Mike Tomlin never thought about benching Mitch Trubisky during Steelers-Patriots

You could hear Steelers fans booing and chanting Mason Rudolph’s name Thursday night as Patriots built their lead. But in post-game, Mike Tomlin said he didn’t think about benching Mitch Trubisky.

One reason? “I thought he got better as the game went on,” Tomlin told reporters in his post-game press conference. “Obviously, wasn’t the type of start we needed.”

That’s an understatement. As the Patriots, the winners of two games before Thursday night, built a 21-3 lead with a second-team quarterback, the Steelers offense struggled. There was an opening field goal. Then four punts and an interception. Trubisky completed all of six passes in the first half.

By game’s end, the Patriots owned a 21-18 win, a victory that allowed the upstart Houston Texans to surpass the Steelers in the race for a wildcard playoff berth.

Reporters found Trubisky, who made his first start of the season, sitting in front of his locker, long after most of his teammates vacated the building.

“It’s understandable,” Trubisky told reporters of all the disappointment in the locker room. “We played like crap in the first half. It is what it is. They are frustrated, we are all frustrated. But we did better in the second half to give us a chance, but I have to play better. That’s the bottom line.”

Steelers don’t have other quarterback options

The Steelers’ quarterback options are limited. Kenny Pickett underwent a procedure on his ankle earlier this week. He could be out for as long as four weeks. Trubisky, the one-time No. 2 pick of the NFL Draft, has started six games for the Steelers the past two years. with two wins and four losses. This was his fourth appearance in 2023, but his first start.

Tomlin telegraphed his plans for Rudolph even before the game started. Rudolph, who does have experience as a starter, hasn’t appeared in a game since 2021. Tomlin complimented Rudolph’s practice prep. But at this point in the season, playoff contenders don’t have the time to experiment with a third-team QB.

The Steelers are 7-6. But this part of their schedule was supposed to be an easier one for the team. Pittsburgh had home games against the lowly Cardinals and Patriots. Each had won only two games coming into Acrisure Stadium. They each left Pittsburgh with a third victory.

The Steelers will need to play far better to turn this around. And they might need to win three of their next four, with a schedule that features Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Seattle and Baltimore, if a playoff is to be in their future. There’s speculation that Pickett will be back for at least the final game. So that means it’s Trubisky for December.