Tim Benz stories, Page 140
U mad, bro?: Rage. Denial. Acceptance. Defiance. Steelers fans cope with playoff grief.
This edition of “U mad, bro?” serves a specific purpose for Steelers fans. It’s a coping mechanism. In the wake of the Steelers playoff loss to the Cleveland Browns, many Pittsburgh sports fans are surfing their way through various emotions and responses. Pain. Grief. Sadness. Rage. Denial. Deflection. Acceptance. We...
Former NFL scout: How combine changes could affect NFL draft; who may tempt Steelers to go RB in first round
As soon as Matt Williamson said it, I thought that his comment made a ton of sense for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Well, for every team in this year’s NFL draft. But especially the Steelers. Williamson is a former pro and college scout. He now works for SNR and WDVE in...
First Call: Actual odds of Deshaun Watson joining Steelers; NFL salary cap update
Want the actual odds of Deshaun Watson winding up with the Steelers? We got ‘em. We also have some NFL salary cap projections. Happy returns for Joe Musgrove. And an update on Robert Morris hockey. All that in Wednesday’s “First Call.” Watson watch Pittsburgh sports talk radio is gaining steam...
First Call: Mike Tomlin makes Steelers Hall of Fame pitches; Ravens release vets; Matt Murray’s start
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is making a late push for some Hall of Fame candidates. The NFL Combine is dialing back because of the pandemic. And a Steelers rival is leaving Baltimore. Plus, we check in on former Penguins goalie Matt Murray. All that in Tuesday’s “First Call.” Lending his...
Derek Schooley has a familiar plan to stop injury bug from derailing RMU hockey’s hot start
The sage wisdom of a “Tomlinism” knows no boundaries. They are translatable from sport to sport. Even Robert Morris men’s hockey coach Derek Schooley is borrowing a verbal pearl from the Steelers head coach. The Colonials resume play after a nine-day layoff Tuesday night. And the break came at the...
Tim Benz: NFL head coach hiring trend should be a reminder to Steelers about Mike Tomlin
Relax. This won’t be the 5,000th post you have read over the last three years about whether the Steelers should keep Mike Tomlin as the head coach or fire him after a third straight late-season collapse. That debate has become Republican or Democrat. Heavy metal or country. Beach or mountains....
First Call: JuJu Smith-Schuster stokes free agency talk via video game, Aaron Donald’s emotional response to loss
Monday’s “First Call” starts with Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and his “virtual” flirtation with free agency. Cleveland suffered a bad break during the Browns playoff loss in Kansas City. Los Angeles’ Aaron Donald had an emotional reaction to his Rams losing in Green Bay Saturday. And the “Killer B’s”...
Madden Monday: Matt Canada ‘is not qualified’ to be Steelers’ new offensive coordinator
The idea of the Steelers potentially promoting Matt Canada to become the offensive coordinator is going to go one of two ways. If it eventually happens. 1. It’s going to go as many predict. For quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, Canada is going to be a less abrasive, less public annoyance than...
Tim Benz: Photo of dejected Ben Roethlisberger conjures bad Pittsburgh sports memory
I saw that photo of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger sitting alone on the bench at the end of the team’s 48-37 playoff loss to the Cleveland Browns. Dejected. Almost slouching into his pads. Staring off into the void of defeat and a murky future. It was about 10 minutes after...
Keith Dambrot torn on rules — and reasons — surrounding recent Duquesne departures
The 2020-21 season was supposed to be a step forward for the Duquesne men’s basketball program (3-4). That hope was largely based on the premise that they had a great deal of upperclass returning talent and experience. Well, it started that way. But so much for that idea, just seven...
Tim Benz: The ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ that cost the Steelers their 2020 season
Without a doubt, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2020 collapse was sinful. But were they guilty of any of the actual Seven Deadly Sins? Hmmm. Now that I’m looking at this list, I may be more guilty of those sins than those on the team itself. • Envy: I’m envious of teams...
First Call: Chase Claypool reiterates Browns critique; Zach Banner may be back. Matt Canada to Miami?
For Friday’s “First Call,” Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Chase Claypool can’t get out of his own way. The Steelers may have to fight to keep Matt Canada on staff. And tackle Zach Banner seems optimistic about his future in Pittsburgh. All that and some college basketball news, too. Doubling down Steelers...
First Call: JuJu Smith-Schuster refutes claims about exit plans, radio host walks back Kevin Colbert story
Plenty of Steelers talk in Thursday’s “First Call.” Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster is denying that he’s already planning to find a bigger market in free agency. The Detroit radio host who advanced the “Kevin Colbert to the Lions” story admits where he went wrong. And we find out if the...
U mad, bro?: Fans lambaste Steelers after humiliating playoff loss, Penguins after bad opener
This is one of those moments where I get out of the way and let Steelers fans get after it. The team just allowed its season to end in ignominious, humiliating fashion to the Cleveland Browns on wild-card weekend 48-37. People are fed up with head coach Mike Tomlin, quarterback...
Tim Benz: Based on his own ‘Tomlinisms,’ Mike Tomlin has failed to meet that ‘standard’ lately
We all know about the “Tomlinisms” from Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. His colorfully descriptive phrases to spin a sound bite. There’s usually a message underscoring those quotes, too. Truth and lessons underneath. The problem is, if you judge Tomlin by his own slogans, he hasn’t measured up to them...
First Call: Steelers-Browns record TV ratings, Aaron Donald news, gamblers buying Penguins chances
The Steelers-Browns wild-card game set some record TV ratings. Penn Hills product Aaron Donald is trying to be ready for Sunday’s playoff game in Green Bay despite a painful injury. Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford is giving a hard sell on an offseason acquisition. And the gambling community is starting...
Tim Benz: ‘Browns is the Browns’? Nope. Sorry, JuJu. Try ‘Steelers is the Steelers.’
Say what you will about Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and his “the Browns is the Browns” quote. You may think that line was destructive bulletin board material before a playoff game. Or you may consider it a fleeting quote that didn’t even rise to the level of tepid trash...
Browns ‘clap back’ at JuJu Smith-Schuster and Chase Claypool. Why wouldn’t they?
The Browns are “clapping back” at Steelers receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Chase Claypool. Can you blame ‘em? Cleveland clubbed the Steelers 48-37 on Sunday night for its first playoff win since 1994. So Smith-Schuster’s pregame “the Browns is the Browns” line looks dumb. And Claypool’s TikTok video Monday saying that...
Tim Benz: If Steelers championship window has closed, is Penguins’ still open?
It’s time for the annual passing of the Pittsburgh sports torch from the Steelers to the Penguins. From football to hockey. From winter to … well … more winter. Pittsburgh sports fans segue out of the denouement at Heinz Field to the rising action at PPG Paints Arena. From old...
First Call: Chase Claypool jabs Browns after Steelers’ loss, Sidney Crosby talks long range future
There’s more inopportune trash talk from a Steelers player about the Cleveland Browns. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is thinking long-term about his future. A few former Steelers may be in the mix for the Philadelphia Eagles head coaching job. And former Penn State coach Bill O’Brien is getting a new...
Steelers loss to Browns: Worst postseason start in Pittsburgh sports history? Yes. But it has company.
In my 20 years of covering Pittsburgh sports and 46 years of following them as a fan, I’ve never seen a Pittsburgh team get off to a worse start in a postseason game than the Steelers did in the postseason loss to the Browns Sunday night. They got down 28-0...
Madden Monday: Mike Tomlin was ‘outcoached by someone who wasn’t even there’
During that agonizing 28-0 first quarter of Sunday night’s Steelers playoff loss to the Cleveland Browns, a forlorn fan sent me this tweet. Starting to feel nostalgic for all those years when we simply failed to make it to the playoffs.— Rob (@WildernessRob) January 11, 2021 Sir, I hate to...
First Call: Deshaun Watson wanted Omar Khan in Houston, Lions trying to lure Kevin Colbert
Sunday night was “last call” for the Pittsburgh Steelers. But that doesn’t mean we stop doing “First Call” at “Breakfast With Benz.” Apparently, Steelers executive Omar Khan was closer to getting that Houston Texans general manager job than we thought. The Detroit Lions are still trying to bring back current...
Tim Benz: ‘Airing of Grievances’ after Steelers suffer humiliating playoff defeat to Cleveland
It was just the latest in a long list of games that the Steelers couldn’t possibly lose, which inevitably they lost. To Washington and the Cincinnati Bengals this year. To the New York Jets last year. To the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos back in 2018. To Ryan Mallett and...
First Call: JuJu’s quote about Browns raising eyebrows, Mike Sullivan still thinks Pens can win Cup
Friday’s “First Call” has a little fuel for the Cleveland Browns’ fire, via Pittsburgh Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. Cleveland still has questions in its secondary. Mike Sullivan thinks championship hopes are still in play for the Penguins. And a familiar NFL name with local ties surfaces as a candidate to...
