The opinions found in Asked and Answered do not reflect the views of the Steelers organization.
Let's get to it:
ROB BEBOUT FROM SPRINGFIELD, OH: Which Steelers player has the longest pick-6?
ANSWER: That would be James Harrison, who returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown in Super Bowl XLIII.
LARRY GASIOR FROM SOUTH PARK, PA: With 3 minutes left to play, and the Steelers leading the Bengals by 3 scores, the defensive starters were still on the field. I don't understand Mike Tomlin's mindset on this. The game is over. If T.J. Watt or another key player were injured during this mop-up time, it would be definite coaching malpractice. Why didn't Tomlin have the backups on the field mopping up?
ANSWER: With 3 minutes left to play, and the Steelers leading the Bengals by 3 scores, the Cincinnati offensive starters were still in the game. If the game was over, as you claim, that message never got to Bengals Coach Zac Taylor. In the NFL, it's usually the coach on the team that's behind who makes the first move to pull his starters as a signal. Taylor didn't pull his starters, and so Mike Tomlin didn't pull his either.
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THOMAS WHITE FROM GARDENDALE, AL: The difference in the number of catches for Ja'Marr Chase in the first Bengals game vs. the second is astronomical. Can you shed some light on what the Steelers did schematically to cause such a dramatic change?
ANSWER: On the Friday before the game, I asked Coach Mike Tomlin if there had been anything learned from that Thursday night game about defending Ja'Marr Chase that could be helpful in the rematch. This was his answer:
"We certainly know (Chase's) capabilities. It's about the lens through which (Joe) Flacco sees the game and how Flacco administers the ball, based on his tools, his schematics, and what he sees from us. And the lens that each quarterback sees is a little bit different. And so there was more speculation from our perspective the first time we played him in terms of how Joe might operate within their system, how the ball might be distributed, etc. I think with each passing week, although (Flacco) is getting more comfortable in terms of what he's being asked to do there, it also provides information for those he competes against. And so from our perspective, there's certainly less mystical equations this week and more definitive things. We're looking at a larger body of work. The last time we played, we were looking at one game that Flacco operated on a short week. We really were his first full week of prep. And so there's less speculation as we prepare. There's less speculation as we divide our labor up. There's less speculation in terms of how Joe might distribute the ball in certain circumstances. And so we have a higher level of comfortability this week."
ROD KEEFER FROM EDMOND, OK: After watching and rewatching the Bengals game, I'm wondering if you can tell me when the rule changed that allows the left tackle to take a full step backward into pass protection before the ball is snapped? I saw No. 75 (Orlando Brown Jr.) in the white jersey make that move on virtually every drop back without a single false start penalty.
ANSWER: The rule was never changed to allow an offensive tackle to get a jump on the snap to get into pass protection mode, but officials have been allowing that for years. Not that it's right, but it happens and the league has done nothing to put a stop to it.
ERIC CHRISTOPHER FROM PHOENIX, AZ: I just watched the Detroit Lions score a touchdown, and they were penalized for the player jumping on the goal post stanchion. But when a defense gets a turnover, the NFL allows the entire defense to run down the field, into the end zone, and perform a choreographed celebration. Do you find this hypocritical, as I do?
ANSWER: The penalty called had nothing to do with a celebration and everything to do with the ramifications of compromising the structural integrity of the goal post. Then it would have to be replaced, which would take a long time and cause an unnecessary delay in the resumption of the game. The whole defensive unit running to the end zone and preening for the camera carries no such possible ramification. The moral of the story is: leave the goal post out of your celebration if you don't want to be penalized.
JIM FERGUSON FROM PITTSBURGH, PA: I am tired of people wanting to just ask about Wil Howard. If I am not mistaken there is another QB on IR. What is his status.
ANSWER: And I am tired of people wanting to talk about any quarterback on the injured reserve list during the regular season. His name is Skylar Thompson, and his status is that he is on the injured reserve list.
CHARLES FORMECK FROM ALEXANDRIA, VA: How can you say Mason Rudolph cannot be a starting QB? He has never been given a chance to be a starter in Pittsburgh, yet you tell me what his record is as a starter. I don't know why everyone is so down on him.
ANSWER: My only point about Mason Rudolph is that NFL teams do not perceive him as a full-time starter, because the times he was an unrestricted free agent when any team could have signed him to be its starting quarterback, none did. That doesn't mean Rudolph doesn't belong in the NFL or that he isn't an asset to a team's roster, but not every quarterback in the league is perceived by teams in the league as someone capable of being a full-time starter.
DAVID ROONEY FROM CENTER POINT, IA: Is there a rule requiring players to have access to a mouth guard? I see most of them hanging from players' facemasks rather than in the mouth. I can understand the QB not putting one in so he can audible and otherwise communicate, but it seems like they would be utilized more often by other position players.
ANSWER: There is no such rule in the NFL mandating that a player use a mouth guard.
LARRY LASH FROM TARENTUM, PA: I was thinking about what a good job Danny Smith has done with the Steelers special teams and was curious if there's an award given out for special teams player of the year?
ANSWER: There is not a single award presented annually for the outstanding special teams player of a particular year. The closest thing to that would be the All-Pro Team, which includes 6 spots for specialists – punter, placekicker, long-snapper, kickoff returner, punt returner, and special teams ace. Miles Killebrew was voted first-team All-Pro in 2023, and he never has been a kicker, long-snapper, or a returner.
PAT FLYNN FROM OAKDALE, PA: Does any other NFL team share its field with a college team? Additionally does any other NFL team let high school championship games be played on their field? It seems like Acrisure Stadium gets a lot more active use during the football season than an average NFL field. Do you think this is detrimental to the success of the Steelers?
ANSWER: When the Steelers' stadium was built, Dan Rooney wanted it to be an asset to the community, a facility to be used more than just on the few weekends out of 52 when the Steelers are at home. The whining about the grass is over the top, in my opinion. To the players who complain about it, I would ask them if they would prefer artificial turf. I would be willing to bet they would choose anything but artificial turf.
BOB MITCHELL IN NOTTINGHAM, NH: In baseball, if a pitcher is having a bad day, the manager takes the ball and brings in a reliever. In football, why, when a quarterback has a rating of under 40 at halftime, why does the coach not bring in the backup? In baseball, once the pitcher is out, he is out for the whole game while, in football, the QB could come back if necessary.
ANSWER: Baseball and football are different sports. Why in the world would you think that a strategy/policy in one would transfer as a strategy/policy in the other. Makes absolutely no sensed.
