Tim Benz stories

It’s not just teams in the AFC North that are struggling to find traction. Frankly, it’s the whole NFL. • There are no unbeaten teams left in the entire league, and it’s only Week 5. • The Eagles are 4-1 with the 30th-ranked offense in the NFL. Buffalo is 4-1...

“First Call” for Wednesday has some roster moves for the Pittsburgh Steelers. We get Joe Flacco’s reaction to his trade away from Cleveland to Cincinnati. The Baltimore Ravens are trying to press some buttons. And a pair of former Pirates pitchers are squaring off in the Major League Baseball playoffs....

During his weekly Tuesday press conference, Mike Tomlin got a few chuckles out of the Pittsburgh media when he proclaimed “I’m not a big picture guy” after being asked about the Steelers’ place within the suddenly rocky landscape of the AFC North. After just one game as the Penguins’ new...

Congratulations in advance to Mike Sullivan for winning a Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers. I mean, I don’t know that such a thing will ever happen — especially in Year 1 of his tenure at Madison Square Garden. But I just want to get out ahead and preemptively...

Tuesday’s “First Call” has a signing of note by the Pittsburgh Steelers. We pass along an important reminder about the Baltimore Ravens from Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen. Mike Sullivan shares his thoughts about coaching against the Penguins. And Duquesne’s football team is honored for its home win last week. Make...

After the Pittsburgh Steelers wrapped up the first practice following their bye weekend, they weren’t bashful about acknowledging what they had witnessed within their own division during their downtime. “Every AFC North game, I watched,” linebacker Alex Highsmith said. “It was nice to see those teams lose this week. We’ve...

Monday’s “First Call” features some surprising odds in the AFC North. The amount of money spent in Ireland during the Pittsburgh Steelers’ visit is through the roof. And there’s lots of college hockey news involving some Penguins prospects, Robert Morris and Penn State. Not believing what they are seeing Despite...

The Pittsburgh Steelers just had a great week, and they didn’t even play. Mike Tomlin’s team was on its bye, and while the players rested following their win in Ireland last week, the rest of the AFC North lost. Cleveland fell to Minnesota in England, 21-17. The Cincinnati Bengals dropped...

Robert Morris hockey coach Derek Schooley has seen the predictions for his team in Year 3 of the relaunched program. The Colonials have been slotted anywhere from second to ninth in the 10-team Atlantic Hockey America conference. “We are somewhere between there on all of it. We’ll find out where...

The Pittsburgh Steelers players won’t be on the field during the bye week. But hopefully the coaches are using the extra time to figure out ways to improve the offense. As good as 3-1 may feel right now, there is plenty of room for improvement, particularly on that side of...

Friday’s “First Call” links Kenny Pickett’s name to trade speculation again. A pair of ex-Pittsburgh Pirates performed well in MLB playoff elimination games. Local college hockey is getting ramped up. And there is a full weekend of bounce-back potential for some regional college football teams. Pickett predicament Could ex-Steeler Kenny...

Thursday’s “First Call” boasts some eye-popping ratings for Steelers-Vikings in Ireland. The Baltimore Ravens injury report is eye-catching as well. And in the Major League Baseball playoffs, one former Pirate nailed down a save for his team, while another is trying to extend his club’s season on Thursday. Early wake-up...

The Steelers are going into the bye weekend at 3-1 and in first place atop the AFC North. Nothing to complain about, right? Ha! That’s a good one! via GIPHY So long as Mike Tomlin is managing the clock and the Pirates are playing baseball, that’s never going to be...

A little after 7 p.m. I took a break from watching the Yankees-Red Sox playoff game between innings. I walked out on my back deck overlooking the North Side of Pittsburgh. The sunset was coloring the pastel skies over PNC Park, and I thought, “What a great night this would...

Wednesday’s “First Call” has news about a departing Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back. Lamar Jackson could be down for a while in Baltimore. The Atlantic 10’s commissioner wants a bigger NCAA Tournament. And we check in on some former Pirates in the MLB playoffs. Pillaging the practice squad The Tampa Bay...

Tuesday’s “First Call” has more information about Tyreek Hill’s gruesome injury on “Monday Night Football.” The Browns are dealing with wide receiver depth issues as well in advance of their game against the Steelers. The baseball playoffs are getting underway. And there is a quote from an MLB owner that...

As the Pittsburgh Steelers prepare to hit their bye weekend at roughly the quarter pole of their 17-game regular season, they do so with results outpacing the process. At this point in the calendar — and upon taking a quick glance at the standings — maybe that’s OK. Four games...

Monday’s “First Call” gets us up to speed on Calvin Austin’s injury. Another former Pittsburgh Steeler suffered a scary hit in Buffalo, and we’ll examine how some ex-Steelers did at wide receiver. That includes George Pickens, who had a big game for Dallas. Providing an update Steelers wide receiver Calvin...

Despite the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 24-21 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Ireland on Sunday, Mark Madden of TribLive and 105.9 The X saw some significant holes in the victory. In particular, as he said on this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, Madden wasn’t thrilled with many of Mike Tomlin’s fourth-quarter coaching...

For much of their game in Ireland, the Pittsburgh Steelers felt like they were leading the St. Patrick’s Day parade. The Guinness was flowing. The Terrible Towels were waving. Everyone was dancing an Irish jig. Then the fourth quarter happened, and the tone changed. The Steelers hung on to win...

You aren’t going to read this a lot this year. So enjoy it while it lasts. The Pittsburgh Penguins really hit the bull’s-eye on something. Their plan to have 40-year-old goalie Marc-Andre Fleury come back on a one-game professional tryout contract to suit up one last time as a Penguin...

In “First Call” Thursday, the Pittsburgh Steelers may have eyes on some skill position players at a school out west. We know the officiating crew for the game in Ireland. The Pirates could deal a painful blow to the Reds. And the Baltimore Ravens are dealing with another big-time problem....