Let's get to it:
EDGAR STONE, FROM HEREFORD, AZ: If my memory isn't failing me, didn't the Steelers win a Super Bowl as a No. 6 seed?
ANSWER: After the 2005 NFL season, the Steelers were the No. 6 seed in the AFC Playoffs, where the top 5 seeds were, in order: Indianapolis, Denver, Cincinnati, New England, and Jacksonville. With 14-2 Indianapolis and 13-3 Denver getting first-round byes, the Wild Card Round had the Steelers over Cincinnati and New England over Jacksonville. In the Divisional Round, the Patriots lost at Denver, and the Steelers won in Indianapolis. In the AFC Championship Game, the Steelers won in Denver. Then in Super Bowl XL, the Steelers defeated NFC No. 1 seed Seattle, 21-10, for the franchise's fifth Lombardi Trophy.
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DALE GELLER FROM CAPE CORAL, FL: Since both Myles Jack and Eric Rowe were elevated from the practice squad for the last three games, could they be eligible for the playoffs or not?
ANSWER: My understanding of the rule is that during the regular season, after a player is elevated three times from the practice squad to the active roster for a game, that player either must be added to the 53-man roster full-time or exposed to the rest of the league via waivers. But the rule disappears for the playoffs, and so Myles Jack and Eric Rowe will be able to be activated from the practice squad to the 53-man roster before the Steelers' playoff games.
GREG WHITE FROM SOUTH BEND, IN: Considering the positive impact of Joey Porter Jr. and Broderick Jones, are the Steelers more or less conservative than the rest of the NFL in starting rookies?
ANSWER: I have no way of knowing how the other 31 teams handle their rookies each season in terms of playing time, or how early in a particular season those 31 teams might begin allocating playing time to their rookies. But Coach Mike Tomlin is thoughtful in terms of when he begins to work rookies into the lineup. First, understand that if circumstances demand that the rookies start playing immediately that will be accommodated, but if not, the Steelers preference is to give them time to adapt to regular season NFL football and also to continue to become familiar with the team's offensive or defensive systems. If the rookies are learning and showing some good things in their limited opportunities over those first 5-6 weeks, then their playing time increases maybe to the extent of being put into the starting lineup. Using the 2023 season as an example, Broderick Jones and Joey Porter Jr. each started 11 regular season games, and Keeanu Benton started 9. This means that as the playoffs are beginning, their bodies still are still in the same physical window as they were while they were playing their college seasons. What this prevents a rookie from hitting "the wall" toward the end of his first NFL season, and theoretically should allow them to feel "fresh" as the playoffs are about to begin.
ED GEORGE FROM SAN ANTONIO, TX: I was at the Miami-Pittsburgh playoff game in 1972. I am curious, because since this game was so close and the Steelers had a chance to win, was this game the closest Miami came to a defeat in their undefeated season?
ANSWER: The Dolphins defeated the Steelers, 21-17, in the 1972 AFC Championship Game, but it wasn't the smallest final margin during Miami's 17-0 season. The Dolphins beat Minnesota, 16-14; there was a 24-23 win over Buffalo; and a 28-24 victory over the New York Jets. All three of those were regular season games.
DAVID BRUBAKER FROM MERRITT ISLAND, FL: I read that Hines Ward and James Harrison were passed over for election into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2024. Can you tell me how long they are eligible to be considered for this honor?
ANSWER: Once a player becomes eligible for election, he is considers as part of the Modern Era category for 25 years from the date of retirement. After that, the path to election moves into the Seniors category, where things become more difficult.
KEITH MILLER FROM CANTON, NC: Are the Steelers "working out" more players than previous years? And who is evaluating them when the coaches are preparing for the next game?
ANSWER: The Player Personnel Department is constantly working ahead so that the team can be prepared if there is an injury or a rash of injuries at a specific position. The examples of this were at inside linebacker and safety during the 2023 season. I don't know that the Steelers are more active in this area this year, as much as it's being publicized more regularly by bloggers looking for clicks. All teams are working out players weekly during the season. It's not specific to Pittsburgh. And it's being done by scouts, or even interns within the scouting department.
MICHAEL DICKINSON FROM REDDING, CA: As far as people losing their starting job due to injury, how many games did Tommy Maddox start after he was injured in Ben Roethlisberger's rookie year?
ANSWER: My opinion is that Tommy Maddox didn't lose the starting job in 2004 to rookie Ben Roethlisberger because of an injury. Roethlisberger was given a chance to play because of an injury to Maddox, and long before Maddox was ready to return from injury the rookie had won the job because of performance. The way Roethlisberger played right from the start strongly suggests that him being the starter as a rookie was an inevitability. To answer your question, after Maddox was injured in the second game of the season, his next and only subsequent start that year came in the regular season finale because the 14-1 Steelers had clinched the AFC North and the top seed in the conference playoffs.
GEORGE KELLY FROM COLUMBIANA, OH: I remember when receivers used to run post patterns near the goal line because the goalposts used to be located at the goal line. Could you tell me when the goal posts were moved to the back of the end zone?
ANSWER: From NFL.com: "In 1974, the goal posts on an NFL field were moved from the goal line to the end line. The change had a major impact on the game, reducing the number of field goals and freeing up the end zone for passing, running, and punting while removing a safety hazard."
DANIEL MAZENKO FROM LITITZ, PA: I asked the Elias Sports Bureau to confirm this but did not receive a response yet. All four teams in the AFC North finished the regular season above the .500 mark in 2023. The last time this happened was 1987, during a 15-game season when the bottom team (Steelers) finished 8-7 in the AFC Central. In a full season the last time was 1984 when the bottom three teams in the NFC East were all 9-7.
ANSWER: You had more factoids listed, but after I checked the first two, I deleted the rest. In 1987, the bottom team in the AFC Central Division was not the 8-7 Steelers but the 4-11 Cincinnati Bengals. In 1984, there were five teams in the NFC East, and finishing in fifth place were the 6-9-1 Philadelphia Eagles. Given the inaccuracies, I don't believe you should expect a call from Elias.
As for 2023, after Cincinnati defeated Cleveland, 31-14, to finish last in the AFC North with a 9-8 record, the division became the NFL's first in 88 years to have every team finish above .500. The last time it happened was in 1935, when the NFL West ended this way:
• Detroit (7-3-2)
• Green Bay (8-4)
• Chicago Bears (6-4-2)
• Chicago Cardinals (6-4-2)
