Rudolph magic has reversed the West Coast curse. Well, maybe I am getting a little carried away with that statement. Actually, Kenny Pickett lead the Steelers to victory in their first couple of road trips westward this season.

First they defeated their long time nemesis Raiders in Las Vegas. Then they defeated the Rams in Cali. However, beating the Seahawks in Seattle is on another level. Rudolph looked calm, cool, and collected in a game the Steelers couldn’t afford to lose.

Steelers Stock Trending Up: Mason Rudolph 

Just as I predicted, the Seahawks presented a totally different challenge than Rudolph experienced a week prior against the Bengals. The Bengals foolishly challenged the presumably rusty Rudolph to beat them deep over the top. The Seahawks had already witnessed the carnage left in the wake of the Rudolph to Pickens connection, and they planned accordingly. They were determined to see if Rudolph had the patience to take what was there, instead of trying to force what wasn’t. You know, like Trubisky always does. Rudolph quickly proved up to the task at hand.

Rudolph’s progressions definitely improved with another full week of practice. He stood tall in the pocket, patiently waiting for his receivers to work open, which they consistently did. I lost count at one point how many consecutive passes Rudolph completed at one point in the second half, but it was somewhere over 10+.

Rudolph completed a wide assortment of passes, on all levels of the field. His passing location chart, which was impressively filled with green dots across the width of the field, was much more efficient and effective than last week’s explosive performance. Seattle’s talented young secondary was determined to take away what Rudolph does best, but they weren’t prepared for a poised veteran in the pocket making the necessary plays, all while protecting the precious pigskin. In the end, that was the turning point in the game.

Steelers Stock Trending Up: Najee Harris 

That’s the type of performance from Harris that I have been waiting to see. Nothing spectacular mind you, outside of another soul crushing stiff arm. No, Sunday’s performance was the perfect confluence of Harris’ strengths and weaknesses. Harris is finally starting to run with the authority that his body type suggests.

Harris has to be a power back. He has the size and strength to turn minimal gains into something more with consistent yards after contact. Harris repeatedly initiated contact against the Seahawks, stayed low, kept his legs moving, and relentlessly drove forward for additional yardage. That style of running the football sits squarely in Harris’ wheel house. Harris has to keep his shoulders pointed in the right direction, because he lacks the speed to consistently gain the edge.

The Steelers had a nice rhythm with Harris and Jaylen Warren on Sunday. The Steelers are starting to develop the offensive identity here late in the season that I expected them to have this season. An effective running game helping facilitate an improved passing attack, leading to play action success and additional splash play potential. All it took was the OC getting canned, and a QB change.

Steelers Stock Trending Up: Nick Herbig 

Herbig doesn’t get many opportunities on defense, but he sure makes the most of every chance he gets. Herbig made the play of the game on Sunday against the Seahawks. A game changing strip sack and fumble recovery against QB Geno Smith, with the Steelers nursing a touchdown advantage in the fourth quarter. That play was desperately needed by the Steelers defense.

The Seahawks entered the contest with a feasible and logical offensive gameplan. Don’t let Watt and Highsmith beat them. Force anybody else to make enough plays, but not the Steelers edge guys. The Seahawks plan worked to perfection, as Watt was stymied throughout the game, and Highsmith actually failed to register on the stat sheet.

That’s what made Herbig’s huge play so special. I believe that the Seahawks offensive lineman probably exhaled a little when he saw Herbig come in the game, but he learned a valuable lesson in the process. Never drop your guard when Nick Herbig is on the field.

Steelers Stock Trending Up: The Odd Squad 

It honestly took me awhile to figure out what to title this section of the article. I was going to write about Eric Rowe, but I definitely didn’t want to leave out Myles Jack, Mykal Walker, and Elijah Riley. Each of these gentlemen stepped up admirably during a time when their services were desperately needed. If the Steelers do somehow manage to sneak into the playoffs, these bargain bin fill-ins will deserve a lions share of the credit.

Eric Rowe had 10 total tackles against the Seahawks, with 9 being of the solo variety. Rowe is a crafty veteran, well versed in multiple schemes from his extensive experience playing for the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins previously. One thing’s for certain, you have to be versatile and flexible to play for Bill Belichick. Rowe displays excellent instincts in zone coverage, and he has proven to be a solid tackler.

Myles Jack is currently healthy, and producing some quality performances for the Steelers. He has done an excellent job of filling running lanes consistently, and fulfilling his responsibilities in coverage. Jack has assumed green dot responsibilities also, which has allowed the athletic but raw Walker to focus on what he does best; running to the football. Jack is too injury prone to be part of any long-term plans for the Steelers, but this brief reawakening couldn’t have come at a better time for the Steelers.

Steelers Stock Trending Down: Mason Cole 

This section of the article is going to be short and sweet. Mason Cole has developed a bad case of the yips. He has lost the ability to make accurate shotgun snaps consistently. His snaps are all over the place, but most often low and to the right. Mason Rudolph did an outstanding job of corralling multiple inaccurate offerings from Cole on Sunday. However, I hold my breath every time the Steelers are in shotgun, because another disaster feels inevitable.

Strangely enough, this has become a reoccurring issue for the Steelers over the past few seasons. Maurkice Pouncey deserves HOF consideration, but he struggled to snap the ball consistently towards the end of his career. Kendrick Green never did find his groove snapping the football. It really wasn’t an issue for Cole last season, but it has become increasingly chronic this season. The issue could potentially cost the Steelers a game in the near future if the Steelers are unable to address the issue. Regardless, I would advise the Steelers to keep the QB under center whenever possible.