It's About Learning from Mistakes for Steelers QB Devlin Hodges

PITTSBURGH -- Before Sunday night, Steelers quarterback Devlin Hodges carried as much confidence as anyone in the locker room. He played like a veteran, and his limited mistakes were somewhat surprising for a player who stepped into an extremely challenging role.

Prior to Week 15, the undrafted rookie never showed signs of, well, being an undrafted rookie. Despite not being the most gifted quarterback, Hodges never worried about throwing into a tight window or using his arm to hit a man deep. When he threw an interception he bounced back, and when faced with a crowded pocket or receivers who did not gain separation, his mistakes were limited.

That was before he imploded Sunday night with four interceptions, including two in the end zone late in the game, in a damaging 17-10 loss to the Bills that left the Steelers scrambling for the AFC's second wild-card spot.

"Sometimes you make plays, sometimes you don't. It definitely wasn't that we weren't trying," Hodges said. "We were trying to make plays and sometimes the ball didn't bounce our way."

In a performance like this - 23-of-38, 202 yards, a touchdown and four INTs - any player would have a difficult time moving past it. For a rookie, especially an undrafted one, that will be even tougher.

It's not time for panic, though. The Steelers head into the week with clear heads and messages to themselves and their quarterback. Despite not naming a starter for Week 16, Mike Tomlin doesn't seem ready to give up on Duck. For his teammates, the focus - no matter who their quarterback is - is next week.

"Better win both damn games," Cameron Heyward said. "[If] you want to be in, you must win them both. It starts with the Jets."

Hodges must walk into the practice facility this week thinking of how to improve from this. Professional football hands out reality checks each and every week and this week was Hodges' turn to pay up.

"It might be more humbling, it might be a position of learning about what NFL defenses will do to you," guard Ramon Foster said. "That's across the board, they did a really good job tonight but we were still there. It wasn't like it was a blowout type of game, it was a game we could've and should've controlled all the way through."

For the veterans on the team, they know what Hodges is going to experience this week. It won't be easy, it will cause him sleepless nights, but it's part of the game.

"There's going to be ups and downs, I know he's probably not proud of this game, none of us are, but you can't hang your head from it; you live from it, learn from it," James Conner said.

Like everyone else, the focus is Week 16. Pittsburgh travels to New York to play the Jets and a player who's had this week marked all season former Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell.

As they head into another important week, Pittsburgh isn't looking back. Live and learn with a young group of guys still trying to figure it out. December is untouched territory for many of these guys which means more work and longer film study.

And it starts Tuesday.

"It honestly all starts in practice," James Washington said. "We've got to go back Tuesday and watch film and come back stronger than we did today just try to build from this."