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5 Burning Questions as the Steelers prepare to hit the road

Sunday's win felt like something special, but isn't that what Steelers Nation said last year after Baltimore? Do Allen, Sylvester, and Dwyer's departure and return represent incompetence or a bit of Machiavellian maneuvering? What in the world should the Steelers do about Worilds come season's end. Answer these and other Burning Questions.

By Hombre de Acero
Ryan Clark, Ike Taylor double team and dominate "Megatron"
Ryan Clark, Ike Taylor double team and dominate "Megatron"
Gregory Shamus

The two-game home stand at Heinz Field ended with the Steelers dispatching Detroit, leaving our beloved Black and Gold at 4-6. But before embarking on a 2 game road series vs. AFC North rivals Cleveland and Baltimore, Steelers Nation must answer these 5 Burning Questions.

1. Mike Tomlin never adds "Style Points" to victories or losses, but one couldn't help but feel that the Steelers turned an important corner with way the team rallied to defeat Detroit. Yet, Charlie Batch's road win in Baltimore last year left the same feeling and we know what happened next. What say you? Was this victory a concrete step forward or merely a testament to the "On Any Given Sunday" phenomenon?

2. The Steelers made conscious decisions to say goodbye to Will Allen, Stevenson Sylvester, and Jonathan Dwyer. Yet all three are back, and each has made key plays this season, albeit at lower cap values than they would have carried had they been on the opening day roster. Is this an example of personnel policy schizophrenia or astute salary cap savvy?

3. Don't look now, but LaMarr Woodley leads the team with 5 sacks while Jason Worilds knocks at the door with 4 in only a fraction of the time. Assuming salary cap issues can be made to work, should the Steelers consider bringing this soon to be free agent back?

4. In January 2010 Art Rooney II declared that the Steelers needed to run the ball better. As our own PaVaSteeler pointed out in another must read, the wait continues. Yet the Steelers secured its biggest victory of the season with zero impact from the running game. Does this fact call into question Rooney II's assertion that a healthy running game is critical to the Steelers success?

5. When back-to-back losses dropped the 1989 Steelers record to 4-6, Chuck Noll boldly refused to write the year off as a "rebuilding season" and declared the playoffs as his target. The press snickered, but history justified The Emperor.

When asked about the playoffs, Mike Tomlin has steadfastly "refused to play ball," and that feels like its absolutely the appropriate answer.

Can you resolve this apparent contradiction?

There you go folks, have at it!

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