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Steelers ‘Duck’ Hodges swoops in to save the day

By Eric Hassel

CINCINNATI, OH - NOVEMBER 24: Devlin Hodges #6 of the Pittsburgh Steelers attempts to stiff-arm Sam Hubbard #94 of the Cincinnati Bengals as he runs down the field during the fourth quarter of the game at Paul Brown Stadium on November 24, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - NOVEMBER 24: Devlin Hodges #6 of the Pittsburgh Steelers attempts to stiff-arm Sam Hubbard #94 of the Cincinnati Bengals as he runs down the field during the fourth quarter of the game at Paul Brown Stadium on November 24, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images) /
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CINCINNATI, OH – NOVEMBER 24: Cameron Heyward #97 and Bud Dupree #48 of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrate on the sidelines after Dupree recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on November 24, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH – NOVEMBER 24: Cameron Heyward #97 and Bud Dupree #48 of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrate on the sidelines after Dupree recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on November 24, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images) /

The Steelers former first-round pick provides a ‘splash’ play to aid in sealing the victory against the Bengals

So there’ s nothing like saving the best for last, right?  That is exactly what the Steelers ‘D’ did against the Bengals.  After taking the lead late in the fourth quarter, the Bengals took possession of the ball; Bud Dupree, our former first-round pick, then took said ball away in the form of a strip sack-fumble, which Dupree also recovered.

You gotta like when a player gets the sack, forces a fumble and recovers it himself.  That’s the definition of a trifecta for a defensive player.  Dupree’s sack was one of four sacks the defense was able to generate.  With those four sacks, the Steelers defense is currently ranked 3rd best in that category.

The defense gave up 10 points to the Bengals.  They are currently ranked 8th best in that category, allowing an average of 19.3 points per game. It’s also interesting to note that the Steelers defense held the Bengals to 244 total yards, allowed a 16% third-down conversion rate and held the Bengals to a time of possession of 25 minutes and 20 seconds.

I really can’t extol the defense enough for what they have been able to accomplish this season. I think it’s fair to say that without the sacks, the forced fumbles and the interceptions, the Steelers would be in trouble right now.

Of course, none of the aforementioned stats mean anything if the Steelers can’t keep the momentum going as we push forward toward a potential playoff spot.

The Steelers secured a much need victory against the Bengals thanks to an unlikely source, but can we keep the victory train on the tracks?

The Steelers earned a win against the Bengals on the strength of the 7th best overall defense in the NFL.  That has been the recipe for success all season long.  The Steelers offense needed a spark and got one in the form of Hodges, the undrafted, rookie free-agent QB from Samford.

Next. 5 Steelers we should be the most thankful for this year. dark

The Steelers sit at 6 wins and 5 losses on the season, which is, frankly, remarkable given all of the adversity with which we have had to deal this season.  Sadly, the NFL is a week-to-week league, so if the Steelers can’t keep the ‘winning’ train on the tracks, it will all be for naught.  Here’s to keep the train on the tracks.

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