By Jessica Costello
SteelerNation.com
There wasn't much doubt circling around the Pittsburgh Steelers before the 2019 season started. With the loss of their number one wide receiver, the Steelers had to adapt but it didn't look like much of a problem. There was still plenty to be optimistic about... so we thought.
After a Week 1 loss against the New England Patriots, the team's mediocre performance didn't quite worry fans yet. Week 2 brought more fear for the rest of the season when Ben Roethlisberger was ruled out for the rest of the season because of an elbow injury. Mason Rudolph was who the team turned to and he had a pretty solid performance going 12/19 for 112 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
With Rudolph's first official debut as the starting quarterback for Week 3, fans were anxious for the results. But like we saw yesterday, there were some times during the 24-20 loss against the San Francisco 49ers where Roethlisberger was missed.
While there were mixed reactions to Rudoph's performance, his team won't turn their backs on him anytime soon.
Guard Ramon Foster told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN:
Steelers OG Ramon Foster on teams stacking the box: "At one point (Rudolph's) going to start staggering, and then the are going to drop back...Gotta lot of faith in Mason. I don't question him one bit."
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) September 23, 2019
Foster continued to go on about the team's performance and potential.
Steelers OG Ramon Foster: "It's not like we're out here just getting blown out and it's a poop show. What we're dealing with right now is finding our identity. That takes some time sometimes." Added he's "all in on this year with Mason and that's just how we're gonna live."
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) September 23, 2019
His teammates have faith in Rudolph still, and rightfully so. It's way too early to tell if Rudolph doesn't have 'it' to lead the team as their franchise quarterback.
It is super obvious that there is an issue with the team working in unison. When the offense is hot, the defense is struggling, and vise versa.
Brooke Pryor of ESPN:
Steelers on both sides of the ball took the blame for not picking the other up in the loss:
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) September 23, 2019
Heyward: We didn’t get off the field enough. Sometimes we’ve just got to complement our offense.
DeCastro: We just didn’t complement the defense very well all day.
The Steelers are now tasked with the Cincinnati Bengals who have the same 0-3 record.
What do you think Steelers fans, will this team find their rhythm and produce a winning season? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
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