Mike Tomlin Calls Bengals Win a 'Springboard' for Steelers, Talks Mason Rudolph

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin hopes his team's 27-3 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday means good things are ahead for the 1-3 squad.  

"It needs to be a springboard for us as we move forward," he said after the game. "... Can't say enough about Mason [Rudolph]. We gave him a [game] ball in there."

Mason Rudolph finished 24-of-28 passing for 229 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. The final numbers looked impressive because he didn't take any chances with the ball, hit a number of short throws and relied on his receivers and pass-catching running backs to pick up yards after the catch in a dink-and-dunk approach that proved too much for Cincinnati.

The quarterback received a game ball, but the one-two punch of James Conner and Jaylen Samuels was a problem for the Bengals defense throughout the contest.

Conner finished with 10 carries for 42 yards to go with eight catches for 83 yards and a touchdown, while Samuels added 26 yards and a score on the ground in addition to eight catches for 57 yards. Samuels even went 3-of-3 passing for 31 yards in Wildcat formations, which utilized both running backs and forced additional defenders into the box.

That's when Rudolph hit Diontae Johnson over the top for a 43-yard touchdown to put the game away.

While the Steelers were impressive in Monday's blowout win, it should be noted the Bengals are 0-4 and look like one of the worst teams in the league. This game might have said more about Cincinnati than the victors, though the AFC North title is within the realm of realistic possibilities for Pittsburgh if the win truly does act as a springboard.

The 1-3 Steelers are just one game behind the 2-2 Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens in the division and have a date with the latter on Sunday.

If they can win two in a row and pull even with the Ravens, the season outlook would look much different than it did just a day ago.