Happy Friday to yinz and I hope your life has been mega-great this past week. Thank you for stopping by the site.
Well, it’s actually been a pretty eventful week overall as far as the Pittsburgh Steelers are concerned. We’ve had quite a bit to write about and discuss thanks to interviews given by general manager Kevin Colbert and head coach Mike Tomlin. Additionally, former Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison gave us plenty to discuss this week as well thanks to comments he made to former guard Willie Colon during a podcast interview. I’m guessing Harrison will now be making the sports talk-show rounds next week. Sigh!
It’s going to be a strange next two and a half months for sure thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. The NFL offseason calendar has been wiped out so all we’re going to be left with are the occasional video interviews with Steelers players and coaches. The NFL offseason normally includes a five week-long dead period from the middle of June until training camps get underway in July. Now that dead period has essentially grown by another full month. We’ll do our best to keep yinz properly entertained, however.
As usual, I have five questions for yinz to answer throughout this quiet Friday night and I look forward to reading all responses. I think I have some very interesting and thought-provoking questions for yinz this week.
Have a great rest of your weekend and please stay safe.
Peace and love, peace and love!
1 – What kind of 2020 season would Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger need to have to win the annual NFL Comeback Player of the Year award?
2 – Do you believe that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, or any member of the organization for that matter, paid the $75,000 fine that former outside linebacker James Harrison received for his 2010 hit on then-Cleveland Browns wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi?
3 – Over/under 200 total touches for Steelers running back James Conner in 2020?
4 – Rank from most-likely to least-likely the return of the Steelers players listed below in 2021:
James Conner
Matt Feiler
Mike Hilton
Cameron Sutton
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Alejandro Villanueva
5 – What is the toughest four-game stretch for the Steelers on their 2020 schedule?
Recap of 2020 Virtual Rookie Minicamp Friday Night 5 Questions
Question 1: Steelers Depot respondents predict running back Anthony McFarland Jr. registers OVER 64.5 touches in 2020 by a four to one margin. Some believe it will be close but believe injuries to other players will increase his time on the field.
Question 2: Four of five of the listed quarterbacks worry respondents the most. Denver Broncos Drew Lock got the most votes, but New York Giant Daniel Jones, Cincinnati Bengal Joe Burrow, and Jacksonville Jaguar Gardner Minshew bunched together not far behind. Washington Redskin Dwayne Haskins did not instill any fear among the respondents. In fact, 43% of respondents said Haskins worried them the least. Jones and Burrow trailed Haskins as least feared while Lock & Minshew got single mentions. So, by consensus, Drew Lock worries us the most and Haskins the least.
Question 3: Respondents mentioned switching the Cleveland home (week 6) and away (week 17) the most frequently. This switch enables the Pittsburgh Steelers to finish the season at home. Folks were not keen on the Steelers playing three of the last four games on the road. Week 17 received the most mentions. The opener at New York Giants received the second most for several reasons. Some thought this was most likely game to be cancelled so wanted a tougher opponent in that first slot. Others want the Steelers to open the 2020 season at home. Weeks two, four and sixteen only games no one suggested switching.
Question 4: Depot respondents’ median prediction was the Steelers sporting a 3-1 record after the first four games. The worst anyone predict was 2-2 with some optimists at 4-0. Let us see how they do.
Question 5: The Cleveland Browns are the most underrated team on the Steelers 2020 schedule according to a plurality of respondents. The Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans were just behind them. No one identified the Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, or Indianapolis Colts as underrated. Here we go.
