Tag: mason rudolph

Myles Garrett starts a brawl after hitting Mason Rudolph with his own helmet

One of the most unacceptable incidents in the NFL in recent memory.

The NFL has hit a new low.

Myles Garrett created a violent rampage in the final moments of the fourth quarter in the Cleveland Browns’ win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football. After one of the final plays, Garrett ripped the helmet off quarterback Mason Rudolph and used the helmet as a weapon to strike Rudolph in the head. In response, Steelers offensive linemen began punching and kicking Garrett in the head while scrums began to break out over the field.

It was one of the most violent and disgustingly displays in the NFL — and in professional sports — in recent memory. Garrett will doubtlessly receive a large suspension for his actions — and it’s clearly deserved. His rage was completely out of control.

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The Browns had another piece of dirty play on Thursday, with safety Damarious Randall delivering a dirty helmet-to-helmet hit on receiver Diontae Johnson, who was left bleeding from his ear.

The reaction on Twitter was decisive and tumultuous. No one could believe what they were seeing. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes even weighed in on the insanity.

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7 waiver wire pickups in fantasy football for Week 11

Target these players on the waiver wire in Week 11.

This NFL season has been more unpredictable than any year I can remember. Constant injuries to big-name players and then even injuries to their backups have provided little room for consistency. When it comes to fantasy football, this has been the dagger for most people who thought they drafted the perfect team.

It goes to show that fantasy football is a gamble. You never really know what a player is going to do week to week and we all know projected points mean less and less each week. However it is Week 11 and for those of you who have not quit your leagues altogether, it may not be too late.

With Green Bay, Tennessee, New York (Giants) and Seattle all on a bye, here are your waiver wire pickups for Week 11 to help you make that playoff push:

(Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)

WR James Washington — 18.3% rostered (ESPN)

With the revolving door of quarterbacks in Pittsburgh this season, James Washington has not had the breakout sophomore season everyone predicted. On Sunday against the rams, however, the Oklahoma State product connection finally flourished between Washington and quarterback Mason Rudolph.

Washington finished the day with six catches for 90 yards and a touchdown. As the Steelers keep winning games and having success throwing the ball, look for Washington to be included more and more in this young offense. The Steelers travel to Cleveland to face the Browns on Thursday night.

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Steelers Week 10 gut reactions

The Pittsburgh Steelers found a way to win their fourth straight game.

It was ugly but the Pittsburgh Steelers managed to pull off their fourth straight win with a 17-12 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. The game was hard to watch with the two teams combining for 24 penalties, six turnovers and displaying poor offenses. That being said, here are my gut reactions.

I mentioned the high amount of penalties already, but the offense was absolutely horrid. I’m going to come out and say it. People that are saying Mason Rudolph’s development is similar to Ben Roethlisberger his rookie season are wrong. Rudolph was essentially given the whole 2019 season to prove to the fans, coaches, ownership and his peers that he was the Steelers quarterback of the future, and if anything, there are more questions now about his future than in Week 2. When Roethlisberger was a rookie, he entered his first game in Week 2 at the Ravens and including the playoffs, the Steelers rattled off 15 straight wins on their way to losing the AFC championship game.

Looking back at that season, Roethlisberger was more limited in his pass attempts. Rudolph had 38 attempts Sunday and seems to be limited in effectiveness and productivity. Roethlisberger was assisted by an effective running game, something Rudolph has not been lucky enough to experience. The Steelers averaged 1.6 yards per rush, and the team’s longest run was 8 yards. Rudolph and Roethlisberger are alike in that both have been bolstered by dominate defenses while they attempt to get their footing as an NFL quarterback. Their on-field performances far from parallel one another.

Now that I’ve lashed out at Rudolph’s poor performance, I have to say there’s plenty of blame to go around. The Steelers as a team have not been consistent receivers for Rudolph. Drops are too common. He doesn’t have a run game to set him up in third-and-short situations on a regular basis and just to top things off, if the Steelers manage to move the ball, they usually end up off-setting their production with offensive penalties.

No running game, no receivers, and too many penalties are not the ideal situation for a young quarterback to flourish in. It’s a frustrating situation, which is only emphasized every week because of the defense’s stellar play. When Minkah Fitzpatrick is the Steelers’ best offensive weapon and he’s on defense, changes need to be made.

As bad as the offense has been, the defense continues to impress. They won the turnover battle for the eighth straight game and limited an inconsistent Rams offense to three points. Week 10 was so difficult to pallet, partially because the Steelers offense let the Rams score nine points while the defense held them to three. The defense consistently made big plays, tallying four sacks, four takeaways, three fumbles by the opposing quarterback and a defensive touchdown.

Fitzpatrick has been clutch and showcased rare awareness and ball skills. T.J. Watt entered the game as the highest-graded edge rusher in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus, one point above the Chicago Bears’ Khalil Mack. Watt tallied five tackles and two sacks against the Rams. Steve Nelson has been a shutdown corner across from Joe Haden, helping shut out Cooper Kupp on Sunday.

Just to top it off, defensive captain Cameron Heyward entered the day as the third-highest graded interior defensive lineman at PFF and was extremely disruptive. He had three tackles, a sack, two passes defended, and three of the Steelers’ nine quarterback hits. Even that impressive stat line doesn’t sum up just how dominant he was at the point of attack. With the Steelers winning four in a row, the NFL has to wonder just how good this defense truly is.

The Steelers leave the friendly confines of Heinz Field on a short week to play the Cleveland Browns on national TV Thursday night. The Browns got their third win of the year in Week 10 at home against a surging Buffalo Bills team. But their offensive line has been extremely shaky, which has forced Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield force the ball downfield under pressure. Mayfield is second in the NFL with 12 interceptions thrown. Don’t look now, but the Steelers are vying for an AFC wild-card spot.

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Steelers HC Mike Tomlin takes heat for play call that cost team a safety

The Steelers have allowed a safety in two straight games.

For the second week in a row, the Pittsburgh Steelers gave up a safety. Last week against the Indianapolis Colts the blame for the safety fell squarely on the shoulders of quarterback Mason Rudolph. But this week against the Los Angeles Rams, it really felt like the play call was wrong in that situation.

And as we all know, when it comes to offensive playcalling, it is offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner who bears the brunt of the hate from fans. But head coach Mike Tomlin, in his postgame press conference, make it clear this call was on him, not on Fichtner.

As unfortunate as the outcome was, it’s hard to get too down about the call regardless of who it was. The Steelers continue to scramble to try to manufacture offense, especially in the passing game. I have to believe if James Conner had been in the lineup, this scenario goes very differently.

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