The opinions found in Asked and Answered do not reflect the views of the Steelers organization.
Let's get to it:
HAROLD MCCOY FROM NORFOLK, VA: What is your perception for the criteria for a head coach being a Hall of Famer? For instance, I firmly believe that at least two Super Bowl wins should be the starting point for the conversation. Mike Shanahan, George Seifert, and Tom Coughlin aren't in the Hall of Fame despite having multiple Super Bowl wins, yet Bill Cowher was inducted.
ANSWER: I gave up trying to figure out what the criteria is for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame many years ago. It seems to me that the Selection Committee doesn't view a candidacy using any hard-and-fast standard based on statistics/accomplishments, but instead considers each case individually. For example in the player category, Lynn Swann was elected as part of the Class of 2001 with what might look to some as pedestrian statistics – 336 catches for 5,462 yards and 51 touchdowns during his 9 NFL seasons. There are many receivers with better numbers, but the case for Swann was that he was a special player in big games, who made great catches in playoff games, and was the first receiver ever voted the Super Bowl MVP Award. You mention Bill Cowher as falling short of your criteria of 2 Super Bowl wins, but John Madden is another Hall of Fame coach who didn't even have Cowher's statistics. Madden had a 103-32-7 regular season record, a 9-7 playoff record, and won 1 Super Bowl. Cowher had a 149-90-1 record, a 12-9 playoff record, and appeared in 2 Super Bowls with 1 win.
- Download and listen to the Asked & Answered Podcast here: Apple Podcast | Spotify
MICHAEL ARCELA FROM SPRINGFIELD, NJ: I thought drafting Kaleb Johnson was a home run. However, it seems like he's been in the doghouse after the punt debacle. Is this because of that mistake or lack of progress during his practice reps?
ANSWER: My answer to most of these kinds of questions is the same, and I'm going to repeat it again here. Kaleb Johnson at this stage of his developing career is not as good as Jaylen Warren or Kenneth Gainwell, and an NFL regular season is not the time to put a young player into the lineup "to see what he can do." If you have been watching the Steelers games throughout this season, it should be clear to you that Johnson doesn't bring to the offense what Warren and Gainwell do, and so that's the main reason why he has had a limited role on offense.
VICKI SCHERER FROM JOHNSTOWN, PA: I've enjoyed watching Kenneth Gainwell this year. He seems to get better and better each week. I hope he sticks around for a while. What are your thoughts on him?
ANSWER: An underrated signing for sure. Kenneth Gainwell is a versatile offensive weapon, and he also is someone who is the embodiment of my favorite "Tomlinism": I know what you're capable of, but what are you willing to do? Winning teams need guys like Kenneth Gainwell.
LAMBERT VAN DER WEIDE FROM ROLDE, THE NETHERLANDS: Thank you so much for answering my question about the playoffs. But after reading your answer I started wondering: what if it goes the other way around, and the Steelers beat Detroit and Cleveland, but lose to the Ravens. Both teams could go 10-7 in that scenario. Which tiebreaker would there be in that case?
ANSWER: If the Steelers defeat the Lions and Cleveland and then lose the finale to Baltimore, they would finish 10-7. For the Ravens also to finish 10-7, they would have to defeat New England, Green Bay, and the Steelers. In that case, the applicable tiebreaker becomes "best won-loss-tied percentage in common games" because the head-to-head would stand at 1-1, and both teams' division record would be 4-1. In the common games tiebreaker category, the Ravens would be 8-3 and the Steelers would be 7-4. Baltimore would win the AFC North under that scenario.
NICK SCIULLI FROM COLUMBUS, OH: What are some of the intangibles that Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Adam Thielen have that are getting them helmets on game days over Roman Wilson? The Steelers spent a third-round pick on Wilson, and I saw a film study that was showing he was getting open. Or could it maybe just be that Mike Tomlin and Aaron Rodgers don't trust him?
ANSWER: There is a whole lot more to it than a "film study that was showing he was getting open." There are contributions a WR can make on plays when he is not going to get the ball based on the coverage and the situation. There are ways a defense will deploy its coverage based on the skill-set a WR has put on video as an NFL player, which can impact other players in the pass pattern. What Roman Wilson lacks is experience, and there is no way to fast-track that element of his game. It takes time to gain that experience, to develop a reputation, and all of that has to be complemented by a player continuing to hone his craft. And when it comes to young players, a lot of development takes place during training camp and the preseason, and Wilson missed all of that as a rookie because of injury.
MIKE ROBEY FROM TILTONSVILLE, OH: Could you shed some light on Roman Wilson's situation? We all understand Mike Tomlin's propensity to play veterans over younger guys but Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Adam Thielen? We're not going to the Super Bowl so it perplexes me as to why these clearly over-the-hill guys start before a player the team needs to evaluate for next year?
ANSWER: Wanna know what perplexes me? That there still are people who do not understand that an NFL regular season is not the time to "evaluate a player for next year."
MOISES CRUZ FROM PUEBLA, MÉXICO: I really enjoyed Monday Night Football. I love the Steelers Color Rush uniforms, and maybe I have a selective memory, but I think they've never lost in that uniform and have always won convincingly. Is my assessment correct? Also, for a potential home playoff game, could the team opt to use their alternate uniforms?
ANSWER: After the victory over Miami on Dec. 15, the Steelers are 8-3 when wearing their Color Rush uniforms. As for the playoffs, the NFL does not allow teams to wear alternate jerseys or Color Rush during playoff games or the Super Bowl. League rules require teams to wear their primary home/road uniforms in those games.
MIKE GOLDINGER FROM YORK, SC: With the new kickoff rule, is there any data on concussions?
ANSWER: It's something of a mixed bag, because while there was a drop in concussions when the Dynamic Kickoff decreased the number of high-speed collisions when it was first implemented, there was a bit of an uptick when the NFL tweaked some things to increase the number of returns for the 2025 season. One thing that seems to be a constant is that when there are more kickoff returns, there are more high-speed collisions resulting in more concussions.
