Let's get to it:
JAMES CRUZ FROM CITY TERRACE, CA: I believe that it was in the 1992 season that the Steelers set a team record for sacks in a game against the Bengals with 10. Does that record still stand or has it been broken?
ANSWER: The 10 sacks the Steelers recorded on Nov. 29, 1992, against the Bengals in Cincinnati set a team record, and while that record hasn't been broken it has been tied three other times. First, in that 1992 game, 7 players recorded sacks with inside linebacker David Little leading with 3; on Oct. 13, 1996, against the Bengals at Three Rivers Stadium, 6 players recorded the 10 sacks, with outside linebacker Chad Brown leading with 4.5; on Nov. 30, 1997, in Arizona against the Cardinals, 7 players recorded sacks, with defensive back Carnell Lake leading with 3; and on Oct. 21, 2001, against the Buccaneers in Tampa, 5 players recorded the 10 sacks, with outside linebacker Joey Porter leading with 4.
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RAY NEWMASTER FROM SINKING SPRING, PA: With the Combine over and the NFL Draft coming up, it got me wondering about the year we picked T.J. Watt at No. 30 overall. Were there other edge players selected before T.J. that year? Who were they and when were they selected?
ANSWER: T.J. Watt was the 30th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, and there were 5 DE/OLB type players selected ahead of him in the first round. Texas A&M's Myles Garrett went No. 1 overall to Cleveland; Temple's Haason Reddick went No. 13 overall to Arizona; Missouri's Charles Harris went No. 22 overall to Miami; UCLA's Tak McKinley went No. 26 overall to Atlanta; and Michigan's Taco Charlton went No. 28 overall to Dallas.
RICHARD TOLBERT FROM STEVENS POINT, WI: With the announcement of the legendary Bill Hillgrove's retirement, is there any insight of who may be the Steelers next play-by-play announcer? I am certainly not going to refer to them as a replacement because that is not possible. Simply the next person to step into that role and begin an attempt at calling games to the satisfaction of a very demanding fan base.
ANSWER: I do not have any insight into who might be selected to fill the role of Steelers radio play-by-play announcer, but my sense is that President Art Rooney II will be thorough and thoughtful through the process, just as Dan Rooney was in selecting Bill Hillgrove.
SHAWN GROVES FROM KEYSER, WV: Having been around Kenny Pickett the last two years do you think he has the "it" factor the Steelers need to be successful?
ANSWER: At this point, the only way I could answer your question is: maybe. I'm not sure there is a specific metric that identifies the "it" factor as you describe, but in 24 starts over two regular seasons, Pickett has led 6 fourth quarter comebacks and 7 game-winning drives. Maybe.
GLAUCIO CAFALCHIO FROM TAUBATE SP, BRAZIL: As it has been said by the media, if Russell Wilson is really inclined to accept a very reasonable salary to be a starter on an NFL team, do you think Steelers would consider to bring him to Pittsburgh?
ANSWER: I don't believe the Steelers will bring in Russell Wilson and present him with the starting quarterback job, and I don't believe Wilson would come here without that.
JERRY STUPNICKI FROM GARFIELD HEIGHTS, OH: Will the Steelers hold a Fan Blitz at Acrisure Stadium instead of at Stage AE this year?
ANSWER: The event you reference is called the Steelers Draft Party, and it will take place on Saturday, April 27, from noon-5 p.m. at Acrisure Stadium. Tickets will go on sale toward the latter part of March. Once that date is firmed up, it will be announced on all of the Steelers media platforms.
MARK CZOCHANSKI FROM METUCHEN, NJ: First, I want to say thanks for continuing to bring great Steelers content to the masses. My question is this: Isn't the initial two-year statistical sample of Kenny Pickett's career surprisingly similar to Ben Roethlisberger's first two years?
ANSWER: I will present to you the numbers you asked about, but I also caution you about interpreting them as evidence that Kenny Pickett and Ben Roethlisberger were in any way on similar tracks at the start of their respective careers. In his first two seasons, Roethlisberger completed 364-of-563 (64.7 percent) for 5,006 yards, with 34 touchdowns, 24 interceptions, and a rating of 98.3. At the end of his second NFL season, Roethlisberger became the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl. In his first two seasons, Pickett completed 446-of-713 (62.6 percent) for 4,474 yards, with 13 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and a rating of 78.8.
CHRIS FARIS FROM CARMICHAEL, CA: The annual players survey released by the NFLPA had the Steelers ranked 28th overall among the league's 32 teams in a variety of categories. Do you think this has any play on whether or not free agents sign with the team?
ANSWER: I do not, because it certainly didn't inhibit Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Diontae Johnson, and Alex Highsmith from signing significant contracts to stay with the Steelers. Typically, what gets an unrestricted free agent's attention comes in one basic color: green.
TEDDY JERNIGAN FROM ELIZABETH CITY, NC: Do the Steelers get money for a company having its name on the stadium, or how does it work?
ANSWER: Most NFL teams sell the naming rights to their stadiums, and Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh is just one of those many examples. Others include AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Ford Field in Detroit, Gillette Stadium in New England, Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, and Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. There are others, too, but you get the idea.
NATE KLEIN FROM NORWICH, CT: I know mock drafts are a joke, but all of the ones I've seen have the Steelers taking a wide receiver in one of the first 3 rounds. Why would they waste draft picks on a wide receiver when they are a dime a dozen, and the bigger needs should be center, offensive tackle, and defensive depth?
ANSWER: It amuses me that you begin by admitting that mock drafts "are a joke," but then you go right ahead to ask a question based on what you "learned" from the early mock drafts. During this offseason, Steelers President Art Rooney II made it clear that 2024 is going to be an important season in the development of quarterback Kenny Pickett, so it makes sense to try to provide him with the tools he will need to be successful. So I ask you, do you believe the Steelers have enough wide receivers to provide Pickett in particular and the offense overall with what's necessary to be successful? After Diontae Johnson and George Pickens, who's next? Contending teams can put offenses on the field capable of deploying at least three, and often four, capable wide receivers. Allen Robinson wasn't good enough last season, and he's a year older. Calvin Austin III is still a "maybe" after missing all of 2022 because of injury. And your contention that wide receivers are "a dime a dozen" just isn't accurate. The Steelers need to go into the 2024 season with more and better wide receivers than they had in 2023. Signing difference-makers costs too much, so you have to draft them.
RON WILLIAMS FROM ASTORIA, OR: Just a comment on the retirement of Bill Hillgrove. I think your story was well-written. I had the privilege to meet Bill a few times, and he was always generous with his time, and the stories he would tell were classics. Cheers to his retirement and to all the memories he created for us as Steelers fans.
AMSWER: It was my pleasure to be the one to write about Bill Hillgrove's wonderful career.
RICHARD KOVAL FROM BRUCETON MILLS, WV: I just wanted to say that Bill Hillgrove shall be missed. Bill, Jack Fleming, and Myron Cope will be remembered forever, along with Bob Prince and Mike Lange. We fans of Pittsburgh sports have had the greatest announcers.
ANSWER: Bill Hillgrove certainly deserves to be mentioned alongside those legendary announcers, even if he would tell you he doesn't think he belongs in that group.
BOB PEGHER FROM STATE COLLEGE, PA: Thanks for the wonderful tribute to Bill Hillgrove. His on-air presence will be missed, as he truly understood what Steeler fans want from their home team broadcasters. I have no way of knowing, but I doubt fans in other cities turn down the sound on their TVs and listen to the game on radio as many of us always do. We Pittsburghers have been blessed with the likes of legends narrating the pivotal moments in our sports lives. Bill Hillgrove is right up there with the best of them and will be hard to replace.
ANSWER: No argument from me.
