The Steelers kicked off their regular-season finale against the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on Saturday under the worst possible weather conditions.

OK, it may not have been the worst, but the cold, rainy conditions certainly weren’t ideal. That was especially the case for a Pittsburgh team looking to keep its playoff hopes alive for another day while taking on a Ravens squad that had nothing to play for and would be resting several key starters–including quarterback Lamar Jackson.

How do you think Mason Rudolph was feeling at that point? Don’t lie, Saturday’s game just felt like it could have been the one that finally exposed Rudolph as a two-game wonder, didn’t it? After all, Rudolph wouldn’t have been the first backup or third-string quarterback to have a couple of good performances before he crashed back down to reality.

You add in Rudolph’s history, the stakes, the opponent and the weather, and let’s just say I was bracing for a Kenny Pickett to the rescue story. Don’t get me wrong, it would have been a nice story. Pickett, with his grit and moxie, coming in and saving the day after Rudolph melted in the rain and cold? It would have been quite the tale of redemption.

But Rudolph never did melt. Instead, he guided the Steelers offense–and the team–to a 17-10 victory. He completed 18 of 20 passes for 152 yards and a pivotal 71-yard touchdown strike to receiver Diontae Johnson on the very first play of the fourth quarter. That broke a 7-7 tie and proved to be the game-winner.

You might ask why Rudolph’s performance was so good. Almost half of his passing yards came on one play. He averaged less than five yards on the other 17 pass completions.

Rudolph just looked poised. He looked the part. He performed like a good quarterback playing in bad weather conditions. Yes, he fumbled three times, losing one, but he hung in the pocket. He didn’t bail. He trusted his offensive line to protect him. As a great man once said (yesterday, I believe): Scared money don’t make money.

Maybe Rudolph didn’t save his best for last. Maybe there is more greatness to come. The Steelers punched their playoff ticket on Sunday afternoon when the Titans upset the Jaguars.

The Steelers sure did it again, didn’t they? They rescued a season that was headed for certain disaster, and who was the hero? The guy with the new hairdo who now looks like Clark Kent, used to play like Clark Kent, but then discovered his super-human powers later in life. He then ducked away into a phone booth (or maybe a cellphone store–it is 2024, after all) and emerged with his cape and the S on his chest.

Rudolph is no longer the reindeer who delivered presents to everyone on Festivus. That’s more of an underdog story, and that’s who Rudolph was on December 23.

Superheroes aren’t underdogs. Superheroes come out of nowhere and save the day when nobody else can.

As it turned out, Mason Rudolph wasn’t a bird or a plane, he was the quarterback the Steelers needed to fight off their first losing season since 2003.

And maybe he can lead them to their first postseason win since 2016/2017.

Thank you, Superman.