Let's get to it:
BRENT WEGNER FROM NORTH BEND, WA: On Nov. 8, 2021, Cameron Heyward intercepted Justin Fields in primetime on Monday Night Football in a Steelers victory over the Bears, 29-27, at Heinz Field. Can you tell me in what quarter of the game that interception occurred, and if you have any thoughts/memories about the play at the time? I wonder if this play has come up in conversation between the two current teammates since Justin has found his way into Cam's' locker room?
ANSWER: That game began with the Bears taking the opening kickoff and going three-and-out after Justin Fields completed a 3-yard pass to Allen Robinson on third-and-5. The Steelers responded with a 6-play, 59-yard drive that ended up in the end zone after a 10-yard run by Najee Harris. After an exchange of punts, the Bears' last possession of the first quarter began at their 12-yard line. On a second-and-11 from the 42-yard line, Fields tried to get the ball to wide receiver Darnell Mooney who ran a short route in the middle of the field. Cam Heyward went up and as he deflected the pass he managed to secure the football for an interception at the 36-yard line. Nine plays later, Ben Roethlisberger's 4-yard pass to Pat Freiermuth gave the Steelers a 14-0 lead. My memory of the play is that it was a "typical" Cam Heyward interception – he has 2 in 194 regular season games over 13 seasons – in that it was impressive for a defensive lineman to have the athletic ability and presence of mind to go from getting his hands up into the passing lane to coming down with an interception. Any my guess would be that since linemen love recalling their exploits with the ball in their hands, Heyward might've at least mentioned something in passing to Fields about it during those three weeks' worth of nights in Rooney Hall.
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OWEN O'CEALLAIGH FROM KILKENNY, IRELAND: What piece of Steelers memorabilia that you own is your favourite or most treasured?
ANSWER: I don't know whether it should be categorized as memorabilia, but in 2007 Dan Rooney asked me to help with his book, "Dan Rooney: My 75 Years with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFL." After the book was published, he graciously autographed a copy and gave it to me. What he had written made that copy one-of-a-kind. Literally.
TAD MURPHY FROM OLATHE, KS: I'm surprised that the Steelers released John Rhys Plumlee, and he didn't even make the practice squad. I was really hoping he would make the team. In your opinion why was he released?
ANSWER: During the training camp/preseason period, John Rhys Plumlee played some quarterback, returned some kicks, and even did drills with the wide receivers. He showed a lot of versatility, but he never really stood out in any of those areas to the degree where he deserved a spot on the 53-man roster. Once Plumlee was waived and cleared waivers, he was free to sign with any team. The Jaguars offered him a spot on their practice squad, and he chose to sign with Jacksonville.
RON CAYLOR FROM CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, PA: What are the chances the Steelers go after DeAndre Hopkins? Broderick Jones has never not been at right tackle for the game vs. the Falcons?
ANSWER: Broderick Jones never left right tackle, at least not for a representative number of snaps in anything but a practice. And WR DeAndre Hopkins is 32 years old, under contract to the Tennessee Titans, and after injuring a knee on July 31 was projected to miss 4-6 weeks, which was to sideline him until the middle of September. And I really don't see why the Titans would be interested in trading Hopkins, because he's simply their offense's best player. His 75 catches for 1,057 yards (14.1 average), 7 touchdowns, and 48 first downs were a big help last season for rookie QB Will Levis, and Tennessee wants to continue the development of its young quarterback. And in an AFC South with Houston, Jacksonville, and Indianapolis, the Titans gotta believe they have a chance to return to the playoffs in 2024.
PAT CUNNINGHAM FROM MARGATE, FL: Do you think if Justin Fields learns enough this year he could become the starting quarterback next year? What's your overall assessment of Fields?
ANSWER: I'm not expert enough to go into detail of the flaws in Justin Fields' footwork, for example, and explain if and how he improved that over the course of his months with the Steelers. But what was evident was that Fields, who entered the NFL as the 11th overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, never believed he was a finished product who didn't need work on his fundamentals, on his recognition, on a lot of the elements of quarterback play at the NFL level. That's my non-expert assessment of Fields, and as for next year, ask me about that next year.
DANIEL PARDUE FROM STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN: In the Aug. 29 edition of Asked and Answered, you wrote that vested veterans who are cut get to pick a team of their choosing. Could you expand on this further? What happens to the players without 4 years of experience?
ANSWER: Non-vested veterans are waived, which means they can be claimed by any of the other 31 teams in the NFL, and the priority for those claims is based on a reverse order of the previous season' s record, as the NFL draft order is determined. Waivers last for 24 hours, and if a waived player is not claimed during that 24-hour period, then he is free to sign with any team interested in having him.
JOSEPH LaMOLINARE FROM ATLANTA, GA: What made the Steelers choose Chuck Noll, and with such a bad record what do you think made him decide to accept the position?
ANSWER: I offer you Dan Rooney's version of events, which appeared in his book: "Dan Rooney: My 75 Years with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFL."
"On Monday, January 13, 1969, the day after Super Bowl III, Chuck Noll and I met for the first time. We talked for more than two hours. Noll's general knowledge of football and his specific knowledge of the Steelers' strengths, weaknesses, and potential struck me as extraordinary. I mean, it's the day after the Super Bowl, with all the attendant hype, hoopla, and pressure, and he's telling me details about our offense and defense I would have thought only our own coaches would know. He pointed out the Steelers had traded away their future. He thought the way to build a championship team was through the draft. Get young, raw talent, then teach the fundamentals of the game. Above all, he counseled patience. He knew it would take some time to rebuild the team and instill in the players a winning attitude. It was clear from this very first meeting that Noll was not about building a good team – he wanted nothing less than a Super Bowl championship team. Chuck and I hit it off from the start, and later he would say that the way our ideas on football meshed during our first meeting was what convinced him to come and coach the Steelers."
DE LANO HULL FROM LOS ANGELES, CA: Why are the NFL clock stoppage rules, specifically at the ends of the second and fourth quarters, officiated differently? Is that a by-product of the Competition Committee or the NFL office itself?
ANSWER: Any and all rules, and changes to those rules, are a result of collective bargaining between the NFL and the NFLPA. The NFL Competition Committee can make suggestions and/or proposals, but it's up to ownership to vote for or against such suggestions and/or proposals. And before I get a follow-up submission asking what is the difference between the clock stoppage rules in the second and the fourth quarters, here are the rules: out of bounds plays only stop the clock in the final 2 minutes of the first half and in the final 5 minutes of the second half.
JIM McDERMOTT FROM SCOTTSDALE, AZ: It seems to be the opinion of many that the signing of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields was a serious blunder. Further, was dumping Kenny Pickett or Mason Rudolph also a miscue?
ANSWER: Do a good number of those "opinions of many" come from media made up of fired coaches or fired personal people or former quarterbacks who ran out of the end zone for a safety during a game because they had no idea where they were on the field? Asking for a friend, of course. My next question would be, why would anybody care what they think anyway, because now they're in the business of entertainment via bloviating about sports, as opposed to working in the actual football business. Full disclosure timeout: I also am in the bloviating business, but my job doesn't depend on hot takes designed to generate buzz and/or make me a social media star. Also, Kenny Pickett quit on the Steelers, and Mason Rudolph chose to sign as an unrestricted free agent with a team he believed gave him a better opportunity. Neither was dumped.
