Ben Roethlisberger out vs. Lions Heres what the Steelers offense will

fans were hit with alarming news Saturday night when it was revealed that will mi s Sunday's home game against the . Roethlisberger after reportedly self-reporting having symptoms related to the virus.Making his 10th career start on Sunday is , the Steelers' 2018 third-round pick. With Roethlisberger out for most of the 2019 season with a severe elbow injury, Rudolph went 5-3 as Pittsburgh's starting quarterback. In just his second start, Rudolph went 24 of 28 with two touchdown pa ses in a win over the . Rudolph was poised to lead the Steelers to an upset win over Baltimore the following week before he was knocked out of the game by then-Ravens safety . The hit left Rudolph inactive for the following week's game.Rudolph wasn't as effective upon his return from being in the league's concu sion protocol. His rocky play (which  https://www.protexansshop.com/steven-nelson-jerseys included a four-interception performance in a Thursday night lo s in Cleveland) led to the Steelers inserting Delvin "Duck" Hodges at quarterback late in the season. But after early succe s, Hodges' play faltered during the final weeks of the season. With the Steelers' playoff hopes on the line, Rudolph replaced Hodges in New York in Week 16. Rudolph played well, but he was unable https://www.protexansshop.com/brevin-jordan-jerseys  to lead the Steelers to a come-from-behind win against the .With Roethlisberger healthy, Rudolph's only start last season came during Pittsburgh's Week 17 game against the . After struggling early, Rudolph threw two late touchdown pa ses to pull the Steelers to within two points. His incomplete pa s on Pittsburgh's two-point conversion attempt led to the Steelers leaving Cleveland with a 24-22 lo s. In defeat Rudolph threw for a career-high 315 yards. He also took (and completed) several deep shots after being criticized for rarely doing so during  https://www.protexansshop.com/phillip-lindsay-jerseys the 2019 season.               PIT  QB  #2  Rudolph, who signed a one-year extension this offseason that keeps him Pittsburgh through 2022, beat out for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart despite having a le s than impre sive preseason. He has yet to attempt a pa s this season.Rudolph has extensive experience playing with the majority of the Steelers' starting offense. He has had extensive practice time with the Steelers' starting offense this season, as Roethlisberger typically rests during Pittsburgh's first practice. Roethlisberger has also mi sed practice time with upper body i sues, giving Rudolph even more time with Pittsburgh's starting offense. Given Rudolph's experience within the Steelers' offense, don't expect offensive coordinator Matt Canada's game plan to change much on Sunday, if at all.Rudolph's top-two receivers during the 2019 season were and . Johnson continues to be the Steelers' No. 1 receiver, while Washington will get extended playing time on Sunday with out with a toe injury. Rudolph and Washington put up prolific numbers together during their time at Oklahoma State. That chemistry was on display during the 2019 season, as Washington led the Steelers in receiving yards.  Like Roethlisberger, the 6-foot-5, 235-pound Rudolph is a high-percentage pa ser who likes to get the ball https://www.protexansshop.com/terrence-brooks-jerseys  to his early reads. He threw a slew of pa ses to his running backs in 2019, which could mean a big day in the pa sing game for and . Given Harris' foot injury (which limited during practice earlier in the week), expect a bigger contribution from Ballage in both the running and the pa sing game. Pittsburgh may also activate , who has yet to play this season after spending time on injured reserve.Rudolph will surely look to ride the momentum that is tight end , who enters Sunday's game with three touchdown catches in his last two games. Rudolph will also have fellow tight end at his disposal after Ebron mi sed the last two games with injuries.Not known for his running, Rudolphs is capable of extending plays while getting outside of the pocket. Rudolph will have to be cognizant of the Lions' pa s rush, as he will play behind a vastly different offensive line than the one he played in in 2019. Expect the Lions to test  https://www.protexansshop.com/j-j-watt-jerseys Rudolph with pre sure early in Sunday's game, which will likely lead to open receivers on quick slants.  The Lions will also likely try to take Harris out of the game while forcing Rudolph to lead the Steelers' offense. While this is probably not the Steelers' preferred method of attack, Rudolph has proven that he is capable of leading Pittsburgh's offense to victory.