Here’s everything you need to know for the Jets’ matchup with the Steelers.
The New York Jets will host their last home game of the season when the Pittsburgh Steelers come to MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
New York is getting back a bevy of key players from injuries in Jamal Adams, Quinnen Williams, Brian Poole and Arthur Maulet. It’s also a revenge game for Le’Veon Bell as he’s going up against his former team for the first time after spending the first five years of his career in Pittsburgh.
For the Jets, it’s all about gaining some confidence heading into next season. Sam Darnold needs to finish his sophomore season strong after a year that hasn’t gone as expected. Ending on a high note at MetLife would be a step in the right direction for Darnold heading into 2020.
Defensively, the Jets have to throw a variety of different looks at rookie quarterback Devlin Hodges. Gregg Williams has to disguise some coverages and send pressure to Hodges to force him to make mistakes.
As for the Steelers, they need this win in order to secure a spot in the playoffs. They are 8-6 on the season and are currently the six seed in the AFC Wild Card race. They control their own destiny and a win over the Jets would go a long way in helping them make the playoffs.
Here’s everything you need to know for Sunday’s game:
Who: New York Jets vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
When: 1:00 p.m. ET, Sunday, December 22, 2019
Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
TV/Radio: CBS, ESPN 98.7 F.M. For a Spanish broadcast check out 1050 AM ESPN
Adam Gase spoke highly of how the Steelers have had success with a backup quarterback and praised Devlin Hodges.
Jets head coach Adam Gase has taken notice of the Steelers’ success with a backup quarterback this season.
The Steelers lost starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for the season to an elbow injury in the second game of the regular season. Pittsburgh has since turned to backup quarterbacks Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges and still find themselves in contention for a wild card spot. Gase is well aware of how tough it is to win games with backup quarterbacks and he praised the Steelers for their success.
“That’s a great job,” Gase said. “It’s not an easy thing to do. They found a way to be able to handle that bump in the road and find a way to win. Every game they’ve been in pretty much has been one-score games whether they win or lose. They’re keeping it close…. For the most part they’ve been so consistent.”
It looked as if the Steelers’ season was over when they lost Roethlisberger for the season. But Rudolph stepped in really well and brought the Steelers back to relevancy. However, he started to struggle in Week 11 against the Browns where he threw four interceptions in a loss. Pittsburgh gave him one last start the following week against the Bengals, but was pulled for Hodges.
As for Hodges, he has three wins under his belt as a starting quarterback. Hodges is not the type of quarterback who lights up the stat sheet, but he’s kept opposing defenses on their toes.
“He’s done a good job of what they’ve asked him to do,” Gase said of Hodges. “They’re asking him to manage the game. They’re taking shots down the field. They might not hit them all, but they’re keeping the defense honest and they’re running the football. He’s done a good job of not turning it over. I know last game was a little different. That’s why they have him in there. He’s doing what they ask him to do.”
Considering the way he played against the Bills, Hodges might be on a short leash in Week 16. If he does have trouble against the Jets on Sunday, don’t be surprised to see Pittsburgh turn to a backup quarterback once again.
The potential return of Jamal Adams and Quinnen Williams should help the Jets defense stop the Steelers running game.
After getting shellacked by the Ravens last week, the Jets have had ample time to prepare for a Steelers squad whose playoff hopes are on life support.
New York is getting healthy on defense and could see the return of at least three key contributors this weekend. The game carries little meaning in the grand scheme of things, but a solid showing against Pittsburgh could help bolster the team’s mentality heading into the offseason as it gears up for next season.
The Steelers are a strange team. Their offense should be one of the best in the league with solid weapons in the receiving and running game, but they’ve struggled at times throughout the season due in large part to a rash of injuries. Nevertheless, they sit at 8-6 with a shot at the playoffs. They’re starting undrafted free agent rookie Devlin Hodges once again, who has struggled at times but remains 3-1 as a starter.
This game won’t define the Jets’ season, but it could define the Steelers if New York can hold off Pittsburgh. With that being said, here are four keys to the Jets defense in Week 16.
Sack the duck
Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports
The Steelers’ offense has been hit-or-miss with Devlin Hodges under center, but the Bills showed everyone this past week that pressuring Hodges can limit his ability to run the offense.
The Bills sacked Hodges four times last week and the young Steelers quarterback finished with four turnovers, and a 43.9 quarterback rating in a costly 17-10 loss.
The Jets haven’t been great at getting to the quarterback lately and could struggle against a Steelers offensive line that has allowed the 25th-most sacks in the league this season. Sacks will be hard to come by, but just pressuring Hodges might be enough to slow down Pittsburgh’s offense.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin announced on Tuesday that Devlin “Duck” Hodges will start against the Jets on Sunday.
The Jets are going to have a chance to go duck hunting when the Steelers come to town on Sunday.
Despite a rough performance against a Buffalo Bills defense he proclaimed nothing special on Sunday Night Football in Week 15, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin announced on Tuesday that Devlin “Duck” Hodges will start for Pittsburgh on Sunday.
“I think it’s reasonable to expect growth from young players as they get exposure,” Tomlin said. “Sometimes that exposure can be negative exposure, like his experience in the last game, but exposure nonetheless is a tool for growth.
“Particularly at the quarterback position, I think it’s reasonable to expect him to learn from those negative experiences from last Sunday night and apply it to this next opportunity and really, hopefully not make those same mistakes twice.”
Instead of pulling the plug on the rookie after one bad game, Tomlin is opting to give him a chance at redemption against a banged up Jets secondary in what is essentially a must-win game for a Steelers squad looking to remain in the hunt for the final AFC Wild Card spot. By keeping Hodges under center, Tomlin is placing a lot of faith in a player who never figured to be in this position.
An undrafted free agent out of FCS Samford, Hodges began 2019 at the bottom of Pittsburgh’s depth chart. A season-ending injury to Ben Roethlisberger moved up him to No. 2 behind Mason Rudolph before Hodges took over for the injured Rudolph in Week 6 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Hodges played relatively well in his first career start, going 15-20 for 132 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Rudolph returned after Pittsburgh’s bye and took over center once again until Week 12, when he was yanked mid-game against the Bengals. Hodges relieved Rudolph in that game and has not relinquished the quarterback position since despite rather pedestrian stats. Hodges has only thrown for 884 yards, five touchdowns and six interceptions, but has kept the Steelers in the playoff race with a 3-1 record.
Even with Gregg Williams throwing everything he has at him, it’s safe to assume Hodges will improve upon his four-interception performance against the Bills against a New York secondary that got torched by Lamar Jackson in its most recent outing and is in dire straits due to an assortment of injuries to key contributors.
If he doesn’t, let’s just say the duck might not be flying in Pittsburgh much longer.
When the Pittsburgh Steelers go against the New York Jets this weekend it will once again be quarterback Devin Hodges getting the start. Head coach Mike Tomlin spoke to the press on Tuesday and quieted any concerns about a budding quarterback controversy.
It wasn’t unreasonable to wonder if Tomlin would go back to Mason Rudolph after Hodges four-interception effort against the Buffalo Bills. After all, it was only one half of subpar football after Rudolph threw four interceptions against the Cleveland Browns that he got himself benched.
Tomlin noted in his press conference he doesn’t anticipate failure by Hodges but he probably didn’t anticipate failure from Rudolph either. There’s an old saying that says if you have two starting quarterbacks you don’t have one. It really feels like this is where the Steelers are at this point.
What we learned, Buffalo Bills vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, NFL Week 15
Pittsburgh Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey. (AP Photo/Don Wright)
The ride that the Buffalo Bills have taken their fans on through the 2019 season will continue into January as the 10-4 Bills punched their ticket to the postseason Sunday with a 17-10 win in Pittsburgh on Sunday Night Football against the Steelers.
It’s been an amazing journey for the Bills, who were 6-10 a year ago. While the Bills made the postseason two years ago, fans in Buffalo have become accustomed to mediocre seasons where the team finds itself staring up at other AFC teams in the Wild Card race. The Bills have been perpetually “In The Hunt,” the graphic that pops up every December detailing teams trying to sneak into the playoffs at the very end. This season, the Bills are not lost in the “In The Hunt” shuffle and their fans don’t have to scoreboard watch and hope for collapses from teams in front of them.
The 2019 season has been uncharted territory for many Bills fans. The Bills have won 10 games for the first time since 1999. By clinching a playoff berth in Week 15, it marks the earliest the Bills have punched their postseason ticket since clinching in Week 14 in 1991. If the Bills win their final two games, they’ll have a 12-win season for the first time since 1993.
Speaking of 1993, Sunday’s win was Buffalo’s first in Western Pennsylvania since the 1993 divisional playoffs, a game which featured Frank Reich and Neil O’Donnell. It’s the franchise’s first regular season win in Pittsburgh since the O.J. Simpson-led Bills defeated the eventual Super Bowl champion Steelers in 1975.
There were monumental implications from a game that saw the Bills slug it out with Devlin Hodges and the Steelers in a tough matchup that went right down to the final throw. Josh Allen and the Buffalo offense struggled mostly for three quarters, but put together their drive of the season in the fourth quarter to take the lead. Hodges and the Steelers had three chances to drive and tie the game, but failed each time. Jordan Poyer and Levi Wallace had interceptions in the end zone to shut the door on the Steelers twice in the final two minutes.
With their playoff spot now clinched, the Bills can turn their attention to trying to steal the AFC East from the division’s long-time overlords, the New England Patriots. The Bills travel to Foxborough on Saturday afternoon with a chance to tie the Patriots in the standings. The Bills would then need to win against the Jets in Week 17 and hope the Patriots are stunned by Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Dolphins to win the division for the first time since 1995.
Here are four things we learned from the Bills’ huge Sunday night win in the Steel City:
Will the Steelers make a quarterback change this week?
Oh boy. This wasn’t supposed to happen this way. Devlin Hodges was supposed to be the chosen one who would lead the Pittsburgh Steelers on their improbable run to the playoffs. Then next season he would assume the role of backup behind Ben Roethlisberger and Big Ben would groom him for the future.
Then four interceptions happened. Sunday night’s loss was as ugly as any game a Steelers quarterback has played this season, and that is saying something. And it puts head coach Mike Tomlin is a tough spot. Hodges was named the starting quarterback because he hadn’t killed the Steelers yet. Mason Rudolph did that. But was Sunday Hodges fault?
In a game that was never more than seven points apart, why on Earth did the Steelers throw it 38 times compared to only 15 rushes? It’s hard to lay too much blame at the feet of the young quarterback when his coaches keep asking him to throw in a game where they should have been running it. Keep in mind this was a game where the Steelers had four realistic options at running back dressed out.
So where does this leave the Steelers? Two games to play and there is no margin for error. The Steelers cannot lose another game and make the playoffs unless the Bills somehow lose both of their final games.
If you are head coach Mike Tomlin, do you bench Hodges down the stretch for doing what Rudolph did or do you buck consistency and just ride it out for two more games and hope things work out?
In a defensive outing between both teams, the Buffalo Bills offense did just enough to put them over the edge of victory to send them back to the post season for the second time in three years. It was a testament to coaching, discipline, and a …
In a defensive outing between both teams, the Buffalo Bills offense did just enough to put them over the edge of victory to send them back to the post season for the second time in three years. It was a testament to coaching, discipline, and a winning culture that Sean McDermott has established in Buffalo.
The Bills sit at 10-4, are officially in, and could very easily loosen up a bit, but there is still another opportunity at stake, and that is to win the AFC East title for the first time in over 20 years. The chances are slim, but it is still a very reasonable feat, as they head to Foxborough to play the New England Patriots next Saturday. The Bills need to win out, and the Patriots need to lose not only to the Bills, but the Miami Dolphins in Week 17 as well.
Buffalo and Pittsburgh brought their hard nosed defenses to the table last night for Sunday Night Football, and both teams excelled in stopping drives, forcing punts and turnovers, and keeping the game close for their offenses. It was the Bills, fortunately, that made it all happen, behind Josh Allen, John Brown, and even tight end Tyler Kroft.
It was a great win for a team, in the national spotlight, that proved many doubters wrong in the process.
Podcast host Matt Johnson recaps the big Week 15 win, and a look ahead.
Devlin Hodges might have played his way out of a starting job on Sunday night.
Tomlin asked if Hodges would still be the QB vs Jets:
“I am not getting into that… we just lost a football game I’m not going to make an announcement or every week or every time I stand in front of you guys in terms of who’s playing qb or any other position for that matter”
The last time a Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback played as poorly as Devlin Hodges did on Sunday night, he got benched in the middle of the game. But Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin isn’t ready to talk about who his starting quarterback will be next week on the heels of their 17-10 loss.
Mason Rudolph lost his starting job in Week 12 after struggling against in the first half against the Cincinnati Bengals. This came a week after his four-interception effort against the Cleveland Browns.
Hodges would not be outdone and decided to have his own four-interception effort Sunday night. And even though we do out best to look at interceptions with an objective eye, these picks were on Duck.
We should know who the Steelers are starting this week against the New York Jets when the team gets back together on Tuesday. Who is your pick for this week’s starting quarterback with just two must-win games left on the schedule?
Buffalo Bills opponent information on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. Credit: Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
The Bills find themselves in a wonderful predicament, but could be all for naught if they can’t find a win over the next three weeks. The 9-4 Buffalo Bills meet the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football, their first appearance in that primetime slot in some time. Major playoff implications are at stake here, as a Bills loss can knock them back a spot in the Wild Card Race, though still in by a hair.
This is easily the biggest Bills-Steelers match up in some time, so let’s get into their history, statistics and more:
The Bills and Steelers first met on Oct. 11, 1970, in Pittsburgh, with the Steelers winning 23-10.
They met in the 1974 postseason, with Pittsburgh taking a 32-14 win in that game.
The Bills won five straight games against Pittsburgh, from Nov. 9, 1986 to their 1992 AFC Divisional Round Game on Jan. 9, 1993.
Buffalo and Pittsburgh also met in the 1995 AFC Divisional Playoff Game, with the Steelers winning 40-21.
The Bills have not defeated the Steelers in the 21st Century, with their last victory over them on Oct. 10, 1999, in a 24-21 victory.
Buffalo had an opportunity to make the post-season in the 2004-05 season. In a “win and your in” scenario. The Bills starters failed to defeat the Steelers backups, who were 14-1 heading into the final game of the season. Pittsburgh beat Buffalo 29-24, in Buffalo.
Their most recent encounter was a 27-20 win for Pittsburgh, in Buffalo.
Pittsburgh leads the all-time series, 16-9, including playoffs.
2019 So Far
In what has been a challenging year for the Steelers, including their fallout with Antonio Brown, losing Le’Veon Bell, and Ben Roethlisberger succumbing to season-ending injury in Week 2, somehow, the Steelers are still in the playoff picture, and have some favorable circumstances going for them. This season has been a massive testament to Head Coach Mike Tomlin’s ability to lead men on a football field, and is certainly a candidate for Coach of the Year.
Pittsburgh began the season with a blowout loss to the Patriots in the opening Sunday Night Football game for 2019. A 33-3 loss on primetime was no way to start the season, especially with many questioning how Pittsburgh would be effected by the losses of Bell and Brown. From there on, two more losses, a close one against Seattle, 26-28, their last game with Big Ben under center for this year, as well as a 20-24 loss to the 49ers. All three quality teams, and playoff teams at that, right now, in Week 15. Not too shabby for a team of backups despite the losses.
They earned their first win on Monday Night Football in Week 4 against the Bengals, a dominant win against a team that only has one win to it’s credit so far this season. This is also when the Steelers traded for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, a trade that turned around their defense.
However, since that Bengals win, Pittsburgh has only lost twice. To the Baltimore Ravens, a 23-26 loss in overtime, and to the Cleveland Browns in Week 11, a 21-7 loss that ended in a chaotic situation.
Pittsburgh has defeated the Chargers, Dolphins, Colts, Rams, Bengals again, Browns and Cardinals, and face a relatively favorable schedule these last three weeks. They hold criteria over a few teams that are breathing down their neck, and a win over the Bills would nearly secure their playoff aspirations.
Currently, Pittsburgh is the 29th ranked offense, with 3,771 yards of total offense. They are 31st in passing, with 2,541 pass yards and 25th in rushing with 1,230 yards on the ground.
It’s truly impressive how successful that Pittsburgh has been, especially with their personnel under center. Three quarterbacks have taken snaps for the Steelers in 2019. Ben Roethlisberger, Mason Rudolph, and most recently and successfully, Devlin Hodges. The Bills had four last season and their season was not a success.
Rudolph’s tenure as starting QB was enough for him to be at 31st in the NFL in passing yards with 1,636 passing yards, 12 passing touchdowns and nine interceptions. He had a 5-3 record as a starter. In three starts, Hodges is 3-0, and 39th in passing yards with 682 passing yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. Roethlisberger had 351 passing yards, zero touchdowns and one interception in his tenure.
It hasn’t been a great year for last year’s emerging rush sensation, James Conner. Conner was a certified stud in 2018, filling in seamlessly for the boycotting Bell. This year has been drastically different, with injuries. James Conner is currently ranked 44th in the NFL amongst rushers, leading Pittsburgh with 390 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. Benny Snell is next up in rushing leaders for Pittsburgh with 320 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. Snell is ranked 49th in rushing.
Pittsburgh’s highest ranked receiver in yardage, is James Washington, who is currently ranked 50th in the NFL. He has accrued 611 yards receiving on the year, Next in line, Ju-Ju Smith Schuster, who is ranked 63rd in receiving yards, with 524 yards. Schuster has dealt with injuries all year, and has not been able to handle the workload of being a No. 1 WR with Brown leaving, and it has harmed him statistically.
One aspect that is keeping the Steelers alive and well in the playoff race is their defense, which is star studded. They are the fifth ranked defense in the NFL, allowing 4,042 yards of offense against them. Pittsburgh is also the fifth ranked passing defense, allowing 2,727 yards by air, and they are eighth in rush defense with 1,315 yards allowed.
Their defense is led by talents of T.J. Watt, Joe Haden, Bud Dupree, Cameron Hayward, Fitzpatrick, and many others.
