Tuesday 12 Qs: Ben, Narduzzi, Rust, Kang, Troy

Alex Smith and Ben Roethlisberger shake hands after the Steelers beat the Chiefs, 20-12, Sunday. — GETTY

DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS

Welcome to Tuesday 12 Qs, our chat that takes place each week at 2 p.m. and tosses the keys to you to do the driving.

The format is simple: Use the comments section below to submit an entry. No more than one per person, please. Submit early if you prefer, and I’ll pick from that batch to get rolling, then monitor new entries once we go live. All topics welcome, as always.

UPDATE 2 p.m.: Away we go …

bernard.diggins: Seriously, Ben Roethlisberger has to be the real MVP of this team regardless of how the players vote, right? What is their record without Ben? Great seasons for each of the big three, but ask Mike Tomlin which player he’d most hate to lose for the playoffs, and he won’t hesitate with the answer.

DK: A lot of variables come into play with a debate like this, and it sounds like the one you’re prioritizing is the position. Almost any team would hate to lose its QB more than any other position. And that would apply doubly for the Steelers, when the drop would take them from Roethlisberger to Bruce Gradkowski.

The Steelers’ players voted for Le’Veon Bell, as the team announced in the past hour. He’d be my choice, too. All he’s had so far is the greatest season of any running back in franchise history. He’s been the most consistent performer on the NFL’s No. 1-ranked offense, and he’s done it with his running, his receiving, even his pass-blocking. He hasn’t even fumbled, for crying out loud.

Teams are now basing their defenses on stopping Bell first and the rest later. That’s an enormous advantage for the Steelers even on those occasions like the past two weeks when Bell isn’t allowed to run wild. And when he is allowed to run wild … well, ask the Bengals how that goes.

There’s going to be a lot of talk, as always, about Ben being snubbed by his teammates yet again or how this is some sign that he isn’t respected in the locker room. It’ll all be nonsense. Bell did something special.

fram: Dejan, so Pat Narduzzi is in. Your thoughts? Also, I know it’s early, but do you get a feeling that Pitt chancellor Patrick Gallagher is taking a different approach than Mark Nordenberg in making Pitt a top 25-30 program and giving the head coach the money needed to compete?

Happy Holidays to all, and Hail to Pitt.

DK: By all accounts — and I mean all of them that I’ve encountered — Pitt’s imminent hiring of Michigan State’s defensive coordinator is exactly what the program needed, exactly what I thought would be right. Narduzzi is a young guy at 48, he’s a rising star, he apparently very much wanted to come to Pitt, and he’s even got a background heavy with a Youngstown flavor, so this won’t exactly be foreign territory.

I’ll repeat here that this is exactly the type of coach I’ve been describing all along. Pitt needs energy. It needs fire.

To the other part of your Q, let me throw in something else I like: Gallagher is on the hook here. This is his hire, not the new AD’s, since obviously there is no new AD yet. So Gallagher had better pony up for the assistants and scouting and everything else Narduzzi needs to succeed, because this hire is on the chancellor and no one else.

Great start, though. Just great.

Gary Esworthy: In the last two weeks, we’ve seen questionable calls against the Steelers be real game-changers. (Fortunately, we aren’t here blaming losses on these calls). Specifically, Jason Worilds‘ sack two weeks ago and William Gay’s taunt on his own teammate. Is this something that is on anyone’s radar in the league or are the refs going to be let off the hook with these types of calls?

DK: I’m not sure I follow, but I’ll try, Gary.

Are you suggesting that the refs are biased against the Steelers?

If so, that’s always a non-starter for me.

Are you suggesting that they should be punished or fined for judgment calls?

They don’t make all that much to begin with, so it’s hard enough for the NFL to find qualified officials. Instituting a policy of punishing and/or fining them probably won’t grow that pool, I’m guessing.

Bad calls happen. They happen to all 32 teams. Every Sunday. Everywhere. And they happen in all sports, for that matter, especially as it relates to pure judgment calls where there’s only a split-second to decide.

The only solution is even more application of replay, if that’s what you really want.

CoachD: With the recent rash of injury with the Pens and the younger players getting a chance to get some NHL experience, who is emerging as the most likely trade assets and are they more likely to look to move a vet like Paul Martin or younger players like Simon Despres, Scott Harrington or Derrick Pouliot?

DK: One of the countless fallacies involved in trade speculation — and admit it, Coach, you knew I’d start like this — is the notion that the team pursuing the trade can pick the player it wants to trade. That isn’t how it works. At all. So there won’t come a day when Jim Rutherford and his triumvirate meet to say, hey, which of these guys should we trade? Old guy? Rookie? It won’t happen.

Rather, the Penguins will isolate on certain targets either known or thought to be available. Some will be longer-term acquisitions like what it sounds the Oilers will be offering. Others will be rentals. Next, those teams are contacted with trade inquiries. And it’s those teams who decide which player they want off the Penguins’ organizational roster. The Penguins can enter the process with a hands-off list, and they might even share that list, but it won’t define the process. That will be done by the other party. That team’s needs might have zero in common with what the Penguins would prefer to offer, and that can either kill talks or force the Penguins to give up someone they had no inclination to give up. Isolating again on Edmonton, this is a franchise that’s been starved for goaltending for more than a decade. I happen to think there’s no match here at all, as a result, but one never knows.

Not sure if that answers your question or not, but it’s probably the most accurate possible picture.

I will add this: All of these young players being in Pittsburgh is a boon for trade value, and that includes even if they struggle. Another great myth is that a player can ‘preserve value’ by being kept in the minors. It’s silliness, and it’s not what NHL execs will tell you. They want to see the player’s shortcomings to better understand him, or they’ll be less likely to make a full investment.

I’ll also throw this out: What’s so terribly wrong with this team as presently constituted?

Bruce Danoff: The Jung-Ho Kang winning bid is certainly raises a lot of issues. Where will he play? How effective will he be? My question is however is this an indication that the Pirates are not going to break the bank in extending Neil Walker with Kang being leverage?

DK: There are, indeed, more questions than answers arising from the Kang bid, and it’s understandable that Neal Huntington can’t yet talk about those. Need to actually sign the player first.

Viewing this from the prism of having covered this team a long time, my guess is that Kang will enter spring training with lightened expectations and eased into a role, regardless of his contract. It’s not only the caliber of pitching that’s different in Korea; it’s the style. It’s a lot of slow-ball. And if Kang’s preferred pitch on his home runs is a fastball up and over the inner half of the plate … hey, that’s a pitch you’ll get maybe once every two weeks in the majors. It’s going to take him time, and it’s only fair that he gets that time. Even Bradenton won’t afford that.

In the interim, nothing much has to change for Jordy Mercer or Walker, at least not on the field. I’ve been writing consistently, though, that the Pirates and Walker aren’t even in the same solar system as far as a long-term extension, and I’ve heard nothing of late to contradict that. Kang’s rapid maturity could change that. Or Mercer could come back to the planet a bit after a very solid offensive season. Or Kang might be awful.

Lots and lots of ways this could go. Where the Pirates benefit is by bolstering their options, especially as it relates to shortstop, and doing so at what looks like it could be a good price.

Mitchell Shaw: Hi, DK. I have noticed that some players this year in the NFL are wearing helmets that appear to have octagon shapes on the crown of their helmets, and I was wondering if that is something to monitor the impact of head hits or if that is just a newer (anti-concussion) helmet that certain players are wearing.

DK: I was honored to moderate a recent concussion symposium for my friends at Allegheny Health Network a month ago, and I can tell you that doctor after doctor stressed that there is no such thing as an anti-concussion helmet. One joked that any such helmet would need to be about the size of a house. There are helmets that can make more of a difference than others but none that comes close to flat-out prevention.

The making more of a difference is what you’re seeing, Mitchell. The medical community is pushing this issue harder and harder with each passing year, and there’s a reason for it. Concussion symptoms in children lead to some seriously ominous data once those children get older. And that data is still so new, so striking that it’s taking the general public a long time to accept it, it seems.

The best prevention for concussions, again referring back to this symposium, is reducing the occasions on which the head is struck and, on top of that, recognizing immediately when symptoms require that someone stops participating.

Benjamin Croft: DK, with Troy Polamalu out, the Steelers used the safety position more traditionally, as opposed to Troy acting more like a linebacker. Do you think this is a better look for the Steelers going into the playoffs? Do you think this could help eliminate splash plays? Do you think this has more to do with Troy being hurt or Troy being less able to do what he once did?

DK: Yes, yes, yes, a thousand times yes. To all of that.

Will Allen had the lowest grade of any defensive starter Sunday, and the Chiefs’ passing game is abysmal, so start with those two premises for full context. But I still liked seeing two safeties back playing safety. Mike Mitchell strongly suggested as much himself, as a matter of fact. This team just doesn’t have the luxury of blitzing its safeties, especially when blitzing the safeties never results in anything meaningful on the pass rush.

The pass rush is fine as it is. James Harrison, Jason Worilds and Cam Heyward will find a way to get to Andy Dalton. Stephon Tuitt might have something to say about that, as well. They don’t need help.

Let the secondary stay back and worry about A.J.. Green over the top (assuming Green is healthy). Heaven knows that matchup didn’t go Pittsburgh’s way a couple weeks ago in Cincinnati.

Mike Guttman: DK, what are you thoughts on all these Penguin injuries actually being a blessing once the playoffs come? With the exception of Olli Maatta, hopefully these are all short-term injuries. So while it’s been unbelievably bad luck, this shouldn’t be a long-term issue. And in the playoffs, they will have many NHL ready players to step in if needed. Plus having the young guys play in NHL games can only enhance their trade value.

DK: Injuries aren’t a blessing, and neither is unbelievably bad luck. The idea that the bad luck will inevitably expire has been debunked again and again by this particular franchise. Every injury hurts. Blake Comeau being out now … wow, that one really hurts. This is a guy who’s confidence was just reaching a crescendo, and now he’ll be out for who knows how long? With a wrist, to boot. That stinks on ice, and it stinks times 10.

Sorry, Mike, I know what you’re getting at, but to me, that’s akin to jinxes and knocking on wood. These injuries are bad, bad, bad. They’ll afford a Bryan Rust a chance, sure, and get a couple of the younger D up before expected, but that’s not a fair exchange for the damage done.

Todd Shikora: Who’s the one sports figure you would have loved to interview (deceased, any sport, any player, coach, etc., from anywhere in the world)?

DK: Easy one, always. Jesse Owens. The greatest individual sports story in human history.

And I’m blessed beyond words that the next person on that list — responsible for the greatest team sports story in human history — was someone I interviewed many times and got to know very well. The late, great Herb Brooks.

Nicholas Giampolo: DK, can we expect to see Corey Hart in a bench role or as an actual platoon player with Pedro Alvarez? Pedro is garbage against lefties. On those same lines would you expect Hart to get some time in the outfield as well or does Travis Snider have the fourth outfield spot pretty much locked up?

Thanks as always, and love the site and app.

DK: To borrow your own terminology, Hart was ‘garbage’ against lefties, too, last season. He actually was ‘garbage’ against everyone, batting .196 vs. lefties, .207 vs. righties. Pedro was .175 vs. lefties, .245 vs. righties.

That’s not to say a platoon wouldn’t work, but it is to say that all that matters regarding Hart between now and opening day is the health of his knees. He won’t play much at all — certainly not in the outfield — if he can’t show his knees have improved. It would be a tremendous boost for the Pirates’ cause if they have, and I’ll presume they did due diligence on his medical exams as well as a physical of their own to guarantee him $2.5 million. But the proof comes out on the field.

And yes, Snider will be the fourth outfielder, though another will be needed with the capability to play center.

DK: I’ll take the Broncos. And I kid you not.

Watching Peyton Manning last night in Cincinnati, this is a QB — with all due respect to his immense accomplishments — who’s basically functioning without an NFL-caliber arm at this stage. Combine that with the offensive line having no answer for the Bengals’ front seven, which is good but not great, and that looks like a team ripe to be beaten. Or at least outscored, if you will.

Without going over all eleventy billion playoff scenarios, the Steelers’ path could end up taking the No. 3 seed to Denver’s No. 2. Without denigrating the Broncos further, it should be clear to all that they’re no Patriots. So winning this Sunday takes on special importance in that regard alone.

dariusm11: The energy from the new fourth-liners — Rust, Bobby Farnham, Andrew Ebbett — reminds me a bit of the energy the Islanders used to almost upset the Penguins a few years ago. Any word on allowing these guys to continue to develop vs. bringing back in Craig Adams and Zach Sill, who have very little value but seemed entrenched in the lineup?

DK: Energy guys tend to flame out shortly after coming up from the minors, so I wouldn’t expect the trio you cite to keep going at that pace. If that were possible, they wouldn’t have been penned in for the minors all year. Hate to be cynical on this one, because Rust and Farnham, in particular, have been quite effective. But this is something you’ll see time and again in the NHL. In fact, not that long ago, Sill was that energy guy that everyone loved … right up until they realized he has almost no offensive skills.

It’s good for the Penguins to have guys like this for situations like this, and maybe even situations in the playoffs that call for that singular burst. Imagine the impact such a burst could have had, for example, in Games 6 or 7 against the Rangers last spring.

But there’s no need to stretch it too far just yet.

robperkey: Do you really think you’ll be able to sign off from the site for three days? Pitt needs a football coach, the Pirates won a bidding war, the mumps is still a thing, and the Steelers are playing for the division. Is Christmas enough to keep everything quiet on those topics? For you? For those involved? Should we expect tweets?

DK: I’ll be able, believe me. And I’d never prioritize any social media over the site, so I’m not sure why you asked about Twitter. Been planning this mini-break for a while and looking forward to it.

Merry Christmas to all, and stay tuned for a rather fun announcement a bit later this afternoon.