Mason Rudolph Leads Steelers to First Win

PITTSBURGH -- Powered by pop passes, the Wildcat formation and a rejuvenated ground game, the Pittsburgh Steelers got in the win column for the first time this season with a 27-3 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night.

Primarily targeting his running backs, Mason Rudolph thrived on short-yardage throws, completing 24 of 28 passes for 229 yards and two touchdowns.

Rudolph stretched the field a couple of times, but the Steelers' game plan showed he didn't need to. It was enough to chip away with short passes, while allowing the versatile running backs to shoulder most of the offensive load. The Steelers will obviously face tougher teams than the 0-4 Bengals in the coming weeks, but Monday's win was a step in the right direction.

If it wasn’t enough that the defense mauled Andy Dalton with eight sacks, the offense hummed along after a sputtering start to score on four consecutive possessions spanning the second and third quarters.

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