The opinions found in Asked and Answered do not reflect the views of the Steelers organization.
Let's get to it:
ANDY BALDONADO FROM ANNA, OH: What is Coach Mike McCarthy's all-time record on Thursday Night Football? What is the Steelers' all time record on Thursday nights since the inception of the regular Thursday night game 20 years ago?
ANSWER: Coach Mike McCarthy's record on Thursdays is 16-6 in games played on a short week and 17-8 overall. The Steelers all-time record on Thursday night, dating back to 1980, is 12-16.
SAM MIKHAIL FROM BETHESDA, MD: The offensive line performed well against a good Bengals defense. I believe the personnel changes (Brock Hoffman at RG and Max Iheanachor at RT) were the primary reasons. I know it is just one game, but how would you assess their performance?
ANSWER: Not to take anything away from what Brock Hoffman and Max Iheanachor contributed to the win over the Bengals, but in my opinion the improvement by the offensive line was due to better play by all five individuals. After the loss to the Patriots, one of the things Cam Heyward said about the whole team's performance was, "We didn't kick enough ass." That certainly wasn't an issue vs. the Bengals, and that demeanor permeated the entire team. I thought Zach Frazier played well, much better than he did against the Patriots, and LG Mason McCormick and LT Troy Fautanu also deserve accolades for the way they played individually and as a tandem on the left side.
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PETE DRISCOLL FROM WATERLOO, MT: I don't believe Roman Wilson played a single snap after his costly second quarter drop that resulted in a Bengals interception. Is he officially in the proverbial doghouse?
ANSWER: Among the WRs in the game vs. the Bengals, DK Metcalf led the way with 59 offensive snaps (95 percent of the total), followed by Michael Pittman Jr. with 45 snaps (73 percent), Roman Wilson with 24 snaps (39 percent), Germie Bernard with 17 snaps (35 percent), and Ben Skowronek with 11 snaps (18 percent). I don't know whether Coach Mike McCarthy has a doghouse, but that was a costly mis-play by Wilson. At the time, the Steelers had a 17-10 lead and were driving for more with 1:46 remaining in the first half, when on a second-and-10 from the Cincinnati 48-yard line, Aaron Rodgers threw a quick pass over the middle that bounced off Wilson's hands and ended up a turnover on the interception. The Bengals then went 53 yards in 5 plays, with a 28-yard touchdown pass from Joe Burrow to Tee Higgins tying the game, 17-17, at halftime. I think it will be interesting to watch tonight's game in Cleveland and see whether Bernard and/or Skowronek play more snaps.
LARRY LININGER FROM MESA, AZ: I grew up in West Homestead a few blocks from what was Bishop Boyle High School. Seeing that Coach Mike McCarthy is from Pittsburgh, but went to high school in Homestead, I wonder where he lived. I'm guessing Lincoln Place. Am I correct?
ANSWER: You are not. Mike McCarthy is a Pittsburgh guy from Greenfield. St. Rosalia is the Catholic Chuck in Greenfield, and the family home was, and still is, on Greenfield Avenue.
DAN WEYANDT FROM HESSTON, PA: This is not a question, but a response to your statement that you do not remember the Steelers ever doing a one-day contract for retirement purposes. James Harrison signed a one-day contract on Sept. 5, 2014, to retire as a Steeler following a sojourn with the Bengals. However, due to injuries on the Steelers' defense, Harrison came out of retirement later that month and signed a standard player contract on Sept. 23, 2014. He continued to play for the Steelers through the 2016 season.
ANSWER: Wrong, wrong, wrong. I was there on Sept. 5, 2014, and on that occasion Harrison was allowed to use the Media Room on the second floor of the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex to announce his retirement. Many of his former teammates and current staff members turned out for that Friday announcement, but there was no signing of a 1-day contract. What the Steelers have done in that case and in some others other cases is to allow the player to use their facilities to announce his retirement. And by using the team facility for the announcement, the player is guaranteed it will be covered by a contingent of the Pittsburgh media, because every time the Steelers announce a news conference it is covered by the Pittsburgh media.
DAVID KRAL FROM TUCSON, AZ: In response to the question on Sept. 29 regarding former Pittsburgh Steelers signing a one-day contract to retire as a Pittsburgh Steeler: according to an almost usually correct Chat: Kordell Stewart signed one in 2012. He had spent his final two NFL seasons with Baltimore, but wanted to retire in Pittsburgh, where his career began; and James Harrison signed one in 2014 after his final NFL season with Cincinnati.
ANSWER: Didn't happen that way. As I explained in the above answer about what the Steelers did for James Harrison, they also did it for Kordell Stewart in 2012. I was there for that as well, and with Stewart it happened just off the practice field outside the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. Surrounded by the media, Stewart announced his retirement from football and talked fondly about his time with the Steelers. It was very friendly and there even some laughs. But there was no contract signed.
MICHAEL ARCELA FROM SPRINGFIELD, IL: I know it's only one game, but why do you think players with a high pedigree like Broderick Jones struggle as opposed to a raw prospect like Max Iheanachor? Additionally, Max was described as a raw prospect with a lot to learn. Does that mean a lot to learn at his position or a lot to learn in regard to the coaching philosophies of the Steelers?
ANSWER: Broderick Jones won 2 National Championship rings during his college career at Georgia, but he only started 19 games during his 3 seasons with the Bulldogs. He was 21 years old when the Steelers made him a No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Max Iheanachor's Arizona State teams didn't enjoy nearly that same level of success, but he started 31 games during his 3 seasons with the Sun Devils. He was 22 years old when the Steelers made him a No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Because he was born in Nigeria, Iheanachor got to football later in life than Jones, but I wouldn't necessarily say Jones had a higher pedigree. And in fact Jones' lack of playing experience was one of the things cited as a potential issue with his transition into the NFL. Iheanachor being described as raw had to do with him playing basketball and soccer growing up instead of football. Any prospect described as raw means he has things to learn at his position as he moves into the NFL. It has nothing to do with a particular team's coaching staff.
JEFFREY FLETCHER FROM AVONDALE ESTATES, GA: I've noticed that sometimes the slightest twitch can be flagged for a false start. But I've also noticed offensive linemen (mostly guards) extending their arm at the line of scrimmage right before the snap in certain games. Do they have permission for that movement during loud crowd noise situations? How is that not called a false start?
ANSWER: What you are seeing is the guard signaling to the rest of the offensive unit that the silent count has been activated. In a hostile environment such as the one last Sunday for the Bengals at Acrisure Stadium, Joe Burrow utilized the silent count on just about every play.
This is the way it typically works: The offense breaks the huddle and lines up, and then the guard will twist around to look at the quarterback. Sometimes the QB will lift his foot and start a player in motion, and that could trigger the start of the silent count, or it could be some other non-verbal signal to the guard. The guard then turns and will use a deliberate arm motion to alert the rest of the unit that the silent count has been activated. That is permitted under the rules, and therefore is not flagged as a false start.
TRAVIS NAKAMURA FROM KANEOHE, HI: I thought that we used to travel by bus to Cleveland for road games against the Browns. Do we now fly there because of the 18-hour rule?
ANSWER: Yes, visiting teams have to be in the host city at least 18 hours before a game, but in the case of tonight's game kickoff time is 8:15 p.m. Getting on buses in the middle of the afternoon on Wednesday would get the Steelers into Cleveland well before the NFL's deadline.
ITHAN ZIMMER FROM EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ: I don't understand or appreciate the "dynamic kickoff" that well, so I am not sure what acceptable starting field position is anymore. But it doesn't seem the Steelers are doing that well, whether kicking or receiving. How do you assess the Steelers' kickoff coverage and kick return teams at this point of the season?
ANSWER: The best I can do for you in trying to give you some insight into the performance of the Steelers returning and coverage units is to tell you where they rank in the NFL with respect to the other teams through the first 3 weeks of the season. When it comes to returning, the Steelers rank 23rd in the NFL in punt returns and 29th in the NFL in kickoff returns. When it comes to coverage, the Steelers rank 13th in the NFL in punt coverage and 20th in the NFL in kickoff coverage.
