Latest news with #SkylarThompson
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2 days ago
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Mason Rudolph, Skylar Thompson shine for Steelers in preseason opener
Aaron Rodgers recently said "preseason football is not necessarily real football." And he's right. Still, in August, preseason football is the closest thing we have to real football. And, on Saturday night, the two Steelers quarterbacks who played against the Jaguars did a pretty good job playing not necessarily real football. With Mason Rudolph taking only 15 snaps and Skylar Thompson handling 51, both performed very well. Rudolph, who got the start, completed nine of 10 passes for 84 yards and a touchdown. Passer rating? 135.0. With rookie Will Howard injured, Thompson handled the rest of the game. He completed 20 of 28 passes, generating 233 yards and three touchdown passes. Rating? 132.0. "Good to be back in the black and gold, man," Rudolph said after the game in a one-question press conference. (It was one more question than coach Mike Tomlin got.) Ideally, neither Rudolph nor Thompson (nor Howard) will handle anything more than garbage time this season. But maybe, if one or more of them are needed to play, the cause won't already be lost.
Yahoo
2 days ago
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Steelers QB Mason Rudolph masterful in Arthur Smith's offense
The Pittsburgh Steelers have put in a lot of work this offseason to rebuild the offense. And despite most of those new faces not being in uniform Saturday night against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the passing game was highly efficient with Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson running the show. Rudolph started the game, and he was almost surgical, going 9-for-10 for 80 yards and a beautiful touchdown pass to tight end Darnell Washington. Thompson followed him, playing all of the second half and around half of the second quarter and the offense didn't miss a beat. Thompson finished with 233 passing yards on 20-of-28 passing and three more passing touchdowns. Neither quarterback threw an interception. What really stood out was how Rudolph and Thompson went about it. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has clearly opened things up compared to last season and this was no more evident than in the team's willingness to throw to the middle of the field. Last season, Smith basically cut off half the field in the passing game by refusing to scheme plays between the hashes. This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers QB Mason Rudolph masterful in Arthur Smith's offense
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2 days ago
- Sport
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Steelers backups look sharp in win over Jaguars
For much of training camp, the Pittsburgh Steelers defense has stolen the show and outplayed the offense consistently until the last few days of practice. On Saturday night, against the Jacksonville Jaguars, it was the offense that stole the show en route to a 31-25 win over the Jags. Led by No. 2 quarterback Mason Rudolph, the Steelers offense came out hot and even when he was replaced by Skylar Thompson, the passing offense worked. The tandem combined for 317 passing yards without wide receiver DK Metcalf or tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith in the lineup. They also combined for four passing touchdowns and neither player threw a pick. The rushing offense was less productive but it feels like once we get a chance to dig into the film of this game, that's going to fall on the offensive line far more than the backs. The front did a nice job in pass protection but there were problems with the backs having lanes to run. Defensively, the absence of the team's two best edge defenders, its best defensive lineman and the team's three top cornerbacks really showed. The defenders who did play were a mixed bag, falling somewhere between safety Juan Thornhill who made several big plays down to rookie edge defender Jack Sawyer, who struggled all game long. Next up for the Steelers are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who come to town for joint practices ahead of their Week Two showdown on August 16. This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers backups look sharp in win over Jaguars
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
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Steelers' Depth Shines in Preseason Win over Jaguars
This article originally appeared on The Pittsburgh Steelers did not play very many of their starters in the preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday, and the starters that did play, and the backups that replaced them didn't do a whole lot. But the Steelers' depth came through, with fourth-string quarterback Skylar Thompson throwing three touchdowns to lead the Steelers to a 31-25 victory. With Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, Calvin Austin III, Pat Freiermuth, Jonnu Smith and Jaylen Warren on the sideline, Mason Rudolph took a makeshift first-team offense right down the field for an opening-drive score. On the Steelers' first offensive drive, Rudolph completed passes to Roman Wilson (19 yards), Ben Skowronek (3 yards), Brandon Johnson (5 yards), Scotty Miller (5 yards), Robert Woods (5 yards) and then went up the seam to Darnell Washington for a 19-yard touchdown. Click here to read more from Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
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3 days ago
- Sport
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Steelers QB to Miss Out on Valuable Preseason Opportunities
It looks as if Will Howard won't see any action this preseason. The Pittsburgh Steelers' rookie quarterback left practice early on Tuesday, riding toward the locker room on the front of a cart. The Ohio State product's hand injury will keep him from throwing for a little while. 'Steelers rookie QB Will Howard, who banged his throwing hand in practice, suffered a fractured small bone in his hand, sources say,' NFL insider Ian Rapoport wrote on Threads. 'He's having additional tests, but it's likely no surgery is required. He's expected to miss at least 3 weeks, but more info coming.' Howard's situation provides a chance for Skylar Thompson to get some more reps after slotting in for him during the remainder of Tuesday's session. Howard had climbed above Thompson to take the No. 3 spot on the Steelers' initial depth chart, released earlier in the morning. Howard was preparing to see a good bit of action when the Steelers visit the Jacksonville Jaguars to open their preseason slate on Saturday. 'I think it was a (center-quarterback) exchange,' Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said after practice. 'But I didn't have direct eyes on it, so I'm speculating.' Howard passed for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for the Buckeyes last season, helping them to a College Football Playoff national championship. Steelers fans have welcomed him with open arms, cheering as he took his snaps during practices. 'I'm just trying to go out there and execute,' Howard said of the fanfare. 'I genuinely did not know (the cheers) were for me. I thought it was like Joey Porter did something on the sideline or Troy (Polamalu) or something. That's cool.' This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers QB to Miss Out on Valuable Preseason Opportunities Related Headlines Best Ever? Juan Thornhill Sets High Standard for Steelers Defense Steelers First-Round Pick Derrick Harmon Misses Practice with Injury Aaron Rodgers Building Rapport with Steelers OC Arthur Smith: 'I've Just Really Enjoyed Him as a Person' Bengals Will Wear Alternate Uniforms vs. Steelers in Week 7
