ever played knows where to go with the ball when looking at the playbook. It's applying that knowledge under fire based on what they are seeing before and after the snap, and under extreme duress while having to move and try to throw accurately.

I'm sure you already know a lot of what I just said, but just the ability to keep your eyes down field while you are getting hit over and over again isn't a natural reaction for most people. He seems to do that very well to this point and shows some qualities that are required to be a good quarterback, but he still has much more to improve on to become a very good quarterback. From everything we hear, he's a really hard worker and a student of the game. He isn't an immense talent physically, so he needs to maximize the mental parts of the game, and have the confidence to put the ball where it needs to be using his own physical skills and anticipation.

Reps are going to help him, but it isn't an exact science figuring out what a quarterback's ceiling is. There are so many factors that go into it, and many of those factors are things that aren't quantifiable. The skillset has to be vast to be able to play at a high level.

I know we all hope he continues to grow and ultimately becomes a franchise quarterback that can challenge the entire field. We will see what happens as this all unfolds. I still believe he will get considerably better and more consistent in time.

[pczach]

He hangs in the pocket and that’s great, but he hangs in the pocket at times to the point where 9-10 guys are surrounding him and he can’t get full motion on his pass and the ball either goes too high, throws a Duck or hits the ground before the receiver. How many times has he thrown high, low or behind receivers? He’s done it a lot and maybe over time it will get better but I don’t recall seeing any QB with the pocket closing around him as much as it does to Rudolph...if that makes sense.

I hear what you are saying. You are correct. He hangs onto the ball too long at times because it appears he still wants to see receivers get open rather than throwing them open with anticipation. That's going to be a huge step for him if he gets to that point where he can just release the ball on time rather than holding it like he does now. The great news is that he is careful with the football. He takes care of the ball and isn't a turnover machine like many young quarterbacks are. He needs to get a little more aggressive and he needs to be able to anticipate. If he does that, he won't constantly be throwing out of that hole all the time, he will get rid of the ball more quickly, he won't get hit as often, and he will throw the ball with more force and accuracy because he will be able to take a more relaxed and natural stride to deliver the ball.

Anticipation and recognition is everything to a quarterback. It's what separates very good and great quarterbacks from decent to bad ones that don't have elite athleticism. If he gets better at that, I believe he will become a very good quarterback. If he doesn't, he will probably become just a more consistently good and slightly more advanced version of what we see right now.

It's still important to remember that he was the third sting QB hardly getting any work with #1's until the end of this preseason. He simply hasn't gotten as many reps as you would like at this point of his career. That's why I think there is still a good chance that he will improve significantly. He only has 5 starts in his career. I don't think we are looking at a finished product by any means.