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Steelers coach Mike Tomlin says Devlin Hodges will start against Browns | TribLIVE.com
Steelers/NFL

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin says Devlin Hodges will start against Browns

Joe Rutter
Joe Rutter
1992407_web1_AP_19328717919165
AP
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin works the sidelines during the first half an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019, in Cincinnati.

Duck season will resume Sunday when the Pittsburgh Steelers get their rematch with the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field.

How long it remains open depends on the aim of Devlin Hodges.

“We’ll see where we are after this game,” coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday of his decision to start Hodges at quarterback in place of Mason Rudolph when the AFC North rivals meet for the second time in 17 days. “Really, we have no intended plans beyond this one.”

Hodges relieved Rudolph in the second half against Cincinnati and led the Steelers to 13 points en route to a 16-10 victory against the Bengals.

Hodges winged a 79-yard touchdown pass to James Washington on his third play that gave the Steelers a 10-7 lead in the third quarter. It was the only touchdown the Steelers scored.

“I thought he provided us a spark in-game, and I’m hopeful that he is capable of continuing that spark as we step into this stadium,” Tomlin said.

The Steelers (6-5) need a win Sunday to maintain the No. 6 spot in the AFC playoff race and salvage a split of the season series with the Browns (5-6), who have won three in a row, including the Nov. 14 matchup at FirstEnergy Stadium, 21-7.

Rudolph threw four interceptions in that game, and he tossed his fifth in as many quarters when he was picked off in the red zone in the first quarter at Cincinnati. He directed just one field-goal drive in six possessions.

“I’ve got a lot of patience for young guys,” Tomlin said, “but one thing we’ve got to do is take care of the ball. Those are one of the reasons we gave Devlin an opportunity in Cincinnati. Once given that opportunity, he took care of the ball and provided that spark.

“We thought it reasonable as we prepare this week to allow him to continue to do that.”

Rudolph finished 8 of 16 for 85 yards. After he threw a third-down incompletion on his first series of the second half, Rudolph was replaced by Hodges, who completed 5 of 11 attempts for 118 yards but did not throw an interception.

After the game, Rudolph said he would “respect” Tomlin’s decision on the future of the position.

“I think I have handled adversity well through my career,” he said, “so, should this be another obstacle, I’m looking forward to doing everything I can (to improve).”

The Steelers have struggled to score points, regardless of the quarterback, even before Ben Roethlisberger exited with a season-ending elbow injury at halftime of the home opener against Seattle. They have gotten one offensive touchdown in four consecutive games and rank No. 25 in the NFL in points and No. 28 in total yards.

In addition to Roethlisberger, the Steelers have been without JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Conner, Jaylen Samuels, Benny Snell, Roosevelt Nix, Ramon Foster and Maurkice Pouncey for various lengths of the season.

“Maybe some of those things have worn away at elements of Mason’s play,” Tomlin said.

Tomlin said his decision to start Hodges had nothing to do with the opponent or that Rudolph was hit in the head by his own helmet during a fight with Browns defensive end Myles Garrett near the end of the Nov. 14 meeting. Not only was Rudolph accused by Garrett of using a racial slur, he received a $50,000 fine from the NFL for his role in the fight.

“We have enough issues of our own that we need to just focus on us,” Tomlin said.

When Rudolph missed the Oct. 23 game at the Los Angeles Chargers with a concussion, Hodges made his first NFL start and led the Steelers to a 24-17 win. He completed 15 of 20 passes for 132 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

When the Steelers played the Miami Dolphins two weeks later, a healthy Rudolph was back leading the offense. He helped the Steelers increase their winning streak to four games before the loss at Cleveland.

“This means nothing about our intended plans for the future or the trajectory of Mason’s career,” Tomlin said. “We’re just not of that mentality. We’re not in a position to be in that mentality. We’re putting pieces together on a week-by-week basis because of the adversity the game presents.

“We are singularly focused on winning this game and putting ourselves in position to win this game.”

Here is some of what Tomlin had to say.

Joe Rutter is a TribLive reporter who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since the 2016 season. A graduate of Greensburg Salem High School and Point Park, he is in his fifth decade covering sports for the Trib. He can be reached at jrutter@triblive.com.

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Categories: Sports | Steelers/NFL
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