Ducks might fly south for the winter, but this Duck isn't going anywhere this week.
Devlin "Duck" Hodges will start in Week 16 for the Pittsburgh Steelers, coach Mike Tomlin announced Tuesday.
Hodges threw four interceptions in Pittsburgh's Sunday night loss to Buffalo, including two late interceptions that ultimately doomed the Steelers' hopes of completing a comeback. That fact isn't swaying Tomlin, though.
"I look forward to giving him the opportunity to rebound," Tomlin said.
Hodges' story is one of the great tales of the 2019 season, going from the practice squad to the starting quarterback of the Steelers in just a few months' time following a season-ending injury to Ben Roethlisberger and poor play from Mason Rudolph. Hodges has seized the opportunity, coming off the bench to lead the Steelers to wins over Cincinnati, Cleveland and Arizona before falling to Buffalo. He's posted a passing line of 80 for 118, 884 yards, five touchdowns, six interceptions and an 82.7 passer rating in six games.
It's entirely fair to wonder if the Steelers (8-6) would still be in playoff contention had they stuck with Rudolph instead of making the timely switch to Hodges. He'll get another chance to prove them right Sunday against the New York Jets.
