Asked and answered: 7 Nov

BROC ROWE FROM PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY MD: I can see this could be one of our toughest post-bye schedules in a while. Do you think the Nov. 17 game against the Ravens at Acrisure Stadium will be moved to a primetime slot? I plan to go and would love to see the bright lights for this high level of a game.
ANSWER: In the days since you posted this question, the NFL decided to flex the Bengals at Chargers game into Sunday night, meaning the Ravens at Steelers will remain a 1:00 p.m. kickoff. My personal opinion had always been that it would have been competitively unfair for the NFL to have the Steelers play the Ravens on a Sunday night and then have to turn around and play in Cleveland the following Thursday.

LYNN RYDER FROM NORTH EAST, PA: With talk of the Week 11 Ravens-Steelers game being flexed, do the Steelers have any veto power over moving this to a night game since our previous three home games have been night games?
ANSWER: I explained in the previous answer why I personally thought it would have been unfair to move Ravens-Steelers to Sunday night, with the Steelers playing the following Thursday in Cleveland for an extra short turnaround, but teams have no veto over flex of schedules. The broadcast networks have some limited veto power and teams can voice an opinion to the league, but that’s the extent of it. The NFL decides.

RA PEGHER FROM STATE COLLEGE, PA: When Ben Roethlisberger retired, the consensus seemed to be that his level of play would not be easily replicated in the near future. This was proven by the play of Mason Rudolph, Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett. Do you think Russell Wilson’s game matches Ben’s in his final seasons, making it seem like Ben never retired?
ANSWER: I’m a Russell Wilson fan and I believe his insertion into the starting lineup can give the Steelers the kind of offense that can support a playoff spot and a run when they get to the playoffs. But I’m nowhere near ready to tout Wilson as a guy playing at the same level as Ben Roethlisberger, even at the end of his career. Not after two games.

JOE ASHER FROM TAMPA, FL: When I was in the military, we had a guy on staff who would “fight” as the enemy in all of our war plans. By presenting the enemy’s likely battle plans, our commander could more accurately decide how to fight. Is that the scout team coach? Is there another one for opposing attack and defense? Who does this job for the Steelers?
ANSWER: A scout team coach has not been appointed. The game plan is devised and catered to the week’s specific opponent by coach Mike Tomlin and the three coordinators with input from the position coaches. Everything is done through the Steelers’ particular strengths and weaknesses, as opposed to a rigorous examination of the opponent. In the NFL, your particular opponent does the same, and as soon as the game begins and the respective teams’ plans are revealed, each team will try to adjust accordingly.

JAY SCOTT FROM DAVENPORT, IA: Still trying to figure out what the story is about our highly-touted linebacker Logan Lee from the University of Iowa. He was an All-American. He has been on injured reserve ever since the season started. How bad is he injured and will we ever see him make the team?
ANSWER: Drafted in the sixth round (178th overall), Logan Lee worked as a defensive lineman during the offseason program, training camp and preseason. In the preseason opener vs. In Houston, he played 29 snaps on defense (he was involved in 1 tackle) and 6 on special teams; In the second preseason game against Buffalo, he played 16 snaps on defense (he had 1 tackle) and 5 on special teams. In the time before the Steelers broke camp to return to Pittsburgh to prepare for the preseason finale in Detroit, Lee injured a calf muscle. He was placed on the injured reserve list and in my opinion Lee would not be considered a priority as being designated to return from IR because a team only has 8 such moves in a season and he clearly showed that. to be a development project on the defense line.

GILLY AGUIAR FROM NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FL: Is there a timetable for Cole Holcomb to return or is he done for the year?
ANSWER: Cole Holcomb continues to rehabilitate the knee injury he suffered last November in a game against the Titans. I think any optimism that he would return at any point in 2024 should be tempered by the reality that he has been out of football activity for over a calendar year to date.

PAT FLYNN FROM OAKDALE, PA: Joe Greene interviewed for the head coaching position after Chuck Noll retired after the 1991 season. Do you know why the Steelers chose Bill Cowher over Joe Greene?
ANSWER: I can’t give any specific reasons why Dan Rooney chose Bill Cowher from a group of finalists that included Greene, Dave Wannstedt and Kevin Gilbride, but here is what he wrote about that process in his book: “Dan Rooney: My 75 Years with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFL”:

“High on the list was Joe Greene, who we had hired as defensive line coach in 1987. Joe had retired as a player in 1981 after 13 history-making seasons. He was a great coach and I felt strongly that we should give him a legitimate shot at the top.”

The story goes that the Steelers settled on Cowher, and after watching Rooney lead the team, the reason for the decision was that he believed Cowher was the man for the job at the time. Revealing specific details/conclusions from the interview process was not the way Dan Rooney conducted his business. Ever. But I also believe how much Dan Rooney valued Joe Greene was on display when he asked Greene to present him for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the summer of 2000.

ALEX NESTURRICK FROM ODESSA, FL: In Asked and Answered on October 31, there was a question regarding K-balls. Given the improvement of placekickers and their ability to kick further than ever, do you think it’s time to have just one standard football?
ANSWER: Actually, the NFL’s decision in 1999 to only use a certain set of footballs (K-balls) for kicking games was made to make distance and accuracy more challenging. Going back to the previous procedure – one set of footballs for the whole game – would have the opposite effect of what I think you are suggesting.

RON WILLIAMS OF ASTORIA, OR: When Kevin Colbert was General Manager, it seemed like there wasn’t as much going on at the practice facility with free agents and tryouts during the regular season as there is now with Omar Khan as General Manager. Would you say this is a change in philosophy, or more of circumstances that have happened to the team with injuries.
ANSWER: According to the NFL, the top 5 seasons since 1995 in terms of number of trades at the deadline all came after 2018. While Colbert officially retired in May 2022, his final season with the Steelers was at the 2021 trade deadline. These numbers show that trade activity on across the NFL has increased significantly of late, so a “lack of activity” wasn’t a Colbert problem. As for the players’ weekly workouts, those also happened during Colbert’s time, but they weren’t reported as extensively. Sure, people heard about the season tryouts when the Steelers had an immediate need for a placekicker — in 2002 with Jeff Reed, in 2010 with Shuan Suisham, in 2015 with Chris Boswell — but outside of that sort of thing, the weekly tryouts. happened under the radar. Nobody cared. And no one tried to establish a social media presence by reporting them all.

ADOLPHUS GRØDER FROM HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC: With only a few weeks until Hard Knocks starts inside the AFC North, any advice on how to watch the episodes without having to buy HBO?
ANSWER: The AFC North edition of Hard Knock will be available on HBO or to stream on Max. There are no current plans to make it available for free.

TIMOTHY RICHARD FROM SULFUR, LA: Besides James Harrison’s pick-6 and Willie Parker’s 75-yard touchdown run, what other notable Super Bowl records are still held by the Steelers? I used the term “notable” to narrow the list down a bit.
ANSWER: Here’s a list of what I think you mean by “notable” Super Bowl records:

• Dwight White and Reggie Harrison are in a 7-way tie for most safeties in a game with 1.
• Franco Harris holds the record for most career rushing attempts with 101.
• Franco Harris holds the record for most career rushing yards with 354.
• Terry Bradshaw holds the record for average win per game. career passing game with 11.1 yards.
• Terry Bradshaw holds the record for average win per game. passing game with 14.71 (Super Bowl XIV).
• John Stallworth holds the record for average earnings per reception in a career with 24.4 yards.
• John Stallworth holds the record for average earnings per reception in one game (minimum 3 catches) with 40.33 yards (Super Bowl XIV).

And as you mentioned in your question, James Harrison’s 100-yard interception return in Super Bowl XLIII and Wille Parker’s 75-yard touchdown run in Super Bowl XL remain records.