The opinions found in Asked and Answered do not reflect the views of the Steelers organization.
Let's get to it:
BRIAN HENDERSON FROM MURRELLS INLET, SC: Did T.J. Watt receive a penalty for kicking the ball after his interception against the Vikings?
ANSWER: After the win over the Vikings, T.J. Watt was asked whether there was anything behind his celebration of punting the ball into the stands following that interception. Watt said, "I was just trying to get it to the stands. The stands were so far away. I knew if I threw it, I would hurt my shoulder. Just trying to get the fans as involved as much as possible, and they were incredible all day."
In my experience, throwing the ball into the stands, or punting the ball into the stands as a part of a celebration is not penalized, but there could be a fine attached to the move because the NFL wants to discourage footballs entering in the stands in a way that could result in an injury to a fan as a result of competing for the souvenir. That's why Hines Ward always found a fan wearing a No. 86 jersey and handed over the football after scoring a touchdown.
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RONNIE CAP FROM YANKTON, SD: It has been a good number of years ago, maybe 10-to-12 but I seem to remember the Steelers starting out a season 0-4. But I don't remember past that. How did that season end up?
ANSWER: It was the 2013 NFL season, and the Steelers opened 0-4 because of losses to Tennessee in the opener, then at Cincinnati, then vs. the Bears, and then vs. the Vikings in London. But by winning 6 of their last 8 games, the Steelers finished 8-8 and in second place in the AFC North over 8-8 Baltimore based on a better division record. The Steelers were 4-2 in the division in 2013 by virtue of season splits with the Bengals and Ravens and a sweep of the Browns. The two Wild Card teams in the AFC Playoffs were the 11-5 Kansas City Chiefs and the 9-7 San Diego Chargers. Seattle won Super Bowl XLVIII via a 43-8 destruction of Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos.
SAM MIKHAIL FROM BETHESDA, MD: What is going on with Roman Wilson? For the season, he has only 1 catch for 7 yards. Is the man injured?
ANSWER: Roman Wilson is not injured, and maybe because Calvin Austin III injured a shoulder in the game against the Vikings he will start seeing more playing time.
ERIC ASH FROM LAS VEGAS, NV: If a defensive player bats down a pass at the line of scrimmage or in the offensive backfield, while not covering a potential receiver, is that counted as a pass defensed?
ANSWER: Yes.
DAN MELCHIOR FROM SAN DIEGO, CA: After the Dublin victory, the Steelers will have an early bye week. Given the long grind of the season, this seems a bit too early and could be a disadvantage as late season pushes begin. Do you think the NFL will ever have a common bye week for all teams? Essentially, everyone takes the same week off.
ANSWER: I don't believe that ever would happen, because the NFL's broadcast partners, which pay big, big bucks to televise and/or stream games would never agree to going an entire weekend with no product. And I'm willing to bet a lot of football fans also would be opposed to a whole weekend with no NFL games.
JIM MAGURANY FROM MANCHESTER, CT: Just read an article about an amazing idea that turned into a neat display – the Steelers going to practice in jerseys with their name on the back in (translated) Gaelic, to further connect with the Irish community they would be playing in front of. One of the neatest ideas I've heard in a while, I rushed to shop.steelers.com, but alas, could not find them. Please let me know if these are, or will become, available.
ANSWER: My guess at this point is that those practice jerseys were made specially for the team's practices in Dublin in advance of the game against the Vikings at Croke Park, and that the players were gifted them as a keepsake of the experience.
RICHARD SIEBER FROM AJIJIC, JALISCO, MEXICO: Earlier in the week a player was quoted as being excited to play in Ireland because he had not been outside of the US before. That's probably the case for a handful of players. So the question is, who is responsible to making sure all players have passports?
ANSWER: Because the Steelers had known for a long time that they would be playing a game in Ireland, the job of securing passports for the players likely began when the team first started gathering for OTAs and minicamp back in late May, early June. And I'm sure there was no attempt to wait until the roster was cut to 53 before starting this process. Maybe there are some players who were cut at the end of August who ended up with passports they didn't need/use, but that would be far more preferable to trying to wait until the last minute to make sure everybody who needed one had one.
STEVE SAMICK FROM ST. MARYS, PA: If a team wants to sign a player off another team's practice squad, can it bring the player in for a tryout or do they have to sign the player outright?
ANSWER: A player who is on a practice squad has a contract and is the property of that team, and so another team would be asking him to violate that contract to come and work out or try out. Any team wanting to sign a player off another team's practice squad likely has scouted that player at some point during the draft process, during preseason games, and in some instances during regular season games. Maybe a physical would be involved before the actual signing of the contract, but no tryout while a member of another team's practice squad.
TONY MAGGIO FROM PORT ORANGE, FL: I predict the Steelers will be totally outplayed by the Vikings and the game will be over by halftime. A washed-up quarterback and a mediocre team with a GM who is over his head and a coach whose tenure in Pittsburgh will come to end after the season. This organization has lost its desire to win and play Steelers football. That's how I see it. Let's see how it goes.
ANSWER: Hope you enjoyed the game. And did you have your crow served to you at halftime, or did you wait until the game was over to dine? Hope you didn't choke on any of the bones.
ALAN SIDES FROM MANHEIM, PA: Not a question from me, but the question from Jonathan Earley in a recent Asked and Answered about a player you would bring back to help the current team. Your description of Joe Greene was the most well put description I've ever seen, and I'm 62 years old.
ANSWER: Thanks for your kind words. I am an unabashed believer that Joe Greene is one of the most significant players in NFL history. When the Steelers began to explore the idea of retiring Greene's No. 75, Dan Rooney took the time to contact many of the Hall of Fame players from the 1970s teams to solicit their opinion on singling him out in this way. During the news conference that was called by the Steelers to announce the retirement of No. 75, Dan Rooney said that to a man, every player that he talked to was totally in favor of Joe Greene being the one among them who was deserving of such an honor. That's the level of respect Joe Greene earned from his fellow Hall of Fame teammates.
JAMES SIMMONS FROM BILLERICA, MA: What is wrong with the Steelers defense? You are up by 18 points in the 4th quarter and almost lose. Please tell me if we need a new defensive coordinator?
ANSWER: You know what it's called when you "almost lose?" It's called winning.
