The Pittsburgh Steelers can’t seem to catch a break with injuries this season. The perennial starter Ben Roethlisberger is out with a season-ending elbow injury. Mason Rudolph suffered a brutal concussion on a controversial hit by Earl Thomas last week against the Baltimore Ravens. This opened the door for undrafted quarterback Devlin Hodges, who was cut during roster cutdowns, to come in and show he is capable of being an NFL quarterback. Hodges played a solid quarter and a half of football last week. These are a few ways the coaches can ensure Hodges’ success against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Keys to Devlin Hodges Success in Week Six
Utilize the Run
Last week the Steelers ran the ball 90 percent of first downs once Devlin Hodges entered the game midway through the third quarter. The Steelers will need to rely on the run throughout the game to control the clock. Having success on early downs running the ball will give Hodges manageable third downs to move the chains. This will also limit his chances to turn the ball over. Expect to see more of the gimmick runs out of the wildcat, jet sweeps, reverses, and shuttle passes to manufacture the same yardage for Hodges.
Get the Receivers Involved Early
This offense is going to have to make the Chargers defense respect the passing threat early on. The Steelers will have no chance of running the ball if the defense is crowding the box every play. Play action passes are going to be a vital tool for Hodges with his 4.7 speed coming out of college. Look for offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner to mix in more bootleg roll out style play action. For example, the play-action pass to Vance McDonald on Hodges first drive for a touchdown caught the defense off guard. He also showed fans an intermediate passing ability that we haven’t seen from this team so far this year. Hodges was able to work JuJu Smith-Schuster in a few catches over the middle. Something even Rudolph could not seem to do during his short tenure as the starter.
Don’t Force It
Devlin Hodges was the guy at Samford who was relied on to make every play. Hodges managed to do exactly that massing over 100 touchdowns in his collegiate career. On Sunday, he is going to have to resist the urge to play hero ball. Hodges simply needs to manage this game and make the plays he is capable of making. He threw a risky, across the body interception to a heavily covered receiver against the Ravens. Lucky for Hodges that there was a defensive holding flag thrown before he let go of the ball. Last week, we saw “Duck” Hodges show off his play extending ability with a 21-yard run late in the fourth quarter. The Steelers will need him to use his feet against the Chargers but needs to be sure to tuck the ball and slide. Trying to be the hero and diving for extra yardage early in the game is the quickest way to fumble.
