Let's get to it:
LAZARO BROITMAN FROM SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA:
I was happy with the first half of the game against the Chiefs, and I hope that by the time you read this, we will be celebrating the victory in Kansas City. My question: With only three seconds left in the first half, was it a good call to go for a pass instead of attempting a 56-yard field goal? I mean, if you go for it, which is indeed a long distance, what would be the risk ?
ANSWER: The risk to having Chris Boswell attempt a 56-yard field goal is this: The Chiefs can put Tyreek Hill back deep, and if the field goal attempt is short, he can then field the ball and run it back. A typical field goal unit is made up of big linemen to block, plus a holder and the kicker, none of whom would be in their element trying to run down Hill and get him on the ground. Gambling on three points when there is a legitimate chance of giving up six isn't a good bet, in my mind.
KELLY JOHNSON FROM TOOELE, UT:
Gutsy win by the Steelers on Sunday in Kansas City. Going into Foxborough, what is the Steelers' record against the Patriots at Gillette Stadium? Thanks for your wit and knowledge each week.
ANSWER: Gillette Stadium opened for the 2002 NFL season, and the Steelers in fact were the Patriots first opponent upon opening their new facility. The Steelers have played five games there, and they are 1-4 in those games. The lone win came in 2008, which is the season Tom Brady missed with an ACL injury.
GARY WHITAKER FROM CONCORD, NC:
My question is on the loss of practice squad players. With the loss of Travis Feeney, will the Steelers be awarded a draft pick for compensation on the loss of that player, who was a pick in the previous year's draft?
ANSWER: No. There is no compensation awarded whatsoever to a team losing a player off its practice squad.
CORTEZ FAIRBANKS FROM MASON. OH:
I think the last team to beat New England in New England in the playoffs was the Baltimore Ravens what was the rushing yards in that game because I think Pittsburgh to win in New England will have to have a good rushing attack
ANSWER: The Ravens were the last team to defeat the Patriots in a playoff game at Gillette Stadium, and they did it by 28-13 in the 2013 AFC Championship Game. In the game, the Ravens ran the ball 33 times for 121 yards (3.7 average) and one touchdown, while the Patriots attempted 28 runs for 108 yards (3.9 average) and no touchdowns. A more significant element in that game was that Tom Brady threw two interceptions as a part of three Patriots turnovers, while Joe Flacco threw no interceptions and the Ravens didn't turn the ball over.
BILL DOMINICK FROM LAKEWOOD, OH:
In this year's Super Bowl, which conference is the designated home team?
ANSWER: The NFC. That means the winner of the NFC Championship gets to pick which color jerseys it wants to wear.
MARY RAHUBA FROM PALM BAY, FL:
Did the Steelers have any injuries as a result of today's game.
ANSWER: Maybe something cropped up much later, but there were none reported during the game or in the immediate aftermath.
MIKE PALOMBO FROM MCMURRAY, PA:
In the fourth quarter of the Chiefs game, they had a critical third-and-2. A flag was thrown for delay of game. Then there was dead ball personal foul called on Travis Kelce. Somehow it ended up being a third-and-20. How? If only the personal foul was assessed, it should have been a third-and-17. If they assessed the delay and then the personal foul, that should have been 20 yards of penalties, resulting in a third-and-22. Did the officials mis-spot the ball for third-and-20? If so, that was a big 2 yards because the Chiefs then completed a 20-yard pass and just made the first down.
ANSWER: What's wrong is your memory of this part of the game. First of all, all of this happened in the third quarter, not the fourth quarter, and it happened on two difference Kansas City possessions. According to the official play-by-play, the delay of game penalty came with 6:27 left in the third quarter on a third-and-2 from the Steelers 39-yard line. After the penalty made it a third-and-7, William Gay sacked Alex Smith, and then the Chiefs punted on fourth down. It was on Kansas City's next possession where Travis Kelce was flagged for unnecessary roughness, and that happened on a third-and-5 from the Steelers 41-yard line with 2:09 remaining in the quarter. The 15-yard penalty made it third-and-20, and that's when Smith completed a 20-yard pass to Jeremy Maclin for a first down at the Steelers 36-yard line.
DONNY MONROE FROM BRIDGETON, MO:
What type of contract does Chris Boswell have with Pittsburgh?
ANSWER: Chris Boswell signed a two-year contract when he joined the Steelers last season, and at the end of the 2016 league year he will be an exclusive rights free agency. An exclusive rights free agent is a player who has no more than two accrued seasons in the NFL, and he may only sign with his prior team, provided, of course, that the team extends a minimum qualifying offer to the player.
JOHN MARTHALER FROM ERIE, PA:
When an NFL team moves, such as the Chargers have just announced, what happens to the PSLs that fans have purchased? Are the owners of the PSLs compensated in any way?
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ANSWER: Actually, a team moves most often because it's looking for a new stadium, and it's only when a new stadium is built that PSLs are sold. The Chargers didn't get a new stadium in San Diego, and so there were no PSLs sold to fans there.**
BRANDON LATTANZI FROM STRATFORD, CT:
It's 12:18 a.m. after the Kansas City Divisional Round Game, and my joy of winning is being chipped away. I put on SNR to listen to postgame stuff, and the phones were loaded with complaints about play-calling, etc. Who didn't think this would be a tough game? No Tyreek Hill highlights. No Travis Kelce highlights (aside from his penalty and postgame whining). And we won. Le'Veon Bell broke the record he set LAST week. Can people be happy for FIVE minutes please?
ANSWER: Evidently not. And I get that stuff, too. See below.
DAVE CAUDILL FROM OLYMPIA, WA:
Why is it that one the most talented offenses in the NFL is having so much trouble scoring. Is it the play calling, play execution? Maybe it's time for a new offensive coordinator. We have far too much talent to be struggling against teams that we should be beating easily.
ANSWER: Excellent idea. Fire Todd Haley because the Steelers didn't defeat the 12-4 AFC West Champion Chiefs by enough in Arrowhead Stadium to suit you. The Chiefs were the No. 2 seed in the AFC Playoffs, and you describe them as a team "that we should be beating easily." After losing to the Steelers in early October, the Chiefs went on a 10-2 run to win an AFC West that also included Denver and Oakland. You don't know what you're talking about. And I'm trying to be kind.
RICH COLBERT FROM OLIVEBRANCH, MS:
What happened to Le'Veon Bell?
ANSWER: If you're asking what happened to DeAngelo Williams getting playing time, it's Le'Veon Bell setting franchise postseason rushing records week after week.
