The opinions found in Asked and Answered do not reflect the views of the Steelers organization.
Let's get to it:
CRAIG DUMNICH FROM AVONDALE, PA: What prompted defensive coordinator Patrick Graham to move from the booth to the sideline during games?
ANSWER: Coach Mike McCarthy was asked that specifically after Sunday's game against the Colts:
Q. What went into the decision to put Patrick Graham on the field rather than in the booth?
McCarthy: Well, frankly, back in training camp, when you get to the point where we're getting ready to play preseason games, you know, I had really two rosters as far as who is up and who is down. After the preseason opener against Green Bay, this frankly was my preference to have both Patrick and Joe [Whitt Jr.] on the field. So we gave it a shot the other way. We'll evaluate this. I just felt that we needed – it needed to be different. I think communication on game day is such a critical part to your success. You used to always talk about the Monday morning quarterback. You can't wait until Monday. You got to be ready to come in here these days, so when I'm talking about we can't have things that we miss that we're talking about after the fact. I mean, there's nothing better than face-to-face communication. So I think when your coordinators and your play-callers are on the field, it's definitely the best case. You can understand why some people would like to call it up there. It's an easier environment to lay everything out, and you could probably do more, manage more things. The communication component, I think, is the priority, and that's why we did it.
Q. Did players say they preferred that?
McCarthy: I didn't ask them.
Q. You just decided that?
McCarthy: Yes. We've been talking about it since preseason.
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MEGAN OWEN FROM BOERNE , TX: Do the NFL officials have any opportunity to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
ANSWER: Yes. NFL game officials can be voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame via the Contributor category. There currently are two men with ties to officiating who are enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Listed chronologically, the first is Hugh "Shorty" Ray, Class of 1966, who is considered the pioneer of officiating rules; and the other is Art McNally, Class of 2022, who was a referee and served as the NFL head of officiating from 1968-90. The NFL had assigned McNally to be in the Three Rivers Stadium press box for the 1972 Divisional Round game that produced the Immaculate Reception.
MIKE COTTER FROM FT. LAUDERDALE, FL: What determines whether the play clock is set at 25 seconds or 40 seconds?
ANSWER: Most of the time the play clock is set at 40 seconds, and it starts immediately after the ball is spotted based on the previous play. The 25-second clock is utilized after what the league refers to as administrative stoppages of play, which are things such as charged team timeouts, injury timeouts, equipment timeouts, changes of possession, some penalties, 2-minute warning, the end of a quarter, and instant replay reviews.
ALDO GALVAN FROM TORREON, MÉXICO: Is there's a reason why Zach Frazier is always facing toward the line of scrimmage while in the huddle when Aaron Rodgers is calling the play?
ANSWER: The center is responsible for calling out the blocking assignments for the play, and so seeing how the defense is aligned as the play is being called gives him a little bit of a jump on that duty.
SCOTT RANDALL FROM CONWAY, SC: Absolutely happy with getting that win vs. the Colts, but with that being said do you think the team will ever start using man coverage?
ANSWER: Certainly, but right now injuries in the secondary (DeShon Elliott and Jamel Dean were inactive on Sunday) is impacting the decision to do that.
THOMAS BRUZDA FROM WILDOMAR CA: Here's one that I've been confused about for the past 5 years when I first remembered seeing it. Can you go over the rules about how a quarterback can throw the ball into the ground, even in the pocket, and not get called for grounding?
ANSWER: I'm going to assume you're not referring to spiking the ball to stop the clock. A quarterback can throw the ball into the ground at the feet of an eligible receiver and not be flagged for intentional grounding. Allowing that serves the dual purpose of protecting the quarterback from taking a big hit from the defense and/or saving the offense from a sack and a big loss of yardage. The key to not getting flagged though is that there is an eligible receiver in the immediate area of where the ball is thrown.
RONNIE CAP FROM YANKTON, SD: In 1995 as a younger fan I remember Rod Woodson going down with a knee injury in the first game and a young cornerback named Willie Williams stepped in and ended up having a pretty good season. I believe Carnell Lake also made a position switch from safety to cornerback that year to help the team get to the Super Bowl. Whatever happened with Willie Williams?
ANSWER: Willie Williams came to the Steelers from Western Carolina in 1993 as a No. 6 pick (162nd overall). He played six seasons with the Steelers, and those were divided into a 4-season stint at the start of his career and then 2 more at the end. In between was a 7-season term with Seattle, a team he joined as an unrestricted free agent after the 1996 season. During his 6 seasons in Pittsburgh, Williams appeared in 83 games, with 41 starts, and he totaled 9 interceptions, 7 passes defensed, 5 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, and 1 defensive touchdown. In that 1995 season you reference, Williams appeared in all 16 regular season games with 15 starts. He led the team with 7 interceptions and added 1 fumble recovery and 1 defensive touchdown.
BRUCE THOMAS FROM FURNACE RUN, PA: I'm reading Asked and Answered while watching Philadelphia-Jacksonville from London. Do the two boneheads who got ejected 13 seconds into the game still get paid?
ANSWER: Involved in that play – an opening kickoff that was returned for a TD only to be called back by offsetting penalties – Philadelphia's Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Jacksonville's Bryan Thomas Jr. were ejected. Yes, they get paid for the game, but it's very likely each will be giving a piece of it back because of a fine from the league office.
JOHN PACE FROM VENICE, FL: I happened to be in Pittsburgh this weekend in the rain. It's going to be an interesting weather day today hosting the Colts. Pitt played a home game yesterday. Is there any discussion between the ACC and NFL to attempt not to have two home games in one weekend?
ANSWER: There is not. And if you saw the Acrisure Stadium turf for Steelers-Colts, it was pristine. It's grass, which is better for the players than artificial turf. It's Pittsburgh, which has a growing season and a winter. Two teams play their games there, which is a factor in keeping it a tax-generating building within the city limits. The sport is football, which always has been played in weather conditions. Every effort is being made to make the playing surface as consistent and visually appealing and safe as possible. It's a football field, not a golf course.
DJ KLAKAMP FROM ERIE, PA: I enjoy looking at the game day arrival photos on Steelers.com. Could we have a weekly vote for Best Dressed Player? DeShon Elliott would get my vote this week. He totally rocked the leather jacket, jeans and boots.
ANSWER: I have no appreciation for fashion/personal style. I work hard just to make sure the color of my socks match.
