Mason Rudolph came in to replace injured starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers and helped lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to a big 34-12 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
How big was the win at home for Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin’s team? It is going to have a major impact on the AFC North Division playoff picture, with the Baltimore Ravens also involved.
How Does the Steelers’ Win Affect the AFC North Picture?
For starters, the Steelers are now 6-4 on the season, and are 4-2 at home. Rudolph, coming off the bench after Rodgers left with an injured wrist, was 12-of-16 passing for 127 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions.
Entering their Sunday afternoon game on the road against the Cleveland Browns, the Ravens are 4-5 on the season. They will need to win to keep pace with the Steelers.
Mason Freddie Mercury Rudolph 🧐 pic.twitter.com/IV32Djd57y
— Benstonium (@Benstonium) November 16, 2025
With their victory, according to the PFSN Playoff Predictor metrics, the Steelers have a 72.4% chance of making the NFL playoffs and a 67.2% chance of winning the AFC North.
Before their game with the Browns, though, the Ravens have a 34.3% chance of making the NFL playoffs and a 30.8% chance of winning the AFC North. Those numbers will be updated after the Baltimore-Cleveland game ends.
The fact that the Steelers find themselves in a good position to potentially secure the AFC North Division crown is something even their fans might not have wondered about earlier in the 2025 NFL season. But Rodgers has been playing pretty well, and Rudolph’s effort off the bench must have pleased Tomlin tremendously.
Before leaving the game against Cincinnati, Rodgers was 9-of-15 passing for 116 yards, one touchdown pass, and no interceptions. According to the PFSN NFL QB Impact metrics, Rodgers, heading into Sunday’s game, had an NFL QB Impact Score of 69.1 and graded out to a D+.
Jaylen Warren paced the Pittsburgh ground game, handling 10 carries for 62 yards.
What about the receiving corps for the Steelers? They were busy on Sunday. Kenneth Gainwell had seven receptions for 81 yards and two touchdowns. DK Metcalf had five catches for 49 yards, and Darnell Washington added four receptions for 67 yards. Metcalf and Washington, though, didn’t find the end zone.
Patrick Queen paced the Pittsburgh defensive effort against the Bengals, totaling 10 tackles (five solo tackles) in the game. Brandin Echols added seven tackles while James Pierre and Payton Wilson had six tackles apiece.
Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes available.