Aaron Rodgers exited the Steelers‘ Week 11 win in opposition to the Bengals after sustaining a left wrist harm late within the first half. Whereas he was initially labeled as questionable to return, Rodgers by no means returned to the sideline through the second half, a lot much less the sphere.
After Pittsburgh’s 34-12 win, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin mentioned that Rodgers can have his wrist additional evaluated on Monday. The preliminary concern is that Rodgers has suffered “a slight break” in his wrist, in response to ESPN. The assumption is that Rodgers didn’t endure a long run harm, in response to CBS Sports activities NFL insider Jonathan Jones.
Rodgers was seen holding his wrist after being hit by a number of Bengals defenders through the Steelers’ closing offensive play of the primary half. Tomlin informed CBS Sports activities’ Melanie Collins at halftime that Rodgers was being evaluated and that they had been hopeful that he would return sooner or later.
Rodgers was changed through the second half by Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh’s longtime backup who entered the sport with a 9-8-1 file as an NFL beginning quarterback that included an 8-4-1 mark because the Steelers’ beginning quarterback. Through the second half, Rudolph went 12 of 16 for 127 yards and a landing whereas directing two scoring drives.
“He is all the time delivered when referred to as upon previously,” Tomlin mentioned of Rudolph, the one quarterback to begin a playoff sport for Pittsburgh since Ben Roethlisberger. “That is why we worth him. His efficiency was according to what he is accomplished previously for us. Not that we take it without any consideration. We do not. We respect it.”
Rodgers, 41, helped lead Pittsburgh to a 10-6 halftime lead over a Cincinnati group that defeated the Steelers again in Week 7. Rodgers gave the Steelers an early lead by throwing an 11-yard landing cross to operating again Kenneth Gainwell on the sport’s opening drive.
With Rodgers sidelined, Pittsburgh added to its lead within the third quarter. After Rudolph’s first drive led to a Chris Boswell subject objective, Steelers security Kyle Dugger made it a 20-9 sport when he recorded a 73-yard pick-six off of Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco late within the third quarter.
After a Bengals subject objective made it 20-12 with lower than 10 minutes to play, Rudolph put the sport out of attain with a five-yard landing cross to Gainwell with 3:40 left. The Steelers’ protection recorded its second landing of the day moments later when defensive again James Pierre scooped up a fumble and took it 34 yards to the home.
Rudolph mentioned that Rodgers notified him at halftime that he could be main the Steelers’ offense at first of the second half. When requested to evaluate his efficiency, Rudolph pointed to the tip consequence.
“We gained, and that is the one goal,” he mentioned. “I believed I settled down just a little bit. I had a pair errant ones early, however simply tried to get it to out to our guys. [The Bengals] performed numerous smooth, one-high zone, and so we had been letting a complete lot of stuff go over the center. … I used to be actually pleased with the best way the blokes. We had a pair unhealthy penalties that backed us up, and we overcame it and bought some factors on the board.”
With the win, Pittsburgh improved to 6-4 on the season whereas retaining its lead over second-place Baltimore within the AFC North standings.
