The opinions found in Asked and Answered do not reflect the views of the Steelers organization.
Let's get to it:
KEITH WIMER FROM BOARDMAN, OH: In my opinion, Jaylen Warren is the Steelers' MVP nearing the midway point of the season. If his performance continues on its current trajectory do you think it's possible that he'd enter the discussion for league MVP honors? Of course there's very stiff competition, with a guy like Josh Allen chief among them. But I feel a lower profile player (generally speaking) like Warren should still be given consideration. Do you concur?
ANSWER: Like the Pro Football Hall of Fame, this is one of those situations where there is a decided difference between being qualified and getting the votes to be elected. In looking at the players who have been voted (elected) NFL MVP, the last 19 all have been QBs, and 29 of the last 33 have been QBs. The only other position elected during that time has been RBs, and in looking at the seasons those players put up the year they won they either rushed for 2,000 yards or led the NFL in rushing TDs. And if you need a little extra evidence illustrating the difficulty a RB – or any non-QB has in getting the votes – in 2001 Marshall Faulk rushed for over 1,000 yards and caught passes for over 1,000 yards, and he didn't win. I don't have any doubt Jaylen Warren deserves to be in the conversation if his final 9 games continues the pattern of his first 8, but I do not see him having a realistic chance to get the votes.
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SEAN DELANEY FROM GARDNER, MA: New Steeler-for-Life guard Mason McCormick said postgame that he was only trying to get "the jumper's hands down" on the now-famous PAT try. OK, but I saw a player spiking his opponent's head into the turf. Do you think he was sincere, or simply trying to avoid a fine?
ANSWER: Max Starks, the color analyst on the Steelers Audio Network and a 10-year NFL veteran OT, said what offensive linemen are taught early on in their careers at the position is that "When they jump, we dump." That the player who was dumped was Jared Verse was something of a bonus in that he had been doing a lot of talking and promising before the game but had no impact during the game, but that's the way it works in the trenches. I'm not saying McCormick will or won't get fined, but once that video makes the rounds I'm guessing not many opponents are going to test McCormick by jumping into the air on a future PAT or FG attempt. Sometimes your dog only has to bite one burglar, and the word gets around.
CARTER FONTES FROM PHOENIX, AZ: People seem to really be favoring the Bengals to win the AFC North Division and go to the playoffs this year. How prepared do you think the Steelers are to take on the Bengals on the road? Do you think, if the Steelers manage to sweep them, the Steelers can win the division much easier?
ANSWER: Coach Mike McCarthy is 12-5 in the week after his team has a bye, and the Steelers are 3-3 vs. the Bengals in Cincinnati since Joe Burrow was drafted No. 1 overall in 2020. The Bengals are No. 1 in the NFL in points per game, but the Steelers defense is No. 2 in the NFL in points per game allowed. The Steelers are No. 4 in the NFL in sacks per pass attempt, while the Bengals offense is No. 22 in sacks per pass attempt allowed. And this weekend, while the Steelers are off, the Bengals are playing an International Game in Madrid, Spain. There is no doubt that Steelers-Bengals on Sunday night, Nov. 15, is going to be an important game for both teams, but that doesn't mean the winner will have a clear and definitive path to the AFC North title. Just as the Steelers didn't want to get swept by the Browns after losing the front end of the home-and-home, the Bengals are facing a sweep if they don't win this rematch.
DEVIN TATRAI FROM ELIZABETH, PA: While watching the game, I noticed the officials taking notes on a little notepad and putting it back in their pocket. Any idea of what they're actually taking notes on?
ANSWER: It could be a number of things. Maybe keeping track of timeouts, or maybe keeping track of the unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and which players were flagged because those fouls accumulate and count toward future league discipline.
THOMAS FUDENS FROM MIDDLE ISLAND, NY: What is the Steelers record coming off the bye week at home and away?
ANSWER: The NFL started adding a bye week to the regular season schedule in 1990, and there were a couple of seasons when each team had 2 bye weeks. The Steelers overall record after the bye week is 25-12, and that breaks down to 13-3 at home and 12-9 on the road.
GREG BRYANT FROM PICTON, ONTARIO, CANADA: During the big catch and run play to Darnell Washington, the Browns linebacker appears to go out of bounds but proceeds to chase down and tackle Washington before he can score. Is this legal, or was it missed?
ANSWER: As long as the defender doesn't continue chasing the play while purposely running out of bounds, it usually doesn't draw a penalty flag. The officials typically make a judgment whether the player is quick enough in re-establishing himself in-bounds if he continues to pursue the play, and in the case you describe, then makes the tackle.
JAMES SCHMIDT FROM ROSWELL, NM: Why do the Steelers have to face the Ravens at the end of the season instead of like it used to be, with one of the games at the beginning of the season and one at the end?
ANSWER: My assumption is that because of the nature of the Steelers-Ravens rivalry, with the combination of the intensity of the games and the high stakes typically involved, both the NFL and its broadcast partners prefer those games later in the season. That just makes for good television and builds suspense and interest in the division races. And besides, this year the timing of the games appears to be fortuitous for the Steelers because of Lamar Jackson's thumb injury/surgery.
DAN MELCHIOR FROM SAN DIEGO, CA: How would you characterize the emotions and mind-set of the team heading into the bye week after a performance like the one vs. the Browns last Sunday? Can you imagine a better scenario, other than if the Titans had held on for the win against the Bengals?
ANSWER: There can be no argument that the Steelers ended the pre-bye portion of their schedule on a high note with that victory over the Browns. It made them 6-2 and gave them sole possession of first place in the AFC North, and it prevented the Browns from gaining the confidence and swagger that would've come from a series sweep in 2026. Coach Mike McCarthy rewarded the players by giving them the whole week off, when the CBA only requires players be given 4 consecutive days off during the bye. I'm sure that was well-received in the locker room.
STEVE SHANTA FROM AYR, SCOTLAND: I've noticed that Coach Mike McCarthy now covers his mouth with his play-call sheet to hide his input to the QB. Is his play-call message encrypted, and is there a certainty or guarantee that the play call cannot be intercepted by the opposition with some techno-wizardry?
ANSWER: The NFL monitors frequency signals during games, and so there is that level of security. But the actual verbiage used to call a play in the NFL is a combination of words and numbers that not only isn't easily decipherable but also would have to be communicated in a matter of seconds to the defense on the field for it to have any value to the opposition. The low-tech move of covering his mouth is sufficient, in my opinion.
PATRICK FLYNN FROM OAKDALE, PA: I thought the field on Sunday looked good considering there were 2 games played on it in less than 24 hours. Have you heard any comments from the players on the playing surface for this season?
ANSWER: I have not. But usually, there is no feedback unless it's a complaint.
