Let's get to it:
MATTHEW RHOADES FROM LATROBE, PA: With Justin Fields continuing to improve with this new offense, could we see a more pass-first approach this year or will it be the same old smash-mouth Steelers football?
ANSWER: I remember not so long ago that Steelers fans were begging for a return to smash-mouth football, and with Arthur Smith hired to implement a power running attack, now you are wanting "a more pass-first approach." I see the path moving forward as a continuation of working to make the running game more successful, with the idea that getting a defense to concern itself with the running attack will open up opportunities to make big plays via the pass as well as being able to win the battle of attrition. And I would suggest the fan base be patient.
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TOM COOPER FROM CHOCTAW, OK: In response to this question from KRIS FOUTCH FROM BLUFFTON, SC: Since leaving the Ravens, what is our won/loss record against Joe Flacco" you stated the only time the Steelers have faced him was the Colts game on Sept. 29. Wasn't Joe Flacco the quarterback for the Browns most of last year filling in for Deshaun Watson? Or am I mis-remembering?
ANSWER: You are "mis-remembering," and you also didn't do before relying on your memory what I did before answering the question: Look it up. Joe Flacco quarterbacked the Browns for 5 games during the end of the 2023 regular season, and by the time his string of starts began, the Steelers-Browns home-and-home series was over.
MICHAEL TORSIELLO FROM SUMMIT, NJ: I know the Steelers do not negotiate contracts during the regular season, but if Justin Fields continues to play well, do you see the two sides agreeing to a contract extension prior to the end of the season to avoid him becoming a free agent?
ANSWER: You write, "I know the Steelers do not negotiate contracts during the regular season …" You are correct, the Steelers do not negotiate contracts during the regular season, and that is not going to change for Justin Fields. There is a window between the end of the regular season and the start of free agency where teams are able to negotiate with their players who can become free agents before other teams are permitted to do so via the 72-hour legal tampering period. If the Steelers and Justin Fields want to do business during that time, it would not violate the team's policy while also avoiding Fields becoming an unrestricted free agent.
CARLOS ROURA FROM LAKE FOREST, IL: Cordarrelle Patterson is listed as 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, while Najee Harris is listed as 6-1, 242 pounds. When I see Cordarrelle running straight ahead with the ball, he looks huge, bigger than Najee. Is the roster listing inaccurate, or are my eyes deceiving me?
ANSWER: Casey Hampton was always listed at 325 pounds, and Jerome Bettis was always listed at 252 pounds, and I believe there were times in their respective careers when those "reported" weights were significantly lower than their actual weights. All I can tell you is that the team knows the accurate heights and weights of the individual players, and there's no league-wide mechanism in place to check them and make sure they're accurate.
FRANK DORIA FROM ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, FL: When our secondary is being picked apart over the middle, isn't it the secondary coach' responsibility to make adjustments with his scheme and at the same time shouldn't Mike Tomlin as the head coach mention to that assistant coach that his scheme needs tweaking?
ANSWER: First of all, assistant coaches don't unilaterally devise any scheme that's used in a game. Using the defensive scheme for the Colts as an example, assistants might make suggestions but it's the coordinator and the head coach who have the most input into the plan for that particular game. And besides, it isn't always the scheme that's the culprit. Often it's the players' execution of the scheme , and while there can be adjustments made on the sideline between series – and there are adjustments made on the sideline between series – football is a game of individual matchups, and the outcome of games are most often determined by winning and losing those matchups. I make this point all the time: it's not a video game, and it's not chess.
EDSON NUNES JR. FROM SÃO PAULO, SP, BRAZIL: I know you don't like to talk about the zebras, but it is important to stress that the number of holding penalties against TJ Watt not being called is outrageous. What can the Steelers can do to highlight this to the NFL?
ANSWER: This is what Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin said about this issue earlier this week: "The great pass rushers get held. You know, T.J. is going to get held every week, and they're going to hold him this week, and (the officials) might not call it. Our job is we have to fight through that because that's the stuff that's out of our control, and we just try to put together the best plan to try to get him in a favorable situation where that stuff doesn't affect the outcome of the game. There's nothing we can do about (the officials). We let whoever is in charge of the refs take care of that." The Steelers can point out some egregious examples of holding to the NFL office, but constant complaining about it usually is counter-productive.
WILLIAM PALAICH FROM CLERMONT, FL: Najee Harris didn't have great numbers against the Colts outside the nice screen pass, and Cordarrelle Patterson looked good in his limited playing time. Fans are calling for Patterson to replace Harris as the starter. What is your valued opinion on the current situation, and the long-term for Najee with the team beyond 2024?
ANSWER: Being the complementary running back is a lot like being the backup quarterback in that fans always seem to be in love with the guy who isn't playing as much. Najee Harris is the Steelers' primary running back, and as a result every opponent knows that and prepares for him specifically. That's why the Steelers have to be extra diligent in properly executing the plays called for him. The injuries along the offensive line have been an issue, as well as the number of young, inexperienced players manning that unit. The Steelers need to continue to work on executing the plays called for Harris to run the football and also maybe explore some ways to vary his usage. As for the long-term, it's way too early to speculate on that now, especially during a rough patch for the Steelers running game as a whole.
ERNEST VINCENT FROM KENDALLVILLE, IN: What's the deal with James Daniels' helmet?
ANSWER: James Daniels, now on the injured reserve list with an Achilles injury, was wearing a Guardian Cap cover on his helmet, which is designed to protect the head, and players are permitted to do that.
RAY JAMES FROM GREENVILLE, SC: I see that Hunter Renfrow is still a free agent. Could you see the Steelers bringing him in for a tryout? He might just need a change of scenery. I know his production has dropped off.
ANSWER: Hunter Renfrow's last good season came in 2021 when he caught 103 passes for 1,038 yards (10.1 average) and 9 touchdowns. In the two seasons combined after that (2022-23) he caught 61 passes for 585 yards (9.6 average) and 2 touchdowns, so to say his production dropped off is an understatement. If the Steelers are going to make a move to add to their wide receivers, I would imagine them trying to do that by looking for a top-of-the-depth chart kind of guy. Renfrow is not that kind of player.
TOM CHOVANEC FROM MOKENA, IL: I'm commenting on the Paul Heinbaugh question that referred to the injury rate now vs. during the 1970s. I always thought the NFL should impose a weight limit on players. It's probably not a feasible solution because of the legal implications, but when you have 350-pound players crashing into each other, the injuries can be devastating. I'd appreciate any thoughts or ideas.
ANSWER: Weight limits in professional football are never going to happen. In my opinion, the concept of weight limits is not worth considering.
JOE CURLEY FROM CHARLOTTE, NC: Why is Roman Wilson not playing? I see that he is practicing with the team. I think he might be a plus to the receiving corps.
ANSWER: I have little doubt that Roman Wilson will help the passing attack when he is ready to play, and the Steelers are working him at practice in an effort to get him ready to play. As Coach Mike Tomlin has explained, Wilson was injured on the sixth snap of the first practice in pads back at Saint Vincent College, and he was sidelined through the rest of training camp and the preseason. There is a significant adjustment players must make from college to the NFL, and expecting Wilson to be able to do that without the physical repetitions in practice and then exposure in the preseason isn't realistic. Progress is being made, however, and I believe his insertion into the mix will happen sooner rather than later.
