Tim Benz stories, Page 111

During his postgame media Q&A Saturday, Pitt football coach Pat Narduzzi admitted that his team wasn’t in a properly energized or focused state of mind during a disappointing home loss to Western Michigan. That certainly got my attention. It did again on Monday when Narduzzi reiterated those complaints during his...

Wednesday’s “First Call” has an injury update on an important Cincinnati Bengal before the team visits Pittsburgh to play the Steelers this Sunday. We also take a deep dive into the Bengals offense, take a look at some shifting betting information and get a better understanding of Shane Baz’s Major...

Some put woes of the run game far down on the list of problems facing the Pittsburgh Steelers. To a certain extent, that’s understandable. There are plenty of other things to worry about. Injuries to star players. A passing game that’s struggling on offense, too. Spotty play in the secondary....

After getting ejected from Sunday’s loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, Steelers offensive lineman Trai Turner still may be allowed to play this week. At least one reporter is hearing some news on T.J. Watt’s status. We get injury updates on two important AFC quarterbacks. And ex-Pirate prospect Shane Baz...

As the Cincinnati Bengals get ready for Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, it sounds like a few of their young offensive skill position players weren’t exactly thrilled with last week’s play calling. The Bengals (1-1) will come to Heinz Field fresh off a 20-17 loss to the Chicago Bears....

During his weekly press conference on Tuesday, expect Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin to be asked about the state of his team’s injury-depleted roster. You should expect an answer similar to this. “Such is life in the National Football League. Attrition through injury is inescapable in every NFL locker...

For all the problems that exist with the Pittsburgh Steelers run game — and there are many — 105.9 The X radio host and TribLIVE columnist Mark Madden is also concerned about the passing game. During the Steelers’ 26-17 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger got hit...

Monday’s “First Call” has an early look at the Pittsburgh Steelers’ odds of bouncing back from Sunday’s loss when they host the Cincinnati Bengals this week. Another chapter in the Chris Archer trade is about to be written. Gerrit Cole had a rough outing at Yankee Stadium. And we found...

On Saturday at Heinz Field, it was S.O.P — same old Pitt. On Sunday at Heinz Field, it was S.O.S — same old Steelers. Yet another upset loss to the Raiders franchise, their sixth in eight games since 2006. Yet another offensive catastrophe. Yet another give-back game in the standings...

Friday’s “First Call” features a harsh rebuke of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The injuries keep mounting in Baltimore. A shakeup for HBO’s “Hard Knocks” series. And cornhole is trying to become an Olympic sport. Seriously. I think. Tell us what you really feel NFL Hall of Famer Cris Carter didn’t...

Part of the reason why some Pittsburgh Steelers fans are convinced that their team has had so much trouble with the Raiders in recent years — five losses in seven tries since 2006 — is that the Steelers haven’t been emotionally prepared for the Raiders. The theory being that the Steelers...

For the Steelers, it could have been a case of necessity being the mother of invention. Or maybe a successful rollout of a grand plan. Either way, Mike Tomlin doesn’t want to talk much about the three-man rotation at outside linebacker we saw from his defense during Sunday’s Week 1...

All nine of the Steelers’ 2021 draft class members came from Power 5 conference programs. One benefit of that is the players come to the NFL having a feel for big-time football. The daily mechanisms and framework that exist on that scale. The pressures and expectations associated with being a...

The Steelers season is just starting. The Pirates season is finally ending. Pitt’s fan base is starting to wake up. And the emotions from all sides are equally raw. That’s abundantly clear in this week’s “U mad, bro?”. After their win Sunday over the Buffalo Bills, this Twitter follower remained...

The Steelers may already be scouting a quarterback for next year’s draft. The Bengals have signed a former Steelers free agent. The Raiders Maxx Crosby raised eyebrows with his performance Monday night against the Baltimore Ravens. And we celebrate a Pitt football legend’s birthday. All of this in today’s First...

Wednesday’s “First Call” shows us some remarkable television ratings for the Steelers-Bills game and the rest of the NFL. The Vegas Raiders get bad news on the injury front as they prepare to face the Steelers Sunday at Heinz Field. Penn State coach James Franklin makes a poor attempt to...

The opening Pittsburgh Steelers game of the season isn’t just fun because of those three hours of excitement on that first Sunday afternoon. Or Monday night. Or even the occasional Thursday night. It’s fun because of the ensuing week when we endure those massive swings of emotion and adjustments of...

If you are a fan of stand-up comedy or “Saturday Night Live,” Tuesday was a hard day. Comedian Norm Macdonald died after a battle with cancer. The former SNL “Weekend Update” host was 61 years old. Macdonald was also inexorably linked to the sports world during his career. Macdonald was...

A smile stretches across the face of Duquesne running back Garrett Owens as he’s asked about what the campus reaction has been like since the Dukes made NEC conference history with their 28-26 victory over Ohio Saturday. “We have all had family members say, ‘Great win,’” Owens said Monday. “Walking...

Tuesday’s “First Call” puts the debut of Steelers rookie Najee Harris into context. Ex-Steelers punter Jordan Berry makes a strong impression with his new team. The Las Vegas Raiders had a wild “Monday Night Football” game and lots of injuries in advance of their visit to Heinz Field Sunday. And...

I have 15 windows open on my browser as I write this post about the Pittsburgh Pirates. The first one is the Google Doc I’m using to write my initial draft. The next 13 are box scores of the 13 losses from the Pirates this year as they have unsuccessfully...

Monday’s “First Call” shows us that the Buffalo Bills are bothered by one particular aspect of their upset loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday. The Steelers’ next opponent may be dealing with some problems at the running back position Monday night. The Pirates and Reds are about to get very...

For as much as things coalesced in the second half for the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday in Buffalo, TribLIVE’s Mark Madden says the offense can do more. The Steelers fell into a 10-0 hole at halftime. Yet they ended up beating the favored Bills 23-16 thanks to a second-half explosion. In...

Uh, oh. The Steelers are going to be that kinda team again in 2021, aren’t they? That “30-Minute Men” team we talked about at length last season. Especially during that opening stretch of 2020 when Mike Tomlin’s crew won 11 in a row, largely by playing “above the line” football...

There is a language at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Stonycreek Township. A way of talking. No one actually whispers, but no one uses their full voice either. Every conversation is in hushed tones. Emotions seem to be communicated in the silence in between thoughts. And that’s just the...