Q: What radio stations carry the Steelers in Ohio? I live in Cincinnati. There used to be a Dayton station when Cleveland was without a team. Can you help me?
Tom Vinciguerra of Cincinnati
BOUCHETTE: There are three in Ohio, but none near you - WCER in Canton, WWOW in Conneaut and WBBG-FM in Youngstown. You also can go to Steelers.com and listen to their games live on the Internet.
Q: Why don't the Steelers throw more deep patterns to stretch the defense? Even if they are incomplete it gives the corners something to think about and opens up the middle.
Bob Dellaposta of Altoona
BOUCHETTE: They haven't done a good job of throwing deep the few times they've tried. Either the receiver doesn't make the catch or the ball doesn't get to him. They'll continue to take their shots, but they're not going to keep doing something that does not work.
Q: Are the Steelers going to sign linebackers Jason Gildon and Earl Holmes to extensions anytime during the course of the season?
Jason Maurer of Shaler
BOUCHETTE: No. The Steelers do not negotiate once the season begins unless they negotiations spill over early into the season that appear to be fruitful. No negotiations have taken place since the season began for new contracts for either. Free agency is tentatively scheduled to begin March 1, so the Steelers will have some time after the season to sign either if they want to.
Q: Whatever happened to Greg Lloyd? He was a favorite of mine, he had great intensity and emotion. Why not find a position for him on the Steelers staff?
David Reese of Abilene, Texas
BOUCHETTE: Lloyd last played for the Steelers in 1997, spent the next season in Carolina and was cut before the 1999 season. He lives in retirement in Georgia. The Steelers have plenty of former great players and cannot give them all jobs, even if Lloyd would want to get into coaching. Plus, they're happy with the coaches they have.
Q: It may be me, but I've noticed the Bus has been running out of bounds (a la Franco) on outside runs the last couple of weeks. Are the coaches advising him to try to avoid wear on his hefty body, or more earthly, is it a function of the knee-twinge he got a few weeks ago -- in the Cincy game I think? Or is it a combo of the two?
Ryan Caione of Austin, Texas
BOUCHETTE: It's being smart. Bettis told me he would run out of bounds if it served no purpose to take a defensive player head on and the abuse that goes with it. There are reasons why Bettis has missed just three games in his career and is, in his ninth season, off to his best start. He's been able to take care of himself and trying to bowl someone over for a few more meaningless yards would not serve its purpose in the long run. Franco Harris learned that long ago and made it to the Hall of Fame after helping win four Super Bowls.
Q: While possession was being debated on Tampa Bay's onside kick, television announcer Dick Enberg mentioned that he thought Mark Bruener had gone out of bounds and had come back in before recovering the fumble. If the officials had reached that decision, what would the ruling have been?
Harry Irwin of New Castle
BOUCHETTE: The rule states that a player cannot step out of bounds for whatever reason, return and be the first player to touch the ball. Once someone else touches it, he's then free to do so. So, in this instance, even if Bruener had stepped out of bounds, he could recover the ball because it was touched by someone else before him.
Q: Don't you think Tommy Maddox would be a better starting quarterback than Kordell Stewart?
Sean Powers of Cambridge, Ohio
BOUCHETTE: No.
Q: Where's Levon Kirkland?
John Obel of Pittsburgh
BOUCHETTE: He's alive and well and playing in the middle of the Seattle defense, which is ranked ninth in the NFL.
Q: Any idea when Kordell Stewart will be benched? He needs to be out, and either give the ball to Tommy Maddox or Tee Martin. Either of those guys can throw better.
Andy Sorsen of San Diego, Calif.
BOUCHETTE: There are no plans to bench quarterback Kordell Stewart, but the Steelers do need to get better in the passing game. Stewart has been running every other aspect of the offense well. The Steelers are 4-1 and with Stewart as their starting quarterback the past two seasons, they are 11-5.
Q: Troy Edwards needs to be in the line up. Plaxico Burress is still not getting the job done. He has talent but is lazy. You can't count on him to run his routes.
We need Troy Edwards in there. Plaxico needs to be a team player and get on the ball. Why not Troy?
Butch Smith of Albuquerque, N.M.
BOUCHETTE: The coaching staff believes Burress gives them more chances at hitting big plays, but if he continues to miss out on them, a change would be in order.
Steelers Q & A with Ed Bouchette 
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