Steelers five burning questions for this week’s needed win

Can Devlin Hodges keep his winning streak going?

There is a storyline that has been quiet so far but deserves some attention. Devlin Hodges has not lost a game that he has played in this season. This is a testament to how he has played as a quarterback.

Certainly, Hodges isn’t dominating games, but he isn’t losing them either. He doesn’t throw as many interceptions as Mason Rudolph. He keeps the Black & Gold in games.

The truth is the defense is the reason this team is in the playoff picture but the Steelers are asking that the offense produce something. Hodges is producing something.

I want to throw an idea out there and see if it might happen. Devlin Hodges might be what Mason Rudolph was supposed to be. Maybe Hodges is the backup to Ben Roethlisberger in the short-term and the successor to Roethlisberger in the long-term.

Hodges could be the successor for two reasons. One, he is only a rookie after playing at Stamford and that gives him room to grow. Second, the Steelers are becoming a defensive team again after a time where the offense was the dominant side of the ball. Maybe Hodges is the answer.

Conclusion

The Steelers are sitting pretty despite a lot of key injuries. Ben Roethlisberger won’t be back until next season and neither will Stephon Tuitt. Pittsburgh has been without James Conner and Juju Smith-Schuster the past few weeks but that has not stopped them.

They have gotten production from players they didn’t expect to. Devlin Hodges has been great. Benny Snell has picked it up from the preseason. Matt Feiler has become a steady NFL starter.

Their defense has also been clicking. The acquisition of Minkah Fitzpatrick has been great for the Black & Gold. He has gotten the defense to the level that the Steelers have coveted for years.

The Steelers need to take care of business against a beatable Arizona Cardinals team. A loss could put this team behind the eight ball. This team is still talented enough to make the playoffs.