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Dynasty & Redraft Steelers QB Devlin "Duck" Hodges (1 Viewer)

pghrob

Hail to the Chief
From FCS Samford where he broke Steve McNair's Alcorn State all-time FCS college career passing yards record to becoming an undrafted, last to be signed free-agent training camp try-out to improbable 3rd stringer and then back-up, and now starter of the Pittsburgh Steelers this week is the start of the Duck Dynasty run as Hodges is slated to start week 6 at the L.A. Chargers.

Who's looking to get on board? Would obviously be thrilled to see a second coming of a Kurt Warner or Tony Romo story.

 
I figured the first reply here should be that he was picked up last night by the 0-5 team and then traded to the team with Derek Carr on BYE for a 5th round rookie pick.

It's a DEEP league with pretty much 70+QB's rostered.

 
"I had the full gameplan" said Hodges in post-game interviews. "I tell ya'll that each and every week that I feel comfortable and confident. We didn't hold back at all". 

He probably didn't mean it this way, but looking back at my previous comments on Rudolph, this looks like an underhanded shot at Rudolph. 

Rudolph did not have the full game plan as far as I could tell. Rudolph does not look comfortable in the pocket.  Rudolph does not look confident. 

It's nice to see the positive news in the media.  I thought he looked good too, from the little bit we saw. 

 
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Nick Farabaugh @FarabaughFB

Can’t deny how excited I am to see Devlin Hodges actually play Sunday night. The tools are all there based on the tape, I really hope they show themselves this Sunday.

 
Weird to me how much positive buzz he’s getting. I thought he didn’t look good at all when he came in for Rudolph last week (understandably). Not convinced he’ll be competent enough for anyone in the offense to produce for fantasy.

 
Weird to me how much positive buzz he’s getting. I thought he didn’t look good at all when he came in for Rudolph last week (understandably). Not convinced he’ll be competent enough for anyone in the offense to produce for fantasy.


How bad could he have looked with that completion percentage on that low a number of snaps? 

 
Weird to me how much positive buzz he’s getting. I thought he didn’t look good at all when he came in for Rudolph last week (understandably). Not convinced he’ll be competent enough for anyone in the offense to produce for fantasy.
Don’t know what you saw that turned you off. I thought he looked calm and poised. Threw a decent ball. Didn’t look like much of a drop-off from Rudolph.

 
Devlin Hodges completed 15-of-20 passes for 132 yards, one touchdown and an interception in the Steelers' 24-17, Week 6 win over the Chargers.

Hodges spent the majority of his evening either handing or passing the ball to James Conner. Still, the undrafted rookie deserves credit for not making mistakes and generally keeping the offense on track, other than an interception early in the fourth quarter that was forced into coverage downfield. Big plays were there to be had, including a deep ball to JuJu Smith-Schuster on the offense’s first play, but it’s tough to be too critical on Hodges after a seven-point "road" win. It’d be surprising if Mason Rudolph doesn’t start after the Steelers’ Week 7 bye, assuming he’s able to clear the protocol.

 
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Passing chart. >>>>  

Here is Devlin Hodges' passing chart from Sunday night

----------------------

Fitchner is spoon feeding the baby formula safe game plan that he used with Rudolph but Hodges arm did not look strong enough, err to me.

  • one completion of 10 yards
  • one completion of 7 yards
  • two made it 5 yards
  • only two others made it past the LOS
Of the 4 passes he attempted over ten yards three were incomplete and the other was picked off.  

 
He looked fine, but nothing too impressive.  He had the arm strength, but threw the ball in some spots that got his WRs hit pretty hard.  Johnson dropped a deelish pass that would have gotten him obliterated in another era. 

We didn't really get to see anything since the game script dictated not letting a rookie QB lose the game.  It looked like maybe they tried to sneak a peak late in the game, and he threw a pick, looked like maybe he was late on the throw but I wasn't sure. 

I agree that he looked pretty much the same as Rudolph, and the coaching staff babied him the same way. 

 
Devlin Hodges completed 14-of-21 passes for 212 yards, one touchdown, and an interception in Pittsburgh's Week 13 comeback victory over the Browns.

Pittsburgh's offense and, more to the point, Hodges totaled just 3 points on 76 yards before the team's final possession in the first half. That one drive in particular saw the rookie quarterback go hunting for James Washington (4/111/1), who tied the game with a 30-yard touchdown despite getting dragged to the ground by CB T.J. Carrie mid-catch. It was also the start of Pittsburgh's 20 unanswered points, keeping Baker Mayfield and the Browns in check for the entire second half. Hodges' fearlessness to trust his receivers blindly was an immense upgrade over Mason Rudolph's inept arm. The 7-5 Steelers will look to continue their Wild Card surge as they travel to take on the Cardinals in Week 14.

 
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Devlin Hodges completed 16-of-19 passes for 152 yards and one touchdown in Pittsburgh's Week 14 win over the Cardinals.

He played outside of the pocket on a handful of dropbacks, too, sprinkling in an additional 34 yards with his legs. Hodges' numbers through the air aren't eye-popping, but it's clear he's added another dimension to the Steelers' offense in his last two outings — something Mason Rudolph failed to do all season. 'Duck' also become the first undrafted quarterback in league history to win his first three career starts. Pittsburgh's swarming Steel Curtain 2.0 remains their catalyst and the majority reason for the Steelers' 8-5 record this year as coach Mike Tomlin astonishingly clinched his 13th straight season without a losing campaign. They'll again be put to the test against Josh Allen and the Bills' electric offense in Week 15.

 
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Devlin Hodges completed 23-of-38 passes for 202 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions in the Steelers' Week 15 loss to Buffalo.

This was Hodges worst start after winning his last three games. Two of his interceptions went to Tre’Davious White, with his final two coming on back-to-back drives to close out the game. It was an overdue exposure for Hodges, who averaged a pathetic 5.3 YPA. Pittsburgh had been trying to hide Hodges, not letting him attempt more than 21 passes in any of his previous starts. The Steelers are now in danger of missing the playoffs at 8-6. Hodges figures to be on a short leash for a matchup with the Jets in Week 16.
I have no idea why the Steelers unleashed him in this game with a healthy James Conner and a bevy of RB talent to lean on.

 
The Steelers are making the same mistake with Hodges that they made with Rudolph. Just stop thinking that these guys are capable of doing more than they can do.

 
The Steelers are making the same mistake with Hodges that they made with Rudolph. Just stop thinking that these guys are capable of doing more than they can do.
What choice do they have?

The Steelers need to deep-six the wildcat though.  It worked once, against the pathetic Bengals but it doesn't work an even half-competent defense.

 
The Steelers are making the same mistake with Hodges that they made with Rudolph. Just stop thinking that these guys are capable of doing more than they can do.
What is weird is they seemed to realize that until this game. I'm still firmly on the Rudolph>Hodges train, but they seem to be unaware of what either guy seems to do well. Fichtner has been an awful OC ever since he got the job. 

 
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin wouldn't commit to Devlin Hodges as the team's starter following Sunday's Week 15 loss to Buffalo.

Hodges led the Steelers to wins in each of his first four starts but ran into a buzz-saw Sunday as the undrafted rookie was badly exposed in a loss to Buffalo (four sacks, four interceptions). The 23-year-old Samford is merely a game-manager, though it's debatable whether 2018 third-rounder Mason Rudolph would actually be an improvement. "I am not getting into that," said the long-tenured Steelers coach when asked if Hodges would remain the starter against the Jets in Week 16. "I’m not going to make an announcement every week or every time I stand in front of you guys in terms of who is playing quarterback or any other position for that matter." Hodges did not have the look of an NFL starter Sunday night, though neither did Rudolph during his starting stint earlier this year.

RELATED: 

Mason Rudolph

SOURCE: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Dec 16, 2019, 8:50 AM ET

 
travdogg said:
What is weird is they seemed to realize that until this game. I'm still firmly on the Rudolph>Hodges train, but they seem to be unaware of what either guy seems to do well. Fichtner has been an awful OC ever since he got the job. 
I am pretty sure the Steelers saw a major improvement in the red zone last season under Fichtner.

Fichtner got the job because of Ben, plain and simple.  I don't know if he is a good OC or not but I think any evaluations based on this season are laughable.   The guy lost his HoF QB in week 2 and is down to playing a QB that didn't even make the team.  His #1 receiver from last season is gone and his remaining pro-bowl receiver and running back have missed a good chunk of the season.  Yeah I know these are excuses but they're also the facts.

Now I do question why you have Duck throw 43 times in a game where you were leading at one point and trailing by only 7 in the 4th quarter.  I also absolutely hated the wildcat at the 1st and 10 on the 10 with a guy that hasn't played in a month.  So he's made some bad decisions to be sure but up until this game overall I thought he was doing a nice job with what he had to work with.

 
I am pretty sure the Steelers saw a major improvement in the red zone last season under Fichtner.

Fichtner got the job because of Ben, plain and simple.  I don't know if he is a good OC or not but I think any evaluations based on this season are laughable.   The guy lost his HoF QB in week 2 and is down to playing a QB that didn't even make the team.  His #1 receiver from last season is gone and his remaining pro-bowl receiver and running back have missed a good chunk of the season.  Yeah I know these are excuses but they're also the facts.

Now I do question why you have Duck throw 43 times in a game where you were leading at one point and trailing by only 7 in the 4th quarter.  I also absolutely hated the wildcat at the 1st and 10 on the 10 with a guy that hasn't played in a month.  So he's made some bad decisions to be sure but up until this game overall I thought he was doing a nice job with what he had to work with.
I agree Fichtner was dealt a bad hand this year, but I didn't think he did a good job last year either. I felt they were way too pass happy, and in situations that called for a more conservative approach, and that was the main reason that Big Ben had the league's most INT's in 2018, and the Steelers missed the playoffs, mostly because of a bottom 5 +/- turnover ratio. 

I feel as though the Buffalo game, and others this season, have seen the same thing. This is a team with a very good(though possibly declining) o-line, and as good a defense as anyone in the NFL, and they seem to go out of their way to make offense harder than it needs to be. 

I also think they made a mistake going away from Rudolph, but they backed themselves into a corner by not putting him in a position to succeed. Hodges mobility has helped cover some issues, but he's not as good a passer as Rudolph is, and when they needed to make just 1 play they weren't able to. That falls on the QB sure, but the OC sure isn't helping. 

Maybe the fix is as simple as getting Big Ben back, but if the Steelers make the playoffs this season, they are probably the easiest 1-and-done team in the field. 

 
Duck, Duck, G..

Duck's been announced Week 16 starter

@RapSheet

After a few days to consider it, #Steelers coach Mike Tomlin says they are going with the Duck. Devlin Hodges will start in Week 16.

 
I also think they made a mistake going away from Rudolph, but they backed themselves into a corner by not putting him in a position to succeed.
I'm not saying Duck is great (or even an NFL QB) but Mason absolutely should have been pulled from the Cincy game.  He was bouncing balls 5 yards in front of his receivers in that Cincy game and had been throwing behind his receivers for weeks on crossing patterns.  Mason earned his benching with his play, for sure.

 
I'm not saying Duck is great (or even an NFL QB) but Mason absolutely should have been pulled from the Cincy game.  He was bouncing balls 5 yards in front of his receivers in that Cincy game and had been throwing behind his receivers for weeks on crossing patterns.  Mason earned his benching with his play, for sure.
I agree with this.   The move to pull Rudolph from the Bengals game potentially saved the season.   I am not ready to throw Rudolph in the dumpster but at this point I think you have to stick with Duck for continuity sake, even after that horrendous game last week.    

The game this week isn't going to be easy.  The Jets offense sucks but their defense isn't bad.   The Steelers QB needs to manage the game,  protect the ball and let the defense win the game.

 
Duck, Duck, G..

Duck's been announced Week 16 starter


Rotoworld take:

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Devlin Hodges will start in Week 16 against the Jets.

"I look forward to giving him the opportunity to rebound," Tomlin added. It's the right call despite Hodges' underwhelming four-turnover letdown against the Bills Sunday night. Hodges has been nothing more than a game manager in his last three starts, averaging 5.14 YPA and adding an element of surprise on the ground, but even his shortcomings are an upgrade over what Mason Rudolph brought to the table under center earlier this year. We would expect Hodges to bounce back in a softer spot against the Jets this upcoming Sunday. The Steelers can clinch a postseason berth by winning out over their next two games.

SOURCE: Ray Fittipaldo on Twitter

Dec 17, 2019, 12:08 PM ET

 
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports Devlin Hodges will be on a short leash against the Jets in Week 16.

Coach Mike Tomlin reluctantly kept Hodges in his starting role despite the rookie imploding to the tune of four interceptions in last week's loss to Buffalo. However, Pelissero reports Mason Rudolph was "heavily involved" in game-planning and also saw increased practice participation throughout the week, preparing him in case of another Hodges meltdown. It goes without saying that Hodges should be nowhere near fantasy lineups this week. Even in a relatively favorable spot against the Jets, Pittsburgh's offense simply carries too much risk.

RELATED: 

Mason Rudolph

SOURCE: Tom Pelissero on Twitter

Dec 22, 2019, 10:51 AM ET

 
Devlin Hodges completed 11-of-17 passes for 84 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions while adding one carry for no gain Sunday in the Steelers’ Week 16 loss to the Jets.

Hodges was benched after throwing a horrendous interception—his second in a span of three drives—in the second quarter, but returned after Mason Rudolph was lost to a second-half shoulder injury. The rookie appeared gun-shy upon his return, holding the ball too long while showing a reluctance to throw downfield. Hodges couldn't lead the Steelers to fourth-quarter glory, throwing up a prayer to JuJu Smith-Schuster on fourth-and-seven after fumbling the snap. That misfire sealed the Steelers' Week 16 fate while also complicating their path to the postseason. They'll need a win and a Titans loss next week to clinch the AFC's final Wild Card spot. Luckily the Steelers will likely face Baltimore's backups as the Ravens were able to clinch home-field advantage with Sunday's win at Cleveland.

 
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