Home Steelers Offseason Pittsburgh Could Be Surprise Package in NFL Next Season

Pittsburgh Could Be Surprise Package in NFL Next Season

by SCB 2019
steelcityblitz.com

It is going to be a new era in Pittsburgh next season as, after 18 years, Ben
Roethlisberger will no longer be the starting quarterback for the Steelers. It is
expected that Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins will compete to be his
replacement.
Rudolph

The former first round pick retired after the 2021/22 season, putting an end to a
fantastic career in the league. The two-time Super Bowl winner is sure to be a
future Hall of Famer in the NFL. He has also gone down in franchise history,
breaking numerous records during his time with the Black and Gold.

Expectations in Pittsburgh are likely to be much lower in 2022 on the back of Big
Ben’s exit. His consistency at QB has helped them reach the playoffs in six of the
last eight seasons. They reached the postseason once again in the latest campaign,
losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card Round.

Betting has already opened up in the 2022/23 season and Pittsburgh are as big as
+4000 in the outright betting for the Vince Lombardi Trophy in 2023. The
oddsmakers have them penciled in as one of the big outsiders for the Super
Bowl. Although a run towards the Super Bowl is likely to be a big ask, Pittsburgh
may be able to outrun their odds. They are a team that could interest sports bettors
in the point spread in their games next season. The Steelers are likely to be the
underdogs in a majority of their contests and therefore will receive points from
their rivals in the spread market.

Rudolph and Haskins Have Potential to Do Well in This
Steelers Team

In Rudolph and Haskins, the Steelers have two players who will feel they have a
lot to prove in the NFL. Both have shown a lot of promise when they have been
starters, but they have also had difficult moments.

Rudolph has played 17 times already for Pittsburgh, 10 of those were as a starter.
He stood in for Big Ben in 2019 when Roethlisberger was out for a large part of
the season due to an injury. The third round pick from the 2018 NFL Draft has a
winning record in the team at 5-4-1.

In many ways, Rudolph would be a smooth transition from the Steelers legend. He
is a QB who stays in the pocket as much as possible (but has shown he can scramble when necessary) and has a decent arm down when he throws down the field. Given he has been with the franchise for four years
now, he also knows the roster very well.

Haskins, on the other hand, is a much different QB to Roethlisberger and Rudolph.
He is even more of a pocket passer than they are and is often mistaken for a “running QB” which he is not. He relies on his big arm to move the offense down the field.
Haskins. steelcityblitz.com
Washington drafted Haskins in the first round of the draft in 2019. They expected
him to be their next franchise quarterback. Ultimately it was disciplinary problems
that let him down with the NFC East team. Tomlin could be the right head coach to
get the best out of the former Ohio State player.

Whoever does win the starting QB job in 2022 has a great opportunity to make this
team their own. They also have the ability to lead the Steelers back into the
postseason.

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