How can you not realize the biggest difference between being a 7th/8th inning guy vs 9th inning guy.
When youre a 7th/8th inning guy, you usually have a better reliever behind you who can clean your mess. As a 9th inning guy, you are left out there to decide the game because there typically isnt anyone available to come in.
We've seen with Hoffman, its very easy to see the type of outing he's going to have. The variance between his good/bad outings were obvious to the point even someone like me called it out before the worst happened.
Then you factor that Schneider tried to give Rogers/Varland the hardest opponents so Hoffman's job became easier too.