Tim Benz stories, Page 104

In Monday’s “First Call,” we look at how far-fetched the Steelers’ playoff chances truly are. We also find out what the Cleveland Browns’ playoff elimination has done to the gambling line on their upcoming game against the Steelers Monday night. The Antonio Brown saga has plenty of twists and turns....

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ first game back from their coronavirus pause was a wild one. Sunday’s contest against the San Jose Sharks featured a 6-1 lead for the Pens after one period. That narrowed to a 6-5 lead in the third before eventually leading to an 8-5 win. Two hat tricks...

For as much as Monday night’s Steelers-Browns game at Heinz Field will be about honoring quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s illustrious career, it also will be about remembering the two decades before he came to Pittsburgh. Those 20 seasons between the start of the 1984 season and the conclusion of the 2003...

Across Pittsburgh, Steelers fans are hoping to see quarterback Ben Roethlisberger wrap up his storied Heinz Field career in grand style Monday night against the Cleveland Browns. If that is going to happen, he’s going to need a lot of help from his receivers. Something he hasn’t gotten enough of...

Thursday’s “First Call” shows how long the odds are against the Pittsburgh Steelers making the playoffs. A Pitt product may be kicking for the Cleveland Browns against the Steelers on Monday. And familiar names dot the scoresheets in some NHL games that were actually able to be played on Wednesday....

Pittsburgh Steelers fans are switching the heat. It’s no longer the team’s headline-worthy bad play that is making them angry. It’s our actual headlines at TribLIVE that they don’t like. Yes, I received a disproportionate amount of responses in my email on that topic over the past few days. So,...

Pro Football Hall of Famer John Madden died on Tuesday at the age of 85. His indelible imprint on the NFL came in many ways. As a Super Bowl winning coach with the Oakland Raiders. A legendary broadcaster. And the voice and name behind the iconic EA sports “Madden NFL”...

An important piece of the Steelers offense may be back for “Monday Night Football.” Rocky Bleier is torching his former team again. Reinforcements are coming for the Kansas City Chiefs in advance of their big AFC showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals. And a former Steeler is in the hunt for...

For Robert Morris University men’s hockey coach Derek Schooley, the past seven months have been dedicated to resurrecting the school’s hockey programs. The next two years will be dedicated to rebuilding them. In May, the RMU administration cut the men’s and women’s hockey teams from the athletic department. Thanks to...

The most head-scratching outcome of the 2021 Steelers season wasn’t their 16-16 tie against the 0-8 Detroit Lions on Nov. 14. I mean, c’mon. We’ve gotten pretty used to the Steelers underperforming against lesser competition in recent years. Haven’t we? I’d argue this team’s biggest surprise came during a 15-10...

Tuesday’s “First Call” provides a health update on the Cleveland Browns before they visit the Steelers on Monday night. We also hear from a Steelers player who is mad that he was left off of the Pro Bowl roster. And we’ve got some bad news for a pair of former...

On one sideline of Paul Brown Stadium stands the hometown Cincinnati Bengals. Seconds away from sweeping their AFC North rivals. With 41 points on their side of the scoreboard. Not to mention a roster with the AFC’s leader in passer rating and Pro Bowlers at running back, wide receiver and...

In Monday’s “First Call,” the Steelers just got thrashed by the Kansas City Chiefs. Now they need the Chiefs to do the same thing to the Cincinnati Bengals next week. Meanwhile, the Bengals appeared to anger Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh at the end of their game Sunday. Antonio Brown...

After the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Tennessee Titans last week, we all saw the path to the playoffs. They were going to have to beat the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens in their final two games, after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs this week. I don’t think anyone in...

Because we are coming up on New Year’s resolution season, I’d like to make one about my own coverage of the Pittsburgh Steelers. I want to write an “Airing of Grievances” post that doesn’t include complaints about poor play-calling, awful first-half starts, a constant reliance on throwing short of the...

If 2021 is starting to feel familiar to Pittsburgh Steelers fans, well, it should. Because you just lived through it in 2018. The longer this topsy-turvy NFL season winds along, the more it looks like that ill-fated Black and Gold voyage of three years ago that ended in late-season heartbreak...

Based on my email and Twitter exchange about the Steelers this December, many of you folks seem to believe I’m the type of person who would leave out sour milk and stale cookies for Santa Claus. Not true. I’m actually quite a jolly little elf this time of year. Please,...

Another Kansas City Chiefs star may be sidelined for the Pittsburgh Steelers game Sunday because of covid-19 issues. That’s if the game is actually played on time. Le’Veon Bell has another new team. A Steelers rookie is getting some national criticism. And a former Steeler is making us miss his...

If you are looking for the Steelers-Chiefs game on a few gambling sites, you may not see it. That’s because some outlets, such as BetRivers, have it removed for now because of the coronavirus situation hanging over the Kansas City locker room. As of Tuesday afternoon, tight end Travis Kelce...

Coronavirus is lashing out against the Pittsburgh Steelers’ next opponent. We examine the local gambling line and project a winner between the Steelers and Chiefs. Plus, the Ravens are protecting John Harbaugh’s two-point decision. We welcome you to Tuesday’s “First Call.” Of ‘Chief’ concern Three high-profile Kansas City Chiefs have...

It’s almost Christmas, and I haven’t gotten anything for the Pittsburgh Penguins yet. I’m not being a Grinch. I just needed a little time to figure out the perfect gifts. In recent seasons, the Penguins haven’t been in need of very much this time of year. But in 2021, their...

In Monday’s “First Call,” James Harrison congratulates T.J. Watt on breaking his Pittsburgh Steelers single-season sacks record. Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel had some interesting comments on the Steelers’ rushing game. Antonio Brown will be back with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Le’Veon Bell wants to try celebrity boxing. And Baltimore...

The Pittsburgh Steelers were able to grind out a 19-13 victory against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday at Heinz Field. But it did little to impress Mark Madden from a big-picture point of view. In this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark said don’t let the victory fool you into thinking...

As we told you Friday at “Breakfast With Benz,” Sunday’s showdown against the Tennessee Titans (9-5) lined up as exactly the kind of game the Steelers (7-6-1) always win. Well, they did. By a final score of 19-13. But, wow, did they try hard to get in their own way...

“Hockey is the Goal” has been the rallying cry for fundraising efforts to reinstate the Robert Morris men’s and women’s hockey teams. On Friday afternoon, men’s coach Derek Schooley gave the slogan a new twist. “Hockey is the goal. And the goal was just scored.” Seven months after the Colonials...