Steelers QB Mason Rudolph speaks after Pittsburgh tie Detroit Lions

Well, the Detroit Lions won't be going 0-17 after all. 

In what can only be described as a comedy of errors, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Lions stumbled and fumbled their way to a 16-16 tie this afternoon at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. 

It was quarterback Mason Rudolph under center today for the Steelers, something he found out he'd be doing less than 24 hours ago when it was revealed that starter Ben Roethlisberger would be unavailable after being placed on the COVID-19 list last night. 

"Coach Tomlin called me, he's always been great with communication," Rudolph explained of when he learned he'd be starting today. "He told me right before we had meetings at the hotel. It was good to have a quarterback meeting and get yourself mentally acclimated to get yourself ready to rock." 

"It's good to get as many reps as you can during the week to stay sharp and make the most of them," he continued of his preparation during the week as a backup. "I think it's fortunate to be in the situation to get those reps on Wednesday and stay sharp. There's a lot of the guys who don't get that work in as a backup, so I look forward to those days." 

He threw a touchdown pass on his team's opening drive, marching down the field while going 4-for-5 for 30 yards and connecting with James Washington for the game's opening score. 

The two teams eventually found themselves in overtime, where it seemed like neither side could gain any momentum. Perhaps the worst turnover of the extra session was when rookie Kendrick Green snapped the ball ten feet over Rudolph's head. 

"We got some conversations in between those series and made sure he was honed in," Rudolph said of Green afterwards. "It happens, he's done a great job. There's never been an issue with Kendrick, so I don't expect that to continue. He's a young player, and obviously we're all dealing with those weather conditions and it affects different people differently, but like I said, I've got a lot of confidence in KG." 

Rudolph would finish the afternoon going 30-of-50 for 242 yards and a touchdown along with an interception.