The opinions found in Asked and Answered do not reflect the views of the Steelers organization.
Let's get to it:
LARRY LININGER FROM MESA, AZ: I had read that the Steelers were expecting Derrick Harmon to be able to return from IR following our bye week. Is that going to happen? Has he resumed practice or is that not allowed prior to getting off IR?
ANSWER: The Steelers officially started the clock on Derrick Harmon's return from injured reserve when practice resumed on Wednesday for tonight's game in Cincinnati against the Bengals. Harmon was listed as a limited participant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday, he was upgraded to a full participant on Friday. He is listed as questionable for tonight's game.
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ERIC KUJAN FROM QUEENSBURY, NY: What is your favorite memory of Dick Hoak as a player or coach?
ANSWER: I wrote a tribute to Dick Hoak that appeared on the Steelers media platforms on Wednesday, Nov. 11, and in an attempt to answer your question I'm going to include something that I wrote and also something he said that provides an authentic measure of the man.
What I wrote: Both as a player and an assistant coach, Dick Hoak was an egoless part of the team, a man who did his job quietly but still at 100 miles per hour. He was loyal to the point of forsaking his own advancement to honor a commitment he believed he had made; he was more interested in winning than he was in being right; and he was way more interested in winning than he was in getting the credit.
This is what he said: "I was offered the (head coaching) job by the Pittsburgh Maulers twice, (but I turned it down) because of this organization, the Rooney family They were always good to me. In fact, I interviewed for the Maulers job in Ohio and came back and I called Coach Noll and I called Dan (Rooney) and said that I was offered the job, but I just couldn't see myself going across the street to a rival football league in Pittsburgh. There was no way I could have done that."
ERIC ROMELL FROM PLANO, TX: I'm taking my 6-year-old to his first Steelers game against the Broncos. Do you know if at Acrisure Stadium I can still get a "My first game" sign as before?
ANSWER: Yes. I have seen those signs in the stands at previous home games this season.
DONNIE BROWN FROM VAN BUREN, ME: The Steelers have been iconic in their brand of football, a punishing rushing attack and a smothering defense. How have they fared in seasons when they have a top-5 running offense and rank in the top 5 in total defense?
ANSWER: Since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger, the Steelers have finished with a top-5 rushing offense and a defense ranked in the top 5 overall a total of 10 times. Those seasons and their outcomes are listed below
1975: Super Bowl Champions
1976: Lost AFC Championship Game
1979: Super Bowl Champions
1983: Lost in Divisional Round
1994: Lost AFC Championship Game
1996: Lost in Divisional Round
2001: Lost AFC Championship Game
2004: Lost AFC Championship Game
2005: Super Bowl Champions
2007: Lost in Wild Card Round
SEAN DELANEY FROM GARDNER, MA: I'm glad the Steelers did not give up significant draft capital at the trade deadline. But our secondary has a number of injury-prone veterans and two rookies. Are you surprised they didn't acquire an Arthur Maulet type veteran, a relatively cheap player on an expiring contract who can be had for a late round pick swap?
ANSWER: Wow, that's a pretty particular ask, and you're not willing to spend hardly anything. I don't think you can order one of those off Amazon.
ROY STERNER FROM ELIZABETHTOWN, PA: Which player can the Steelers not afford to lose due to injury? My pick is Aaron Rodgers.
ANSWER: He may not be the only one on the list, but Aaron Rodgers would be high on the list.
JOHN PUHALA FROM SPRINGFIELD, VA: In the Nov. 12 Asked and Answered, Jaylen Warren's pre-draft breakdown was given. To me it looks like there were a lot of mistakes in the scouting report. Now I do believe that being his size was greatly taken as a minus. Warren has shown tremendous cutting ability and the vision to change directions and get into a second gear. What are your thoughts on that scouting report?
ANSWER: My thoughts are that it's grossly unfair to view a pre-draft scouting report through the lens of an NFL career that's now in its fifth season. If Jaylen Warren as a pre-draft prospect had shown hard evidence of being what he is today, the 32 NFL teams wouldn't have allowed him to go undrafted through 7 rounds for the Steelers to sign him as an undrafted rookie. The question dealt with what the opinion was of Jaylen Warren at that time, and that pre-draft scouting report reflected that. Taking issue with that 5 years later is a cheap shot.
ANDREW MOSKOWITZ FROM YORKTOWN, NY: I know you hate questions about altering positions, but do you see a scenario where one of our awesome outside linebackers spends time playing inside linebacker?
ANSWER: You mean like this season when Nick Herbig is on the field along with Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt? That counts.
MICHAEL TOTH FROM AKRON, OH: During the Ben Roethlisberger era, Cincinnati was like a second home to Steelers teams that regularly won there. What is the team's record when playing in Cincinnati since Big Ben's retirement?
ANSWER: During Ben Roethlisberger's career, the Steelers were 15-4 (including 2 playoff games) in Cincinnati, and in the 4 seasons since his retirement they are 3-1 in Cincinnati.
STEFAN PISOCKI FROM WILMINGTON, DE: I think that if the season ended today, Jaylen Warren would be the team MVP, making him the second running back in a row after Kenneth Gainwell last year. Have two different players playing the same position ever won Steelers MVP in consecutive seasons before?
ANSWER: In 1984-85, it was WRs Louis Lipps and John Stallworth; In 1986-87-88 it, was LBs Bryan Hinkle, Mike Merriweather, and David Little; and in 2017-18, it was WRs Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster.
BILL KESTER FROM SURPRISE, AZ: Why didn't the Steelers make any trades for a good WR at the deadline? Our present ones are under performing. Improvement is needed to stretch the field if they want to succeed in the playoffs.
ANSWER: It's not that easy. Just because you might want something or need something doesn't mean it's available to you for a reasonable price. Some teams didn't want to trade players to the Steelers, some players wanted to go to a specific team other than the Steelers, and some teams wanted too much from the Steelers for the goods they were willing to sell.
