Tag: Devlin Hodges

How new Steelers starting QB Devlin Hodges got the nickname ‘Duck’

QUACK!

Devlin Hodges, not Mason Rudolph, will start the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 13 matchup against the Cleveland Browns.

But you may be wondering something: A lot of people — including his teammates and coaches — call him Duck Hodges. What’s up with that?

It turns out there’s a great story behind the nickname.

Hodges is an avid duck hunter and duck caller, so his coach at Samford, Chris Hatcher, started calling him “Duck.” Per ESPN, Mike Tomlin called him “Duck Dynasty.”

Here’s more from the Worldwide Leader’s profile of him: “Once (his father) Zane introduced his oldest son to the duck call, he hardly ever put it down. He was a natural and started competing in call tournaments and championships in the Southeast, frequently traveling to Arkansas to hunt and compete. … While Hodges let competition duck calling take a backseat to football in college, he proved he still had it last year when he won the Alabama state duck calling championship.”

That’s right, he’s a state champion in duck calling:

He also leans into it on Twitter:

So there you have it. Devlin “Duck” Hodges is a starting NFL quarterback and an incredible duck caller.

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Steelers HC Mike Tomlin names Week 13 starter

The Steelers have their starter vs the Browns.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have their Week 13 starter at quarterback. According to NFL reporter Andrew Siciliano, Devlin Hodges will get the start this week against the Cleveland Browns.

Hodges came in off the bench last week and led the Steelers to a win over the Cincinnati Bengals last week. Mason Rudolph struggled and forced Tomlin to make the change. Pittsburgh was wise to make the move because watching Rudolph play with so little confidence last week was a warning of just how bad things could be for him if he faced the Browns again in just three weeks.

The Steelers currently sit at 6-5 on the season and are holding onto the final playoff spot in the AFC. They need to keep winning to hold their place in the conference so getting some revenge on the Browns who beat them two weeks ago is a top priority.

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Did Devlin Hodges earn the Steelers starting QB job?

Which quarterback starts for the Steelers this week?

On Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers made a move to try to give the offense a boost and it worked. Devlin Hodges came in and got the Steelers their only touchdown of the game in place of Mason Rudolph. This now creates a quarterback controversy head coach Mike Tomlin will have to address.

Tomlin now must decide if Hodges did enough to earn the starting job this week against the Cleveland Browns.

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The reality of the situation is this decision about which quarterback is better. Neither player is playing good football right now. Rudolph’s confidence seems shot and his arm went with it. And while Hodges is the gritty and all those other cliches, he doesn’t offer much in terms of skills.

This decision is about who gives the Steelers a better chance to win this week. The Steelers have five games left and who is under center must be a unique choice based on the circumstances. Based on everything this week, I don’t see how Tomlin goes with Rudolph.

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Steelers HC Mike Tomlin hints at quarterback change

Mike Tomlin has to name a starting quarterback soon.

In Sunday’s game, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was put in the unenviable position of benching his quarterback. Mason Rudolph was completely ineffective through two quarters and to get a spark to the offense made the switch to Devlin Hodges. The move paid off and the Steelers ended up winning 16-10.

But this leaves Tomlin with a decision to make about the upcoming week. The Steelers have to take on the Cleveland Browns this week in a must-win game. Which quarterback will Tomlin start? He didn’t share any of his insight in the postgame press conference but teased he might already know.

There will be a great deal of debate about this but we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves. No doubt Hodges gave the Steelers something of a spark when he came off the bench in the third quarter. But after throwing for 90 yards and a touchdown in his first drive could only muster 28 passing yards after that.

Who will Tomlin start at quarterback this week? We should know something on Tuesday at his first press conference of the week because whoever it is will need plenty of reps ahead of the Browns game.

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Things we learned from Sunday of Week 12 of NFL season

Touchdown Wire’s Pat Yasinskas shares 9 things we learned from Sunday’s Week 12 NFL games.

The NFL results from Week 12 were supposed to set up two huge matchups for Week 13. Umm, looks like that may not happen.

The big games were supposed to be Mason Rudolph and the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns in a rematch after the Week 11 game in which Cleveland defensive end Myles Garrett clobbered Rudolph over the head with a helmet in a melee that caused Garrett to be suspended indefinitely and 33 players to be fined for their roles in the incident. Cleveland fans set the stage by hitting a Rudolph pinata with a helmet. That seemed to set up a monster rematch for next week.

The other huge game that seemed to be looming was an AFC West showdown between Kansas City and Oakland. The Chiefs, 7-4, were on bye Sunday. The Raiders entered the day at 6-4 and all they had to do was beat the lowly New York Jets to enter next week’s game in a tie with the Chiefs.

But, suddenly, some of the luster was taken off both games by what happened Sunday. Let’s take a closer look at that we examine nine things we learned from Sunday’s games of Week 12.

9. The Raiders aren’t as good as we thought

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Raiders had seemed to turn the corner and had a shot at winning the division or at least making the playoffs. People were talking about Jon Gruden as Coach of the Year. Those things still could happen, but they’re not nearly as likely after a 34-3 loss to the Jets. Gruden, who seemed to have the perfect relationship with Derek Carr, benched his quarterback in the third quarter. Carr had thrown for just 127 passes and an interception. There’s no question Carr will be back as the starter against Kansas City. But things aren’t looking as rosy for the Raiders as they would have been with a victory over the Jets.

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Steelers HC Mike Tomlin on the QB change: ‘Mason wasn’t doing enough’

Mike Tomlin talks about benching Mason Rudolph.

During his postgame press conference, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin had to answer for why he chose to bench quarterback Mason Rudolph early in the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals.

And in usual Tomlin style, he didn’t want anyone to read too much into bringing Devlin Hodges in. For Tomlin, swapping the quarterback was all about getting a spark out of him to get the offense going. Something Rudolph obviously wasn’t doing.

“I just felt like our offense needed a spark,” Tomlin said. “Mason wasn’t doing enough. Duck came in and gave us a spark.” The spark Hodges gave Pittsburgh lasted all of one drive. But it was the only touchdown the Steelers scored.

Hodges is going to get way too much credit for Sunday’s win but this is what happens. His throw to James Washington for the touchdown was great and a throw I’m not convinced Rudolph could have made today. But after throwing for 90 yards on that first drive, Hodges mustered 28 in the rest of the second half.

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Check out Devlin Hodges to James Washington for the long TD

https://twitter.com/steelers/status/1198692669003882496

Well, it didn’t take long for Devlin Hodges to come in and wake up the offense. Hodges went 2-for-2 in his first drive and capped it off with a great 79-yard touchdown throw to wide receiver James Washington.

Hodges threw a horribly underthrown ball to Washington on his first shot deep resulting in an offensive pass interference penalty. But undeterred, Hodges went right back to Washington and let the former Oklahoma State wide receiver do the rest. Hodges now has 90 passing yards in the game. Mason Rudolph, who he replaced threw for 85 yards in the first half.

The Steelers now lead 10-7 with 10 minutes left in the third quarter.

Steelers HC Mike Tomlin benches Mason Rudolph for Devlin Hodges

The Steelers have made a change at quarterback.

In what had to be something of a surprise, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin benched quarterback Mason Rudolph with 12:36 left in the third quarter and replaced him with rookie Devlin Hodges.

The Steelers’ offense needs a spark so maybe Hodges will be it. Rudolph was clearly in his own head and failing to make even simple throws. Hodges is a high-energy guy with a strong arm and no fear. Hopefully the team will rally around Hodges and make some big plays.

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How to Watch Steelers vs. Bengals, NFL Week 12 Live Stream, Schedule, TV Channel, Start Time

Stream Steelers vs. Bengals Live Online.

The Steelers (5-5) and winless Bengals (0-10) square-off in an AFC North matchup Sunday afternoon at Paul Brown Stadium. Pittsburgh has won nine straight meetings,  including a 27-3 victory at home in week four.

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Steelers vs. Bengals

When: Sunday, November 24

Time: 1:00 p.m. ET

 TV: CBS

Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

Pittsburgh had its four-game win streak snapped with a 21-7 loss vs. Browns and those frustrations broke out at the end of the game. Mason Rudolph completed 23 of 44 passes for 221 yards, one touchdown, and four costly interceptions. Rudolph was also sacked four times. The running game struggled to move the ball with 16 carries for 58 yards. With that lackluster offensive production, it is going to be difficult to win football games. It will not get easier for the Steelers with wide receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson sidelined due to concussion protocol and James Conner day-to-day with a shoulder injury.

The Steelers defense held the Browns to under 300 yards of total offense, but with the turnovers on offense and Cleveland dominating the time of possession, they had their hands full. This unit will need to step up even more with the injuries on offense. T.J. Watt had four tackles and one sack last weekend and has 10.5 sacks on the year, third best in the NFL. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick has been worth the deal Pittsburgh made for him early in the season. Fitzpatrick is tied for the league lead in interceptions with five.

Cincinnati is a league worst 0-10 and searching for its first win of the season. Last weekend the Bengals lost 17-10 against the Raiders. Ryan Finley, who replaced Andy Dalton, will remain the starter despite completing a mere 13 of 31 passes for 115 yards and one interception. Joe Mixon racked up 86 yards on the ground and his first rushing touchdown of the season. Auden Tate led all Bengals receivers with four catches and a total of 56 yards. The offense ranks 30th with an average of 14.7 points per game and has struggled to find the end zone all season.  

A weakened Steelers offense will help on Sunday, but the reality is the Bengals are dead last in yards allowed (425.1) and rushing yards allowed (167.0). Last weekend, the Raiders threw for nearly 300 yards and Josh Jacobs totaled 112 yards on the ground. The defense did force three sacks and one interception and will need to pressure Mason Rudolph on Sunday to try to create turnovers.

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Steelers vs Bengals: Is it time for a change at quarterback?

Does Pittsburgh need to give Devlin Hodges a look at quarterback this week?

The Pittsburgh Steelers might have themselves a quarterback problem. I suppose this statement was true in Week Two but it continues to be an issue. Last week was a new low for quarterback Mason Rudolph as he looked lost against the Cleveland Browns even before Steelers skill players started dropping like flies.

The Steelers currently sit at 5-5 and are currently in a battle for the final playoff spot in the AFC. With just six games to play there can be no margin for error. Which begs the question, with all the injuries on the offense, Rudolph’s struggles and the remaining games, should the Steelers open up the starting quarterback spot and give Devlin Hodges a chance this week?

Hodges has one start on the season, filling in for Rudolph after he suffered a concussion the week before. Hodges’ numbers weren’t great but the team found a way to adjust to and score some points. The offense didn’t look the same but it was effective and Hodges’ energy was fun to watch.

But was Rudolph’s four-interception effort enough for the Steelers’ coaches to entertain the idea of switching things up? Perhaps not but there might not be a better week to do it than against the 0-10 Cincinnati Bengals. Rudolph isn’t hurt so if things go sideways with Hodges they could always put Rudolph back in.

But I want to pass the question off to you. Is it time for a change at quarterback? Let us know.

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