Tim Benz stories, Page 111
First Call: Minkah Fitzpatrick sounds off about officiating; Steelers among favorites to land Russell Wilson; T.J. Watt fined
No Steelers game this weekend. No problem for Monday’s “First Call.” A bunch of Steelers news nuggets cropped up in the days after their Thursday night loss in Minnesota. So we mined them for you. Among the headlines, Minkah Fitzpatrick is mad at NFL officials. T.J. Watt got fined. The...
First Call: Stats indicate Steelers’ run defense against Vikings was worse than we thought, Marc-Andre Fleury wins No. 500
Friday’s “First Call” shows us exactly how easy it was for Dalvin Cook to race all over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night in Minnesota. We preview the latest edition of Penguins-Capitals on Friday night. Marc-Andre Fleury reaches a milestone. And a former NFL Pro Bowl player dies far too...
Airing of Grievances: Anemic offensive line, putrid defense stand out in Steelers’ 1st-half fiasco in Minnesota
The first grievance I want to air after the Pittsburgh Steelers’ first-half Minnesota meltdown Thursday night is about … me. Hey, this column is nothing if not transparent. I’m an idiot. As I wrote Thursday, I circled the game in Minnesota on the day the schedule was released as a...
Tim Benz: Thursday’s game vs. Vikings is a microcosm of contradictions for 2021 Steelers
On one hand, I’ve found 2021 to be perhaps the hardest season to prognosticate in terms of picking the Steelers. Week to week, I’m not sure I’ve ever struggled as much to get a handle on whether the Steelers will win or lose — let alone if they’d cover the...
First Call: Oddsmakers favor Mason Rudolph as Steelers’ starting QB in 2022; unhappy Pirates anniversary remembered
Thursday’s “First Call” looks at the future of the Steelers’ quarterback position and a page from the Pirates checkered past. A Western Pennsylvania product with major influence in the college sports world is getting a new gig. And the Philadelphia Flyers are just a mess. Isn’t it great? Money on...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans still wound up after win over Ravens; Pitt fans in a snit over Kenny Pickett ‘fake slide’ criticism
With the Steelers playing Thursday night, part of me considered holding “U mad, bro?” until Friday morning. You know, just in case the Steelers lost. As you will soon read, though, between the Kenny Pickett slide debate and the tense Steelers-Ravens game last Sunday, I wasn’t exactly lacking for material....
Penguins goaltenders fending off concerns about their potential
It took until early December, but Penguins goalie Casey DeSmith finally got his first win of the year Monday night in Seattle. “It feels great,” DeSmith said after the 6-1 victory over the expansion Kraken. “Mentally that was big for me to go out there and get a solid win...
Tim Benz: Coaching will prove to be more important than ever for Steelers, rest of the AFC
Pittsburgh Steelers fans can take comfort in at least one thing during this maddeningly inconsistent 2021 season. They aren’t alone. Just about every fan base is asking the same question about their own favorite team: “Are these guys any good or not?” We always hear that the NFL is a...
First Call: John Harbaugh grumbles about officiating after loss to Steelers; Vikings star may try to play Thursday
Wednesday’s “First Call” has some agitation from Baltimore in the wake of the Ravens’ loss at Heinz Field Sunday. The Steelers are working out some special teams players. The Vikings might get a star player back before the Steelers visit Thursday night. There was a little ripple effect from the...
Football rules experts agree: Controversy over Kenny Pickett’s fake slide needs to be addressed ‘effective immediately’
Former NFL referee and current CBS rules analyst Gene Steratore is weighing in on the fake slide controversy surrounding Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett. Pickett caused Wake Forest defenders to ease up during an open field run in the first quarter of Saturday’s ACC championship game when it appeared he was...
First Call: 2 Vikings stars sit out practice before Steelers game; Rick Tocchet may fill open Flyers coaching job
The Minnesota Vikings are dealing with significant injury issues as the Steelers get set for a visit Thursday night. A former Penguins fan favorite may be in line to become the Philadelphia Flyers next head coach. Robert Morris is having basketball problems. And some stunning numbers from Monday night’s NFL...
Tim Benz: Enjoy Steelers’ win over Ravens, but don’t make it into something it wasn’t
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ nail-biting 20-19 victory over the Baltimore Ravens Sunday was invigorating. In fact, it was season-saving. But let’s not assign more to it than that until the Steelers earn it. On social media, talk radio and in general conversation around Pittsburgh Monday, I kept hearing the rhetorical question...
First Call: A story about Nick Saban, Mick Jagger and Jack Lambert; John Harbaugh’s reason for 2-point try vs. Steelers
In Monday’s “First Call,” Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh explains why his team went for two points at the end of their loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday. The Steelers next opponent may still be smarting from their loss by the time kickoff rolls around Thursday. Pitt is an early...
Madden Monday on the end of Steelers-Ravens: ‘I didn’t like (Baltimore) going for 2, and I didn’t like the call’
Every week during football season for our “Madden Monday” podcasts, we focus on the machinations of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ result from the previous day. Every now and then, though, the opposing team has to be at the center of the analysis, too. Such is the case this week. That’s because...
T.J. Watt, Chris Wormley, depth offensive players highlight Steelers ‘Feats of Strength’ during upset of Ravens
As we discussed at “Breakfast With Benz” leading up to Sunday’s latest chapter of Pittsburgh Steelers versus Baltimore Ravens, these two teams can’t help themselves. They don’t know any other way than to play each other close, even if what’s happening on paper suggests the game should be an easy...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans fuming at Chase Claypool, Mike Tomlin; Pirates fans angry about Jacob Stallings trade
Over the last three weeks, the Pittsburgh Steelers tied the woeful Detroit Lions and allowed a combined 82 points in losses to the Los Angeles Chargers and Cincinnati Bengals. Next up, they are about to play as home underdogs to the hated Baltimore Ravens for the first time with Ben...
First Call: Cam Heyward dismisses Chase Claypool’s idea for music at practice; Rocky Bleier rips recent Steelers efforts
Wednesday’s “First Call” features some less than friendly Steelers reaction to Chase Claypool’s idea of injecting music into practices. Steelers alumni continue to sound off about the troubles facing their former team. The Ravens are already making history in Pittsburgh and their game against the Steelers is still five days...
Mike Tomlin’s extended push for Hines Ward’s Hall of Fame candidacy
Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin hasn’t said — or done — a lot to make Steelers fans happy. But his recent soliloquy endorsing Hines Ward’s Hall of Fame candidacy will certainly have football fans in Western Pa. waving their Terrible Towels and humming “Renegade.” Last week, Ward was named as...
Tristan Jarry has done plenty to help Penguins this season. His skaters need to help him against the Oilers
Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry has been excellent lately. In his last seven starts, Jarry has allowed two goals only once and one goal three times and has posted three shutouts. Five of those starts have resulted in victories. But the team would be best served to lean on him...
First Call: Vikings star will reportedly miss Steelers game; new Pirate makes good 1st impression; praise for Duquesne hoops player
Tuesday’s “First Call” has some ugly statistical framing of the Steelers rush defense against Bengals star Joe Mixon Sunday. However, that unit may get a bit of a break in Week 14. We’ll tell you why. Also, some praise for Duquesne basketball. And the newest Pittsburgh Pirate appears to have...
Tim Benz: Practice music won’t save Steelers’ season. Their best hope may be even more obscure
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool thinks the team needs music at their practices. “I think some music would help,” Claypool said Monday. “That stuff is fun. People are dancing, having fun, so I think maybe music would make practice a little more fun and a little more up-tempo.” When...
First Call: Mike Hilton says Steelers’ familiarity aided pick-6; significant injury for upcoming Steelers’ foe; Penguins head west
An ex-Steeler talks about how knowledge of his former team helped during a showdown Sunday. We look at a significant injury concern for an upcoming team on the Steelers schedule, odds for the ACC championship game and some similarities between the Penguins and their next opponent. All that in Monday’s...
Madden Monday: ‘What you saw the Steelers do is what the Steelers are’
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 41-10 defeat in Cincinnati Sunday was distasteful on every level. An anemic offense. A Swiss cheese defense. Silly penalties and ill-timed drops. But as Mark Madden pointed out during this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, one particular element sticks out beyond all else. “It’s the Bengals. It’s the...
Airing of Grievances: Bengals humiliate Steelers in every possible way
During his Tuesday news conference, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin stopped short of calling Sunday’s game in Cincinnati a “must win.” Barely. Good thing. Because if he really felt the Steelers absolutely had to have that game, they failed miserably. The Bengals thrashed the Steelers, 41-10, Sunday afternoon, dropping them to...
U mad, bro?: Loss to Chargers has Steelers fans grousing about Mike Tomlin, defensive depth, red-zone play-calling
Here is something to be thankful for, Steelers fans. Because of Thanksgiving this Thursday, you get “U mad, bro?” a day early. You also don’t have to deal with my snark, sarcasm and general crotchety disposition to upset your stomach before your turkey dinner. Instead, I’ll just set the table...
