Duck Hodges Proved Mike Tomlin Wrong and Killed the Steelers After All

The Pittsburgh Steelers' master plan of pinning their playoff hopes on an undrafted rookie quarterback from Samford did not go according to plan. With the season on the line, Devlin Hodges completely wet the bed in a 16-10 loss against the New York Jets.

Hodges was picked off twice on Pittsburgh's first two drives of the game, which prompted Mike Tomlin to make the switch back to Mason Rudolph. The Oklahoma State product was moving the ball down the field much more effectively than Hodges did all game long, but was ultimately knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury.

The injury to Rudolph thrust Hodges back into the game, and he continued to struggle upon his return. In all, Hodges went 11-for-17 for 84 yards and a pair of picks.

Hodges now has five touchdowns against eight picks on the year, and has really thrown a wrench into Pittsburgh's playoff plans after throwing six interceptions in the last two weeks. The Steelers fell in back-to-back games against AFC East opponents and now sit at 8-7 on the season.

It seems Mike Tomlin was a bit too hasty to pledge his faith to Hodges, and it certainly didn't pay off.

The Steelers will now need to stun the Ravens and hope the Texans take down the Titans in Week 17 in order to reach the playoffs. With Hodges under center, that seems like a long shot.