Steelers 16, Bengals 10: Breaking Down The Ugliest Of Wins

PITTSBURGH, PA - Do the Steelers have a quarterback controversy after their 16-10 victory Sunday over the winless Cincinnati Bengals? After benching Mason Rudolph in the third quarter, coach Mike Tomlin wouldn't say after the game whether Rudolph or Duck Hodges would start Sunday's critical rematch against the Cleveland Browns.

Here's what football writers across the country thought about the Rudloph benching and the rest of the Steelers-Bengals game:

• Gary Gramling, Sports Illustrated: "Since Ben Roethlisberger went down, Mason Rudolph made a few NFL-caliber throws against the Rams two weeks ago, but that’s been it. When the Steelers have generated points, it’s been a smoke-and-mirrors approach on offense and, mostly, a defense that takes the ball away and scores point of their own. Rudolph has been a mess more often than not, and Sunday in Cincinnati he was finding new lows. Duck Hodges isn’t the answer either, but Rudolph has shown that he, definitively, is not."

• Brooke Pryor, ESPN: "Tomlin declined to disclose the quarterback plan going forward, but Hodges performed well enough to help the team to a win -- and maybe earn a starting job next week against the Browns. He completed 5 of 11 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown. And, perhaps most importantly, he didn't turn the ball over."

• Bryan DeArdo, CBS Sports: "The Steelers' offense received a jolt in the arm by Hodges, who lofted a 79-yard touchdown pass to James Washington three plays after replacing Rudolph. Pittsburgh's offense also received a solid effort by rookie running back Benny Snell, who rushed for a career-high 98 yards on 21 carries in his first game back after missing the past month with a knee injury. Snell had several key runs down the stretch that helped the Steelers seal the win."

• Tyler Dragon, Cincinnati Enquirer: "Sunday was a showcase of two inept offenses. There were 16 combined punts. Punters Kevin Huber and Jordan Berry definitely earned their Week 12 paychecks. Huber’s nine punts were a season high. Both teams failed to reach 200 yards passing, they were a combined 7 for 28 on third down and 1-of-6 in the red zone."

• Lakisha Wesseling, NFL.com: "Mason Rudolph continued to struggle after a disastrous Week 11 loss to the Browns. After getting sacked on the first play in the third quarter, Pittsburgh decided that it had seen enough. The Steelers benched Rudolph (8-of-16, 85 yards, 1 INT) in favor of Devlin "Duck" Hodges. A few plays later, he hit wideout James Washington for a 79-yard touchdown and the Steelers finally scored their first touchdown of the game."