Thoughts on Mason?

22/39 for 229 yards, 2 TD, 1 int, 80.0 rating.

Overall, I think he played ok. It did seem that he was playing a different game than the last 3 weeks though. Seemed like very few plays that pushed downfield, and a lot more short passes. I don't know if this was because the Bills D was keeping things closed off, or if it was in line with the game plan.......but it reminded me more of the Canada 'safe' offense which I did not like than of the more aggressive offense we saw the last 3 games. It seemed more like the 'try not to lose offense' rather than the 'try to win offense'.

I definitely think that Mason is far above a 3rd string QB. He has played well enough in the last 4 games to be a starter for some teams IMO. But, remember what Jimmy G did for SF......awesome end of season, big contract followed by a bigger disappointment for SF fans. I do think that Mason has earned a pay raise and a contract with someone as a #2, and maybe even a #1.

 

Mason needs to be signed and QB of the Steelers to start and run with first team for 2 years.

 

Bills were keeping things in front of them once they got a lead and the downfield ball probably wasn’t on without a very high risk of throwing a pick.

Mason seems to have developed in to a good game manager and he didn’t do much wrong today. I hope they re-sign him to a backup contract.

 

I like Mason, always have (especially since the Garrett BS). I think he shows poise in the pocket, which allows him to go through his progressions. He’s got a strong arm which allows him to make throws with people in his face.

Those are qualities KP hasn’t shown. While I think MR is QB1 for us, and some will debate it, neither MR or KP are QB that can get us #7.

Sign MR, let them fight it out and improve the roster around them

 

As it stands right now, I feel neither Mason nor Kenny will win us a SB.

So just save some money…let Mason walk. Use the money on other positions.

 

Yup!

 

It’s quite obvious Mason is way ahead of Pickett in just about every measure. But I think the Steelers screwed him enough and he worked for an opportunity to be play elsewhere. All this time they had their best QB sitting on the bench in street clothes. Drafting Pickett will set this organization back 4 years.

 

I fully expect that he will get enough decent offers from outside of the Steelers that the Steelers are going to have to spend money that they may not have to keep him....but their hands may be tied on that. If Mason goes, do they keep Trubisky? No matter what happens, I just don't see how they can keep Trubisky on the roster. Pickens is not 'the guy' enough yet to carry the team without having someone decent to back him up IMO. I think that they are going to feel painted into a corner and will have to give Mason some money and keep him on the roster.

 

I see no point in keeping Mitch, unless cutting him is is some huge salary cap hit.

 

I think he's earned a backup job somewhere. I don't think there are any teams that will want him to be the starter. I would be interested to hear anyone's opinion on which teams that may be.

 

I see no point in keeping Mitch or Mason. KP certainly hasn't showed much, but I'm willing to give him more chances. We need to draft a QB and keep drafting a QB each year until we find a franchise one.

Gotta have one the way the rules are now. You just can't have a QB that doesn't lose games anymore. You need a QB that can win games.

 

As a starter? A team that is trying to tank.

 

They will make an offer, up to him to accept it.

 

It's very hard to truly analyze a player while watching the game live. The TV shots just don't give you the whole picture. Also not knowing the routes and playcalls makes it hard. It's obvious when a guy plays great, it's also obvious when a guy plays terrible. Everything in between is hard to analyze. The INT for example, who's fault was that? Did DJ round out the route too much and let the defender get underneath? If so, that's not on Mason. Just an example.

Overall, from what I've seen, Mason is better than Pickett. Mason goes through his reads. He doesn't panic. He sets his feet. He moves around the pocket to avoid the rush rather than just bail. He has pretty good accuracy. He has missed some throws and missed some open receivers. That's just the nature of that position, even the greats do that. It's a really small sample size, but from what I've seen, Mason is by far our best QB. He's not great, but then who is under our coaching staff.

 

I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but the huge 350+ yard 4 TD games from QBs are not as common with the Manning/Brady/Brees/Ben/Manning2.0/Prime Wilson QBs gone from the league. Even Mahomes and Allen have had terrible games.

As such, we were 10-7 this year with really bad QB play in the beginning of the season. If Mason started from the beginning, we would likely have had a better playoff seed and he would have developed more as the season wore on. I think his play is enough for the Steelers to compete for a deep playoff run, but they need re revamp their offensive coaching and the center/LT position and get a speedster utility WR/RB player that can stretch the field. I also think they should be more aggressive with the passing game and run less on 2nd and long.

Mason is good enough for this team to win. The team also responds to him a lot better than they did with Pickett and Trubisky. Don't mortgage the future by trading for Fields or drafting another QB.

 

If we don't draft another QB, I would keep Mason over Pickett.

 

Keep Mason and trade Pickett to New Orleans or Vegas lol.

 

I think all things considered Mason played ok, but he wasn't really getting much help. The Bills pretty much shut down the running game. I think the Oline did a pretty good job at pass blocking, Mason had some time, but nobody was getting open enough of the time. He did help them at least get back within striking distance, but the defense just couldn't stop anything

 

Mitch is cuttable and needs to be

 

Personally I don’t think we’ve even seen enough of Pickett yet to really know what kind of QB he could be. Between playing in Canada’s screwed up offense and his injuries this year the guy is still a mystery to me. I’d like to see Mitch on a quick flight out of town and true QB competition between Mason and Kenny for the starting job next year. Of course none of that may matter if we don’t soon have a defense that can stop the run. Maybe it’s just me but it seems like the Steel Curtain has been nothing but the sheer curtain the last few seasons. Given our defensive history it’s painful to watch anymore ☹️

 

Mason earned the right to fight for starting QB if he is resigned. Pickett has one more chance to win starting position and show improvement or his stay as a Steeler will be short

 

It depends on what "decent offers" look like around the league in FA for Mason. I don't expect him to see a single offer that would allow him to compete for a #1 job. That might be the ace the Steelers have in the hand. 2 really good games and 2 solid games isn't really going to fetch him starter looks (especially when its the only ball that he has played that looked starter worthy). If we can sign him for the 5 million we save from cutting Mitch, I don't see why not? I don't expect him to get a bunch of offers that go over that amount. He might be best off being paid well to stay, told he gets a shot at unseating Pickett in the off-season (please, God), and at the very least gets to be primary back-up until Pickett gets benched for poor play (this is an inevitability).

So really, unless a rogue team surprises me with the money/#1 offer.... Pittsburgh is likely the best destination for Mason.

 

Who is to say Mason really wants to be here, and what will happen if some team offers him a fat stack of money.

 

I thought Mason played okay being in his first playoff game.

 

I mean, he played over 20 games and put up historically bad numbers and his players (mainly Pickens and at times Johnson) were fed up with him. Trubisky was worse. Mason got the team back on track and can actually make NFL caliber throws. He has more charisma and is a better leader as well. Another thing that people are overlooking is the fact that Pickett is injury prone. He has had some nasty concussions and injuries already.

This "we haven't seen enough out of him to see what we have" argument could also be applied to Rudolph who has played less but has shown way more. Maybe he turns unto a Kirk Cousins (which is far beyond what we need to win) with a full season as the dedicated starter.