The opinions found in Asked and Answered do not reflect the views of the Steelers organization.
Let's get to it:
WALTER WECKENMANN FROM GLEN COVE, NY: Congrats to Kevin Jobity Jr. for making the 53-man roster. It's a great story. With Kevin's background in soccer and the fact he actually did some kicking for his high school football team do you ever remember a time in Steelers history where a kicker was injured and they had to use another player other than the punter for kicks? It would be interesting if Kevin would ever be called upon to do exactly that.
ANSWER: In the 1976 Divisional Round Playoff Game in Baltimore, Roy Gerela sustained a groin/calf injury during what ended up being a 40-14 win for the Steelers. Gerela had kicked a couple of field goals and a couple of PATs, but when Reggie Harrison ran 10 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, Coach Chuck Noll had center Ray Mansfield attempt the final PAT. Mansfield made that kick, and then in the AFC Championship Game the following week against the Raiders in Oakland, the Steelers not only had to play without the injured Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier, but also without Gerela. Mansfield again served as the placekicker and made the PAT following Harrison's 3-yard TD in the second quarter of a 24-7 loss. Before that, during his 55 games as a QB for the Steelers, Bobby Layne accounted for 106 points as a kicker of PATs and FGs.
As for Kevin Jobity Jr., I don't think he'll end up being active for many regular season games as a rookie unless there are injuries along the defensive line. And if he's inactive for the game, he wouldn't be available to do any kicking.
MATTHEW CONFER FROM SALEM OH: Do you believe we'll see more of Cole Holcomb on run downs vs. Atlanta? They are going to try and run, run, and run some more.
ANSWER: Next time I bump into Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham, I'll let him know about your take on the Falcons' game plan. If you're a regular reader of this feature you know I'm of the opinion that good run defense starts with quality play by the defensive line. Run defense does not fall solely at the feet of the ILBs.
SCOTT FOLSOM FROM BERMUDA RUN, NC: Is Aaron Rodgers the best golfer on the Steelers roster? Are there any other low handicap golfers on the team?
ANSWER: Aaron Rodgers is said to be pretty good golfer, someone with a single-digit handicap. But I understand that Chris Boswell is pretty good, too. Quarterbacks and kickers traditionally are the best golfers on an NFL roster.
KEITH WILLIAMS FROM LOUISVILLE, KY: From Super Bowl XLIII, I recall some commentary that Larry Fitzgerald was reasonably open on the last play just prior to LaMarr Woodley stripping the ball from Kurt Warner. I have not seen footage of Fitzgerald being open, and wondered if this was the case?
ANSWER: I have no idea if Larry Fitgerald was open on the play you reference, and it doesn't matter if he was. Pressure is the critical element in playing pass defense in the NFL. If the defense can provide what the offense cannot protect when it comes to pressuring the quarterback, coverage does not matter beyond 2-Mississippi.
GREG CALDWELL FROM OVIEDO, FL: Personally, do you think the new HOF selection procedures will hurt the chances of the players who played back in the day before offenses were turned loose.
ANSWER: I don't honestly know what to think about the new rules regarding electing individuals to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I want to see the impact of decreasing the selection committee from 50 to 28, and then having only 25 of the 28 cast votes with the other three being non-voting participants who can take part in discussions. That would seem to allow the possibility of a small group of voters to have an even greater influence/impact, and I don't know that that's going to be a good thing.
BRIAN DILLON FROM PARMELEE, SD: Mike McCarthy has already won a Super Bowl and coached some of the greatest quarterbacks of his generation. What exactly does he have to accomplish in Pittsburgh to prove that his success was about him — and not simply about the quarterbacks he happened to have?
ANSWER: I don't think Mike McCarthy looks at his job as the Steelers coach as being some proving ground. I think he's a football lover who gets juiced by the competition that's a part of being a head coach in the NFL, and this particular job is allowing him to do what he loves in his hometown where his family still lives. Mike McCarthy is working to have success, and it doesn't matter if that success comes from great quarterback play or not.
RUSS WERLING FROM CANONSBURG, PA: Do key players on the team have any input into the weekly game plan? For example, Aaron Rogers voicing an opinion on plays he wants to run against a certain defense, or Patrick Queen wanting more blitz packages? I guess I'm asking if there is any collaboration between coaches and players when devising a game plan that changes depending on the opponent?
ANSWER: I suggest there are a couple of general rules at play when it comes to the kind of collaboration you're asking about. Not all players' opinions are created equal, because an individual player's opinion is shaped by his view of the field from his position; and an NFL team is not a democracy. Also, the offense initiates the action, while the defense does a lot of responding/reacting.
KEVIN BOLIN FROM GENTRYVILLE, IN: Who is the potential backup in case PK Chris Boswell gets hurt?
ANSWER: If you're referring to an in-game injury, I believe Cameron Johnston would be involved it taking over some of the duties, and maybe Coach Mike McCarthy calls the offense a different way if he knows he's without his uber-talented placekicker. If it's more than that, the Steelers would hold a tryout and pick someone to do the whole job in his stead.
STEVE SHEARER FROM WILDWOOD, NJ: Who will be the opening day starter at right guard?
ANSWER: I believe it will be Spencer Anderson.
SHAWN BITTNER FROM JACKSONVILLE, NC: Eli Heidenreich said in an interview that he found out he made the team from social media? No call or text from a coach or the organization. Is this typical?
ANSWER: When it comes to cutdown day in the NFL, the way it usually goes is: no news is good news. You get a phone call or a knock on your door if the message is that the coach wants to see you, or the GM wants to see you. If your phone doesn't ring, congratulations. All staffs do things differently, but making the team isn't viewed as some finish line that was crossed. It's the start of a long, hard road.
DAVE ROMERO FROM HOUSTON, TX: Following up on the question about muffs during punt returns, has the rule always been this way, or has it been proposed for change? Declaring it a fumble after the returner touches the ball and it gets loose would add more pressure and excitement to the game.
ANSWER: Or, you could look at it as that a crazy bounce of the ball could graze a player on the receiving team and end up in the end zone to turn a fluke play into one that determines the outcome of a game. I like my way better.
JOHN KUN FROM FREDERICK, MD: You mentioned that teams are only allowed 14 padded practices during the season. If a team makes it into playoffs, do they have the opportunity for additional padded practices?
ANSWER: If a ream qualifies for the playoffs, it is allowed one extra padded practice in those playoffs.
TODD HAMMERS FROM BLOOMFIELD, IN: At the NFL level are there significant differences in practices between different teams, given that the NFL has been noted as a copycat league? The same question can be asked of classroom work, or ultimately what makes one head coach more successful than another?
ANSWER: Seems to me you're asking for details about things that I would think fall under the umbrella of proprietary work product. How a coach conducts his meetings, or what his secret sauce might be. That's not public knowledge. There are competitive reasons why teams are not permitted to watch other teams' practices. This is a competitive business. You can see that, right?
CHRIS GUFFEY FROM MARBLE, NC: I have two questions. What prompted the Steelers' policy of not negotiating contracts during the season? And, if a player is playing on the franchise tag, can he be traded to another team?
ANSWER: During the 1993 offseason, which was immediately after the NFL adopted the system of free agency tied to a salary cap, the Steelers were able to sign some players to contract extensions but not everyone who was eligible got a new deal. Those negotiations – and ultimately the hard feelings that came with rejection – contributed to an 0-2 start and an overall disappointing season. And if a player signs the franchise tag, then he can be traded. But the key there is "if he signs the franchise tag."
STEPHEN CUPRZYNSKI FROM COCKEYSVILLE, MD: I like the makeup of our offensive line – young, big, and agile. I think they will be a force in the run game and with Aaron Rodgers' quick release, also capable in pass protection. But how is our depth, especially after the trade with the Cowboys?
ANSWER: There's always something to worry about, if that's the way you want to go. The "trade with the Cowboys" dealt a player who was going to be the No. 4 OT for a No. 3 pick and also an exchange of picks. I would be willing to bet – not much, though – that there isn't a team in the NFL who can go 4 deep at OT.
NICHOLAS PELCHAR FROM PURCELLVILLE, VA: Johnny Unitas and Len Dawson were cut by the Steelers because they couldn't contribute in any other way other than as a quarterback. The NFL in the 1950s and 1960s was brutal., How many players were teams back then allowed on their roster?
ANSWER: Actually, Len Dawson was traded to Cleveland by the Steelers when they acquired Bobby Layne; it was Johnny Unitas who was cut. In 1955 – the year Unitas was cut, the NFL roster limit was 35 players for the first two games of the season, and then it dropped to 33 players after that.
ISRAEL PICKHOLTZ FROM ASHKELON, ISRAEL: Is it not the case that anyone who lost a roster spot due to the fourth quarterback would almost certainly have been a game day inactive every week?
ANSWER: That would be true, but only for as long as the Steelers sustained no injuries that forced players to miss games. If a team goes through a run of injuries at a particular position, that could reduce the numbers to a level that could put a strain on practice lines and/or game day depth. Then, an extra QB on the 53-man would be a different story.
DAVID LUCE FROM HENDERSON, KY: If a player is signed to the practice squad and then activated to the active roster during the season, does the team need to release someone so they remain at 53 players? Does the player being activated receive a larger pay check for the week /game he was activated for?
ANSWER: There is a provision in place where a team is allowed to activate a player from the practice squad to the active roster on the day before a game and then have him revert right back to the practice squad after the game without having to be waived/released. And that can be done 3 times with an individual player in a season before the team has to either keep him on the 53-man roster or expose him to waivers. For every game a player is on the practice squad, he is paid practice squad money, and if he is on the active roster for a game he is paid active roster money. Depending on years of experience, that difference can be as much as $14,000 per week on the practice squad vs. $55,556 per week on the active roster.
