Interview with Zombie Coach "Dead" Chuck Noll...A few interesting questions from the answers..

Q: Coach, it's been a strange season so far and it's been tough to get a read on just how good this team is. Where do you see this team finishing by the season's end?

Well starting off 0-3 certainly didn't help us but I'm a believer in this team. If we play smart football, win the turnover battles, and get back to the basics a run at the division or wildcard isn't out of the question yet. We're hovering around .500 but need that extra push and some of the breaks that the good teams get when dealing with adversity.

Q: Much has been made about the offense's erratic showing this season, but the defense seems to be steadily improving after an abysmal start. What can you attribute the changes to?

Our leaders have been stepping up. Ike's [Taylor] been outstanding the last few weeks, Lawrence [Timmons] has been roving through the middle, and Troy is out there still making plays. Our rookies are also starting to come into their own. Ryan Shazier HAS to be the leader for DROY at this point. He's been dominant the past few weeks. The pick-6 against the Colts was the key play of the game for us, and he's been a menace to deal with. Stephon [Tuitt] has stepped it up the last few weeks getting some hurries and having a good sack last week, and Stanley Jean-Baptiste had another great game as the nickel corner against the Ravens.

Q: The Ravens seemed like they were out of it very early in that game with how great the defense was performing, but came back and missed a potential winning field goal as time expired. It seemed like after Landry Jones got injured the game became wide open. He had a perfect passer rating before his injury. Any word on his status with Ben still out for a few weeks?

Landry was great and did everything we asked as a part of the gameplan. We bluntly just couldn't get it done on offense after he left. Ryan [Fitzpatrick] needed to play better. We made our decision on the starter based on their performances against Houston. Landry showed some more flashes in that game and did a solid job of managing the Colts game before the game with the Ravens. Our initial diagnosis was an ankle sprain but he should be ready to go for the Jets. If he can't make it through Ryan will be ready. Bruce [Gradkowski] has also been back with the team after spending part of the preseason int he new system. We trust Ryan to be better this week if he's needed. But right now Landry's our guy.

Q: Before his collarbone injury, Ben was in the midst of one of his worst seasons. Contract negotiations have already been reportedly called off though he has another season. Is Ben's job safe when he comes back even if Landry continues to play good football and win games.

We'll deal with it when the time comes, but Ben has been an elite quarterback in this league for some time now and a proven winner. Do not read too much into this. We'll just have to see where Ben is when he comes back, how the team is as a whole, and what the scenarios look like. We'd be foolish not to keep every door open at EVERY position.

Q:Speaking of this, there have been persistent rumors that the team is looking to move on from veteran star safety Troy Polamalu. He is believed to be contemplating retirement after the end of the season. What is going on here?

We have no intention of Troy not being a member of this team. He is a heart and soul player. That said, we have a great problem on our hands in having 3 terrific safeties. Mike [Mitchell] has given us solid play all year, and Shamarko has been developing nicely in practice and making plays when called upon in games. It's just tough to use a 3 safety system when the rest of your team is better suited for a different playing type. We'd like to get Shamarko more reps but this is not an indictment of any sort on Troy.

Q: LeVeon Bell struggled to start the season but has had back-to-back solid games despite not much of a change in his number of touches. What do you attribute this to?

The offensive line has stepped up a little bit thanks to Coach Munchak's work over the past few weeks. LeVeon seems to be recognizing the holes better and the receivers have been holding their blocks when he gets out to open space. Dri Archer's recent emergence and Blount picking up some tough yardage has also reduced the wear a little bit.

Q: Last question- Keys to success against the Jets?

We need to play aggressively, but not allow big plays. Their receiving group is underrated. We need to shut them down on offense and beat them at their own game plan. Easier said than done. It comes down to winning the individual matchups.