Cleveland Browns: Sheldon Richardson wants Mason Rudolph to start

With the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers already preparing for their next matchup, Sheldon Richardson said he wants Mason Rudolph to start Week 13.

It may have been just over a week since the Thursday Night Football game when the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers finished the game with a brawl, but the lead up to next week’s game is already starting to get heated, thanks to Sheldon Richardson.

There is no doubt both the Browns and Steelers will be playing with tons of emotion when they take the field against each other Week 13 because of the after effects of the fight. But it did not take long after the Browns were off the field following their 41-24 victory over the Dolphins that Richardson was stoking the flames.

Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph was benched against the Cincinnati Bengals after struggling. Richardson was asked about Rudolph’s benching and used the opportunity to take a shot at the Pittsburgh quarterback.

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When Rudolph faced the Browns and before the fight with Myles Garrett, Rudolph had all kinds of trouble against the Cleveland defense. Rudolph completed 23 of his 44 pass attempts for 221 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions. He was also sacked four times.

Rudolph had issues finding any open receivers against the Browns after JuJu Smith-Schuster left the game with a concussion. And after James Conner left the game early with an injury, it was on Rudolph to try and make plays for the Steelers offense, which Rudolph’s skill-set is not built for.

However, it may be harder for the Browns this time around against the Steelers because of the absence of Garrett. Garrett was in the face of Rudolph often during their Week 11 matchup, making it difficult for Rudolph to sit in the pocket and survey the field. The Browns struggled to generate a pass rush Sunday against Miami, so it will be a different story the next time these two teams face off.

Rudolph’s poor performances over the past couple of weeks led to his benching against the Bengals. Rudolph completed only 50 percent of his pass attempts for 85 yards and an interception against Cincinnati. Up until Rudolph was benched, the winless Bengals had momentum against the Steelers.

No matter if Rudolph is on the field or not against the Browns, there are certain to be some extracurricular activities happening on the field throughout the course of the game. But if Rudolph is on the field, there will certainly be a good chance the game could get messy quickly.