Steelers will go with QB Hodges in Week 16

The Pittsburgh Steelers will start Devlin “Duck” Hodges in Week 16 against the New York Jets.

This difficult decision comes after a disappointing loss at home to the Buffalo Bills. Both teams needed the win, but the Steelers did moreso considering the playoff implications.

The NFL’s Ian Rapoport confirmed coach Mike Tomlin’s decision on Tuesday afternoon.

Week 15’s loss pushed the Steelers back to 8-6. They are still the sixth seed in the playoffs, but they will likely need to win out to remain in the picture. If not, they will need help from the Titans or the Bills.

Pittsburgh has a very winnable game against the Jets in Week 16, but face the team with the best record in the NFL in Baltimore in Week 17. The only good news there is that the Ravens may be resting their best talent in the last week of the season.

Hodges had a terrible game against Buffalo on Sunday Night Football. He threw one touchdown to four interceptions, with a completion percentage of 60.5 percent. This pushed his record as a starter to 3-1. Mason Rudolph, who is now the second option, has a record of 5-3. He has thrown 12 touchdowns to nine interceptions with a completion percentage of 61.6 percent.

Either quarterback could be the difference between winning or losing the remaining games. Both of them will be on short leashes going forward, as the Steelers cannot afford to lose.

Hodges and the Steelers will try to hang onto their playoff hopes on Sunday, December 22 when they visit the Jets.

Featured Image courtesy of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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