The Imaginary Crown

by Aubrey Bruce, For New Pittsburgh Courier

August 26, 2022

 

 

On Saturday, Aug. 20, the Steelers traveled to play the Jaguars in Jacksonville. The Steelers prevailed by a score of 16-15. Immediately after the game concluded, a concerted effort was made by a few prognosticators to anoint the Steelers’ backup QB, Mason Rudolph, as a crown prince in the Steelers’ royal court when they realized that Rudolph was no longer worthy of sitting on the QB throne of the men of steel.

 

 

 

A few folks armed with pens of platinum filled with gold ink took issue at the analysis of Rudolph’s performance by his boss, Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin. The following was posted on a USA Today blog site as part of their postgame report: “Rudolph’s entire performance in the second half was very good. Rudolph showed confidence with the football and an excellent command of the offense. In one half of action, Rudolph threw for 127 yards on 17-for-21 passing and one passing touchdown. After the game, Tomlin was hesitant to offer any praise for Rudolph’s performance instead of playing it off as a ‘varsity guy in a JV game.’ If I were Rudolph, I would take exception to this characterization. All his offensive teammates were JV and let’s be honest, some worse and he elevated their play. This is the mark of a great quarterback and Rudolph did it. You can bet that the level of talent around wouldn’t have come up if he hasn’t played well.”

 

Wait a damn minute! How could anyone suggest that a person, place, or thing take exception to the truth? Mason Rudolph has had many opportunities during the past few years to elevate his play to the varsity level when he was truly a junior varsity player, performing with the varsity team and failing.

 

Ladies and gentlemen, the only time that any player can be evaluated honestly is when they are competing against an opponent’s best. Many of the Jacksonville Jaguars players that Rudolph competed against were second and maybe a few third-string players with questionable talent, that may even as I write this column, be headed back to a cashier’s gig at their local grocery store. Playing quarterback or any other position in the NFL is not a birthright, it is a privilege! Ex-Steelers and current Cleveland Browns QB Joshua Dobbs did not receive the same opportunities (at least not on the surface anyway), to ascend to a stable quarterback position on the roster of the Steelers as was Mason Rudolph or his predecessor, Landry “the walking clipboard” Jones.

 

Given the legal trials and troubles that the newly acquired Cleveland Browns’ “zillion dollar” QB DeShaun Watson is facing, including an 11-game suspension and a hefty $5 million fine, Dobbs, a player that the Steelers rejected not once, but twice, now has the opportunity to open up the 2022 NFL season for the Browns as the number three QB. Pete Smith posted this report on Browns Digest on FanNation about the performance of Josh Dobbs in a close, 21-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles over the weekend: “Joshua Dobbs looks like he might have all but wrapped up the backup quarterback job behind Jacoby Brissett as he led the Cleveland Browns offense to a productive half of offense against the Philadelphia Eagles. In another productive preseason game, Dobbs was able to lead the Cleveland Browns offense to 20 points in the first half, which didn’t include a punt. Dobbs continues to put an effective play on tape as he makes his case to be the backup to Jacoby Brissett during Deshaun Watson’s 11-game suspension. Dobbs completed 14 of 20 passes for 141 yards and ran for 41 yards on the ground, including a wild 36-yard run during the first drive that cost him part of his undershirt. As in his first outing, Dobbs didn’t set the world on fire with his arm, but his ability to create and extend plays with his legs and effectively decipher the defense, it often looked easy.”

It is very difficult to imagine…no, correction…it is impossible to consider that Dobbs would have received such glowing press while he was a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. It’s easy to look good when the competition is lacking. If you want to stand out, go beat up on the big boys.

 

Aubrey Bruce can be reached at: 412.583.6741

aubreybruce@thesentinel.news or www,thesentinel.news

Courtesy of The New Pittsburgh Courier

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