The opinions found in Asked and Answered do not reflect the views of the Steelers organization.
Let's get to it:
DAN MELCHIOR FROM SAN DIEGO, CA: Is Chris Boswell's game-winning field goal in the game vs. the Jets the longest game winner in Steelers history?
ANSWER: Chris Boswell's 60-yard field goal with 63 seconds left in the 34-32 win over the Jets on Sunday was the longest field goal in franchise history and his career best all at once.
Some other amazing statistics posted by Boswell:
• He has made 45-of-54 of his career field goal attempts from 50-plus yards (83.3 percent)
• Since the start of the 2021 season, he made 36-of-42 from 50-plus yards (85.7 percent)
• Boswell's 158 points in 2024 is a franchise best; his 41 field goals in 2024 is a franchise best; his career field goal percentage of 88.1 is a franchise best
MIKE ROBEY TILTONSVILLE, OH: It's hard to win in the NFL and it was great to get the win over the Jets. If the Steelers have any chance of winning a playoff game it stands to reason that No. 8 must stay healthy. With that being said, do you see any way Darnell Washington is given a chance at left tackle?
ANSWER: I don't think fans have any idea how unrealistic that suggestion is. Switching positions in football at the highest level of the sport is so difficult when you consider the mental adjustments as well as the physical demands of learning entirely new technique and becoming skilled enough to execute it against the best and/or most experienced pass rushers in the world. This is not a video game. Athletic skills are not interchangeable. And accomplishing that during a regular season where all of the time must be spent on preparing for the upcoming opponent? No.
BRIAN BOYCE FROM SPRINGBORO, PA: What rules would need to be addressed if Washington was to move to left tackle? Could he keep his No. 80 jersey? If he keeps the No. 80 would he still need to report as an eligible receiver? Could he report to the official at the beginning of the game that he would be eligible every play or would he still have to report as eligible every play? Could he bounce back and forth tackle one play then TE the next and so forth? He could receive a screen pass at midfield in an empty backfield. Are the possibilities endless? Could this work?
ANSWER: More than endless, the possibilities are unrealistic. And all of the jersey jumping jacks you describe are just minutiae attached to an unrealistic scenario, especially now that the regular season has begun.
JOHN HAZUKA FROM GRAHAM, WA: Why would the Steelers call a screen with 2 minutes left in the game on second-and-9? I understand the theory of gaining 5 yards, but why run a play that sets up 4 yards behind the line of scrimmage when you have a veteran quarterback who should be trusted with throwing the ball downfield. Granted I am not an experienced NFL coach or a football genius but why put the game on the kicker's shoulders all the time?
ANSWER: So I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess you didn't like the tight end screen to Jonnu Smith? I'm going to take a stab at explaining this. I believe the thinking was that you wanted to manage the clock so that your score left as little time for the Jets to respond as possible. To that end, completing a safe pass to keep the clock running was a decent option because the running game hadn't been very effective at all to that point. Nice idea, but the play was executed poorly, and Smith never had a chance to do anything once he got the ball. But the Jets only had 1 timeout left, and so the clock kept running. Then on third down, the Steelers came back with Aaron Rodgers taking a shot downfield to Calvin Austin III, and my opinion is that Jets CB Brandon Stephens committed defensive pass interference on the play that wasn't called. And I don't know how closely you've been paying attention since the start of the 2021 season, but as I explained in an answer above, Chris Boswell has made 85.7 percent (36-of-42) of his attempts from 50-plus yards. So I am absolutely putting the game on that kicker's shoulders every chance I get.
JOE LaMOLINARE FROM DALLAS, GA: When a team spikes the ball to stop the clock, why is it not considered intentional grounding?
ANSWER: Because there is an explicit exception written into the rules. The NFL decided to allow it, the rule was written in, and the owners approved the change by vote.
LAWRENCE DOUGLAS FROM BUTLER, PA: Aside from placekickers and punters, has a primary special teams player ever been nominated or on the Hall of Fame ballot. Miles Killebrew comes to mind, which is why I ask the question.
ANSWER: Being nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame is not that big a deal. In fact, fans can nominate people, but it's when an individual advances through the process to become a semifinalist or a finalist for induction when things get more real. Steve Tasker, a 7-time Pro Bowl special teams ace with the Buffalo Bills from 1986-97, has been a semifinalist for induction nine times.
TIM VAGIAS FROM LAFAYETTE, CO: Our group chat of longtime Steelers fans and Pittsburgh natives now scattered across the globe is curious if the opening drive touchdown that Aaron Rodgers orchestrated against the Jets is the first opening drive touchdown the Steelers have managed since Sept. 9, 2007, vs. Cleveland?
ANSWER: No. Since Ben Roethlisberger retired at the end of the 2021 NFL season, the Steelers offense has scored touchdowns on its opening possession of the game 5 times: Oct. 16, 2022; Dec. 18, 2022; Nov. 2, 2023; Nov. 22, 2023; and Dec. 23, 2023. Now you can add Sept. 7, 2025.
JACK RUPERT FROM CARNEGIE, PA: You're constantly being asked questions with answers the questioner could Google themselves just as easily as asking you. As an example, someone asked in your last segment what position and years Donnie Shell played. That questioner would've gotten the answer a lot quicker using Google. Why do you bother including questions like this?
ANSWER: I also am constantly receiving submissions from readers who believe it's their place to comment on the quality of questions people ask. I can assure you those have no impact whatsoever.
MIKE RITTER FROM DORCHESTER CENTER, MA: When coaches review tape, roughly what are the splits for looking at what went right vs. what went wrong? I'm guessing 20/80, respectively.
ANSWER: I would think the game video or practice video is viewed and graded in its entirety, because what went wrong has value in making corrections, and what went right has value in determining future game plans because it's evidence of what a unit or a team can execute at a consistent level.
SIDDHARTH PUTHUCODE FROM MCDONALD, PA: I know this is a dumb question, but do you think Will Howard could be the starting quarterback next season, or are we more likely to draft a quarterback in the first round in this upcoming draft in Pittsburgh?
ANSWER: What I really believe is that if the Steelers believed Will Howard was capable of being a starting quarterback in 2026, then they wouldn't have waited until the sixth round (185th overall) to draft him in 2025.
MILTON MANION SR. FROM LOUISVILLE, KY: If a team starts a drive on the 25-yard line and kicks a field goal from the 10-yard line, is that drive considered 75 yards or 65 yards?
ANSWER: In the case of successful field goals, the scoring drive is measured from the line of scrimmage where the drive begins to the line of scrimmage when the field goal is attempted. So in the case of the example you cite in your question, the scoring drive would be 65 yards.
RONNIE CAP FROM YANKTON, SD: Listening to Matt Williamson on SNR and agreeing with him that missed field goals are a turnover. I'm wondering where the ball is placed for the other team? Is it placed where the ball was snapped from or where the holder puts it down?
ANSWER: On missed field goals in the NFL, the ball is placed at the spot of the attempt.
BARRY PATTERSON FROM WARRENTON, VA: When Minkah Fitzpatrick was traded, what was the real reason? The players we got back are outstanding, but it just seems Minkah was such a respected player all around. I feel there was more than meets the eye.
ANSWER: In my opinion, the trade of Minkah Fitzpatrick was a reflection of two things: that in the NFL, cornerbacks are more sought after than safeties; and in order to receive a quality player in a trade, a team has to be willing to give up a good player in return.
KEITH A. WIMER FROM BOARDMAN, OH: With all the caterwauling my fellow Steelers fans have done, bemoaning the organization's inability to land the all-elusive "WR2," isn't it possible that Calvin Austin III is being undervalued? As the understudy to George Pickens last year he had 36 receptions for 548 yards and 4 touchdowns with a long of 55 yards and an average of 15.2 per catch. Despite Austin's injury issues, am I overvaluing him, or are others undervaluing him? Or somewhere in between?
ANSWER: The answer to your questions will be determined over time, as Calvin Austin III continues to navigate the season with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, and then how he adjusts once opposing defenses adjust to him and his production. Against the Jets, Austin finished with 4 catches for 70 yards (17.5 average) and a 19-yard touchdown.
