CHICAGO — Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph completed 24 of 31 passes (77.4%) for 171 yards with one touchdown, one interception, and a passer rating of 86.9 in Sunday's 31-28 loss to the Chicago Bears . He also had a crucial fumble after being sacked by Montez Sweat , which resulted in a turnover.
The Bears scored 14 points off the two turnovers. In a three-point loss, those two plays loomed large.
Rudolph's first throw of the game was an interception. Cornerback Nahshon Wright made a spectacular play near the sideline in coverage on DK Metcalf .
"Just trying to give DK a 50/50 shot there to start the game. We do that every time when I get the opportunity because he's such a great player. He comes down with a lot of them," Rudolph said.
Following the turnover, the Bears marched down the field on a eight-play, 56-yard drive that got capped by a 5-yard touchdown pass by Caleb Williams to D.J. Moore to give the Bears a 7-0 lead.
Rudolph's second turnover came on a strip sack by Bears edge rusher Montez Sweat late in the third quarter. Sweat also came up with the loose ball. Nine plays later, Kyle Monangai plunged in for a 2-yard touchdown to give Chicago a 31-21 lead with 14:14 remaining in the fourth quarter.
"On the play-action in the boundary on the sack fumble. They did a good job of peeling off the left tackle to go rob that check down I was about to throw," Rudolph said. "I saw that, kinda recocked it and that's when I got hit. They covered the play well and I just got to do a better job of taking care of the ball."
Baltimore Ravens (6-5) now lead the AFC North after their win over the New York Jets on Sunday. The Ravens have won five straight.
The Steelers and Ravens play each other in Week 14 in Baltimore. They'll meet again in Week 18 in Pittsburgh.
Rudolph is confident that the team will respond after a disappointing loss in the Windy City.
"There's never been panic here. I've been a Pittsburgh Steeler long enough to know we've been behind, down in the division and up," Rudolph said. "It's a natural ebb and flow of the season. I'm very confident in our guys to keep fighting and end up on top."
Alan Saunders and Brendan Howe provided reporting from Chicago.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Mason Rudolph Explains Two Crucial Turnovers in Loss to Bears
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