Duck season is getting extended … for a little while at least.
That was the proclamation Steelers coach Mike Tomlin made at his news dissemination session on Tuesday afternoon following a downright awful performance from quarterback Devlin Hodges on Sunday Night Football in a loss to the Buffalo Bills. Duck is 3-1 as a starter but his four interceptions against the Bills in this “what have you done for me lately” National Football League had the chatter working overtime about his status for the upcoming Jets game.
Was this the time to go back to Mason Rudolph?
Should Tomlin stick with the Duck?
Might Tomlin go another route and not give his starter away at all, but rather keep it a mystery for everyone but the participants and then we’d all just find out Sunday at about 1 p.m.?
What was the best way to go?
For me, Tomlin made the right decision for this team at this point in time: He stuck with the Duck.
There is, however, one enormous asterisk in all of this ---- Tomlin and his staff better be ready to chart a different course without hesitation against the Jets. This isn’t time for fiddle-faddle and wavering. Now is not the time to let one bad series turn into a bad quarter and then turn into a terrible missed opportunity.
Dare I say, the Steelers better not let Duck kill them. The Steelers can’t even let Duck hurt them too much.
If he looks like he doesn't have it, get him out of there. ASAP.
The Steelers simply cannot let this one get away if they want to keep intact their best playoff chances --- which start with beating the Jets.
That’s why that asterisk is simple: It’s being ready to bench Duck at the very initial sign that he doesn’t have it.
Or if he starts to sputter and stammer even so slightly.
A couple of high throws in succession? Out.
A really bad interception? Out.
A general feel that he doesn't have the offense moving? Out.
“I don’t anticipate a plan for failure,” Tomlin said. “I anticipate him doing great, to respond to challenge, moving the offense and taking care of the ball. I’ll cross that bridge if and when I come to it.”
Right. Tomlin and his staff need to. I hope it doesn’t come to it, but they need to recognize the signs quick and unwaveringly.
Here’s hoping Sunday goes as planned and Duck Hodges goes out there, performs well enough and zips through a victory as quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers. That he gets back to winning and guiding this team the way he did against opponents not named the Bills.
But at the very preliminary indication that isn’t happening, Mike Tomlin better be ready to pull him. Tomlin needs to call the bullpen and go to Mason Rudolph.
And there can’t be any vacillation.