Tim Benz stories, Page 138
Madden Monday: Prediction! Steelers go 16-0 and lose their first playoff game
In this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark Madden of 105.9 The X looks into his crystal ball. He has seen the future. And Steelers fans will love the first part of what he has to say. The second part? Not so much. “I have a vision they will go 16-0,”...
Tim Benz: Steelers unbeaten status starting to feel very shaky
For an 11-0 team, the Pittsburgh Steelers don’t have a lot to be happy about of late. And they seem to be acutely aware of that. To steal a line from Mike Tomlin, the only thing perfect about this group is its record. Over the past month, everything else has...
Tim Benz: Despite beating Ravens, ‘Airing of Grievances’ outweigh ‘Feats of Strength.’ Just ask Mike Tomlin.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t look like an undefeated team. They just looked like a team that somehow has managed to avoid losing. Barely. So far. They outlasted a Baltimore Ravens team that could barely field a roster thanks to covid-19. Yet somehow, during a 19-14 win, the...
Tim Benz: Steelers fans want to know what went on in Baltimore. Ravens reporters explain.
How did things go so wrong when it comes to the covid-19 outbreak that has endlessly delayed the Steelers-Ravens game? ESPN.com Ravens reporter Jamison Hensley provided some insight that should help clear up a lot of those questions. He was a guest on ESPN Pittsburgh’s “Monday Night Quarterback” with Gerry...
First Call: Even more tests before Steelers-Ravens can be played, status of Baltimore RBs still shaky
For Wednesday’s “First Call,” the Steelers-Ravens game is still on but also still in doubt. The only thing funnier than the Steelers Twitter account are the NFL coronavirus protocols. Notre Dame is already in the ACC title game. And a good start doesn’t result in a good finish for RMU...
Tim Benz: NFL isn’t trying to pinch Steelers. It’s just too dumb to realize that’s what’s happening.
The litany of complaints from Steelers fans over the years is extensive. Ben Roethlisberger’s 2010 suspension without being charged with a crime. James Harrison’s suspension and constant fines. The Jesse James play. And what exactly happened to those Spygate tapes anyway? I know. I know. “The NFL is out to...
First Call: Injured Steeler vents about Ravens rescheduling fiasco; Jim Rutherford still a top-10 GM?
Tuesday’s “First Call” has a creative idea to solve the Steelers-Ravens fiasco. We also hear from one frustrated Steeler about the pace of rescheduling. Former Penguins defenseman Trevor Daley talks about his new role with the franchise. Is his boss still a top-10 general manager? And we preview at least...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans triggered by dismissive media, constant NFL rescheduling
Steelers fans, I know you’re upset about the constant shuffling. The never-ending rescheduling. The inability to stay on course. You are fatigued of never knowing when you can mark your calendar for an event you are anticipating with great excitement. I get it. You want “U mad, bro?” back on...
First Call: A Steeler jabs LeBron James about the Browns; Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell quiet in showdown
A little Twitter trash talk from a Pittsburgh Steeler to LeBron James. The Steelers-Ravens gambling line continues to grow. Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown don’t have it in gear yet with their new teams. And Aaron Donald flashes again with the Los Angeles Rams. All that for Monday’s “First Call.”...
Tim Benz: Steelers-Ravens slog shows NFL must streamline its covid-19 contingency plans
Steelers fans all over the country are wondering the same thing right now. How long are Thanksgiving leftovers safe to eat? Can they keep until Tuesday night? Or, uh, Week 18? That’d be a week after New Year’s Day. So you might want to freeze them now if that’s the...
Madden Monday: Ultimate chaos theory scenario for Steelers-Ravens, pounding Pitt athletics
Of all the doomsday scenarios, hypotheticals, and “what ifs” about what could happen with the oft-delayed Steelers-Ravens matchup, here’s an absolute doozy. Mark Madden advanced it during our “Madden Monday” podcast. What if the Steelers-Ravens game still can’t be played Tuesday? And, as a result, both teams finish with only...
First Call: Game-by-game odds of Steelers going 16-0, how Steelers can qualify for playoffs this week
Wednesday’s “First Call” gives us game-by-game odds of the Pittsburgh Steelers going 16-0. There’s a long-shot way the Steelers can clinch a playoff spot this weekend. And we get a look at some plans to handle the Baltimore Ravens rush attack. What it will take? ESPN.com did a deep statistical...
U mad, bro?: Fans all over the map about how Steelers rate, stack up to Chiefs
Are you mad that the government doesn’t want you congregating for Thanksgiving? Yeah. I get it. But that’ll result in fewer angry debates at the dinner table. So that’s a plus. Instead, you can just get mad on Twitter like we do the other 364 days of the year. To...
Tim Benz: With Penguins waiting to return, Robert Morris carries the flag for Pittsburgh hockey
Under the coronavirus cloud, the NHL is still trying to figure out a way to return to play for the 2020-21 season. Well, let’s be honest. We can pretty much drop the 2020 part of that equation at this point, can’t we? But even without the Penguins on the ice,...
First Call: Steelers-Ravens line jumps, Bud Dupree on perfect record chase vs. Super Bowl, Antonio Brown evolving with Bucs
Tuesday’s “First Call” looks at shifting gambling lines for the Steelers-Ravens game. Bud Dupree on the topic of a potential 16-0 Steelers season. A rare quiet game for Aaron Donald. And Antonio Brown gets stats with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Opening up The gambling line for the Steelers-Ravens game opened...
Ravens looking to replicate ‘2005 Steelers-esque’ turnaround
As the Steelers get ready to host the Baltimore Ravens Thanksgiving night at Heinz Field, a question persists. Are they more like the Steelers than we ever want to admit? No, not the unbeaten 2020 Steelers. I meant the 2005 Super Bowl champion Steelers. This year’s Steelers are 10-0, including...
Tim Benz: Sorry, ESPN. There’s no such thing as an ‘overrated’ 10-0 NFL team.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith put a burr under the saddle of Steelers fans Monday. On his “First Take” program, Smith was asked if he’d “lean towards calling the Pittsburgh Steelers underrated or overrated.” Smith — who often professes his fondness for the Steelers —said if he had to choose only...
Madden Monday: Why people nationally aren’t buzzing about Steelers the way they should
It’s probably the impending sense that no NFL team can go unbeaten. After all, if the locomotive that was the 2007 New England Patriots (18-1) couldn’t finish the job in the Super Bowl, maybe it can’t be done. Perhaps it’s a lack of faith in the level of competition faced...
First Call: Ravens ruffled before Steelers game. Le’Veon Bell helps K.C. Vanessa Hudgens with Cole Tucker?
The Ravens look flustered. The Steelers’ “MAC guys” looked happy. And Le’Veon Bell is looking to contribute in Kansas City. Plus, we’ve got hockey back in Pittsburgh. And a blossoming celebrity romance for a Pittsburgh Pirate. Maybe. All that and more in “First Call.” Ruffling the Ravens Not only are...
Tim Benz: Steelers’ turnover-happy defense, opportunistic offense key ‘Feats of Strength’ vs. Jaguars
Welp, the Steelers did it. They had three straight “trap games.” But they managed to avoid all the traps. In Dallas. At home against the Cincinnati Bengals. Then, on Sunday, they plowed through Jacksonville with a 27-3 victory over the Jaguars. The teams have a combined 6-23-1 record. So it...
Tim Benz: ‘MAC school’ potholes for Steelers to avoid in Jacksonville
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was emphatic when trying to dismiss the notion that his 9-0 team could be stepping into a “trap game” against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday afternoon. “We are not a Big Ten team playing a MAC opponent this week. Every time we step into a...
First Call: Steelers’ playoff lock jinx? Penguins get Mario Lemieux’s hard sell on alternate jersey
It’d take a meteor hitting the Earth to prevent the Steelers from making the playoffs this season. Or just a bad flashback to 2018? Hmm. The Steelers were hoping for a little help from the Las Vegas Raiders against the Kansas City Chiefs this week. That’s looking like a long...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans bristle over run game debate, Cincinnati attacks on Bud Dupree, question ILB snaps
Here’s how I know things are going well for the Pittsburgh Steelers. I start digging through my tweets, emails, column replies and various other interactions, and I actually have to … dig. No, seriously. I had to work a little bit, just to find a few juicy complaints for “U...
First Call: Antonio Brown’s bike incident could have personal conduct consequences, WPIAL star up from Ravens practice squad
Wednesday’s “First Call” has some troubling news for former Steeler Antonio Brown. A former WPIAL player is up from the Baltimore Ravens practice squad. And a Bengals signing bust. Oh, boy, A.B. Former Steeler Antonio Brown may be in more trouble than we thought. Well, that’s depending on how much...
Jaguars coach Doug Marrone gushes about Steelers memories, Rooney family
Recent memories that Steelers fans have of Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone are mainly negative. He was the guy on the sideline as they plowed through Heinz Field with upset wins twice in 2017. Once in the regular season 30-9, then again in the playoffs 45-42. Meanwhile, Marrone’s earliest...
