ESPN NFL

Posted by ESPN.com’s James Walker

Let’s dig into the mailbag.

Nate Barnes from Greensburg, PA wants to know if the Pittsburgh Steelers should give rookie Kriag Urbik a chance to start at right guard over Trai Essex.

James Walker: It’s too early to start benching players, Nate. Most coaches don’t operate that way. Essex struggled against the Tennessee Titans. But from what I saw of Urbik this summer, he didn’t look ready. I doubt throwing a rookie into the mix is the easy solution.

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Mike from Ewa Beach, HI wonders if the offensive line and running game of the Steelers are getting too much heat for playing against a very good defense in Tennessee.

James Walker: That’s a fair point, Mike. But most of the heat is coming from an entire year of struggles, not just one game. If Pittsburgh’s offensive line and running game were great in 2008 and simply outplayed against a good defense in last week’s opener, most would have given the Steelers the benefit of the doubt. But this has been a trend in Pittsburgh for more than a year. Besides, a 1.6 yards per rush average should be unacceptable for any NFL team.

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Becky from Galloway, Ohio wants to know if the play of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer had to do with rust or a bigger concern.

James Walker: It's early, Becky, but I understand why it's getting to the point where questions are being raised. Palmer is a good quarterback and his teammates let him down Sunday on several opportunities. So it's not all on Palmer. But as a quarterback and head of the offense, leading your unit to just seven points at home against the Denver Broncos is unacceptable. Some forget that Palmer wasn't playing that well last year before his elbow injury. He had just a 69.0 passer rating in four starts in 2008. So Palmer really needs to pick it up and get back to his 2007 form soon. He probably needs a big day Sunday for Cincinnati (0-1) to beat the Green Bay Packers (1-0) on the road.

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Jim Sokolis from Baltimore, Maryland wants to know if the Ravens are interested in former cornerback Chris McAlister.

James Walker: The Ravens are not interested in bringing McAlister back, Jim. The Ravens made a lot of changes at corner and McAlister simply wasn’t a part of their plans. He also has to prove to teams that he is back from last year’s serious knee injury.

Eric from Columbus, Ohio wants to remind John from Baltimore that Steelers safety Troy Polamalu took an interception "to the house" in the AFC title game against Ed Reed and the Ravens.

James Walker: Let’s keep the streak going.

Kellen from Los Angeles writes: You’re not giving the Browns fair credit. No talent? I only hope that you keep these words in mind as this season plays out.

James Walker: Kellen, every NFL team has talent. The Browns can win games this year but have a smaller margin for error than most teams, because they don’t have enough game-breakers to make up for mistakes. Cleveland played a near-perfect half of football in Week 1 and was only up three points at intermission. That’s a bad sign. As soon as Cleveland made a couple mistakes and turned over the football, the Minnesota Vikings reeled off 24 unanswered points in the second half. That could be the story of their season unless they play efficient for all four quarters.

Greg and John Smith from Cleveland believe I should've focused on the good things the Browns did last week against the Vikings.

James Walker: As I've said before, this is a zero homerism blog, Greg and John. You’re going to get information and my honest assessment of all four teams -- good or bad. That's the best way to cover a division for such a large audience.