John Steigerwald: Steelers QB Duck Hodges should have short leash against Jets

It’s time for the short leash.

Mike Tomlin needs to put one on Devlin Hodges at practice Wednesday and keep it on him when he lines up against the New York Jets next Sunday. He should use it to yank him out of the game in a hurry if he struggles the way he struggled against the Bills on Sunday night.

The legend of the Duck may have run its course. It was fun while it lasted, but if you think he’s the quarterback of the Steelers’ future, you haven’t been paying attention .

The Duck hats and the Duck bills that fans wore to Heinz Field for the game were cute, and NBC did its best to be part of he fun, but the fun ended early.

He was intercepted four times because he was asked/forced to make throws that he either shouldn’t or can’t make.

NBC’s graphic early in the telecast told the story. Coming into the game, Hodges had thrown 80 passes. Sixty-one of them were thrown 10 yards or less beyond the line of scrimmage — not all that unusual in the Dink and Dunk NFL of 2019. Nobody threw more passes of that “length” last season than Ben Roethlisberger.

And let’s stop here to remember Hodges was playing without two pretty important receivers that Roethlisberger had last year. Your chances of completing a 50/50 pass are a lot better when they’re thrown to Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Shushter.

But, come on. Four interceptions. Hodges has made it clear his arm is limited, and he’s not all that great at beating you with his feet.

He has made some nice throws, including the one last week to Diontae Johnson on the front corner of end zone against the Cardinals, but even that one could have been made by every quarterback who played for any college team this season.

If Johnson hadn’t returned a punt for a touchdown in that game it would have been a loss.

The offense with Hodges at quarterback is only good enough to win because the Steelers have a defense that looks like the ones that have taken them to a few Super Bowls.

Mike Tomlin said what he expected from Hodges was that “He doesn’t kill us.” He didn’t kill them against the Bills, but he didn’t help, and everybody should have seen enough by now to know the Duck party is over.

Mason Rudolph may not be the answer waiting in the wings. He played himself on to the bench, but maybe he’s learned some lessons and could be the spark they need coming off it if the Steelers’s offense is struggling and keeping the Jets in the game Sunday.

The Steelers need one more win. They may get a watered down version of the Ravens in Baltimore in their last game, but that version would be a tougher test than the best the Jets have to offer.

Rudolph is a much more talented quarterback. He doesn’t have a cute nickname and deserved to lose his job, but Hodges looks like a guy who’s capable of killing the Steelers in a game they have to win. Even against the Jets.

I know. Just like Rudolph. But, you know, the spark.

The fans, especially the ones in the Duck hats, won’t give up on Hodges without a fight, and the media will be disappointed if the legend of Duck Hodges fades away. But the season has reached the point where the head coach knowing when or if to pull the trigger and start another quarterback controversy could determine whether the Steelers are in the playoffs.

And how much imagination would it take for the media to come up with a cute story about a shunned quarterback named Rudolph becoming the hero three days before Christmas?