Tim Benz stories, Page 63

A lot of positives came out of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ first preseason game. But one defensive back had a rough night. And defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is well aware of the struggles. Also, two former Pitt players are on the NFL comeback trail. The Cleveland Browns suffered an injury setback...

It was just one drive for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ first-team offense in the club’s preseason debut Friday night. But it went for a touchdown and laid the groundwork for a 27-17 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark Madden of TribLIVE and 105.9 The...

Embracing the “it’s preseason for all of us” concept, our first Pittsburgh Steelers postgame “Feats of Strength/Airing of Grievances” for 2023 isn’t exactly going to be biting or overwhelming. NFL preseason games are scattered. As a result, I am as well. But I think I hit most of the highlight...

Coming into the Steelers 2023 training camp, there were many storylines to track. • Who would win the left tackle job on offense? • Could all those new faces in the secondary come together on defense? • Will the offense become more explosive with Kenny Pickett at the helm in...

Friday’s “First Call” is full of Steelers-related notes, including a new film project centered around former coach Bill Cowher. A pair of former Steelers running backs have new homes. The franchise seems to have interest in a running back cast aside by the Dallas Cowboys. And the team won’t face...

One of the more discussed storylines of Steelers training camp this past week has been the team’s decision to tinker with offensive lineman Kendrick Green at fullback. The 2021 third-round pick out of Illinois has shown some ability to play the position, opening eyes with a few blocks, runs and...

Last year, the Steelers went through Year 1 ABB (after Big Ben). This year, their first opponent is going through Year 1 ATB (after Tom Brady). The Tampa Bay Buccaneers welcome the Steelers for a preseason-opening matchup Friday night. Former Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield will get the team’s first start...

Thursday’s “First Call” illustrates why Pittsburgh Steelers defensive captain Cameron Heyward is unhappy with his NFL Network top 100 ranking. We look at some movement from the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns. Plus, ex-Pirate Josh Bell just pulled off a significant accomplishment, and an ex-Steeler pulls up lame in another...

They say variety is the spice of life. If so, then this week’s “U mad, bro?” is spicy like ghost pepper chicken wings. Bubbling Pirates fans. Defensive Steelers fans. Fed-up college sports fans. And I even found a way to make Penguins fans angry after the team got Erik Karlsson....

When it comes to praise for Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett, fellow Pitt alum Dave Wannstedt has plenty. The former NFL and Pitt Panthers head coach is now a football analyst with the Fox family of networks. He joined FS1’s Colin Cowherd for a guest spot on Cowherd’s “Volume” podcast...

I’m happy to see that suspended Baltimore Orioles broadcaster Kevin Brown is being reinstated Aug. 11. But he never should’ve been suspended at all. According to The Athletic, the Orioles shelved Brown after a MASN game broadcast at Tropicana Field in Tampa-St. Petersburg on July 23. As AwfulAnnouncing.com pointed out...

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett reveals an interesting detail about his expanding responsibilities. A pair of former Steelers are heading to new franchises. An ex-Penguin is looking to make a comeback. And a sports television host makes a regrettable mistake about Dwayne Haskins. All that in Wednesday’s “First Call.” Being...

Heading into the 2022 offseason, of all the permutations that could’ve aligned for the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback room in 2023, the least likely appeared to be that it would come back in full. One thing was clear. Kenny Pickett was going to be locked in as the starter after the...

Here’s a classic case of “listen to the message, even if you don’t like the messenger.” Rick Pitino has certainly done a lot to make many college basketball fans dislike him during his highly successful yet highly checkered coaching career. But on the topic of nonstop conference realignment chaos, Pitino...

Tuesday’s “First Call” has updates on which quarterbacks the Pittsburgh Steelers will face in both their preseason and regular season openers. A Steelers legend is going to be the subject of an upcoming documentary. The Steelers are taking a look at a former Baltimore Ravens offensive line prospect. And an...

Now that Erik Karlsson is finally a Pittsburgh Penguin, Sunday’s trade shines the spotlight even brighter on head coach Mike Sullivan. That’s the assessment of 105.9 The X host and TribLIVE columnist Mark Madden during this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast. Sure, Sullivan has two Stanley Cup rings. And on the...

In Monday’s “First Call,” former Pittsburgh Steelers rival Vontaze Burfict fires back at Joey Porter Sr. and Jr. Another ex-Steeler signs in Philadelphia. The Pirates are about to take on Major League Baseball’s best team. And we have some reaction to the Erik Karlsson trade from San Jose’s point of...

Speculation surrounding the Pittsburgh Penguins’ attempts to acquire San Jose Sharks Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson lasted more than a month. Initially, I wondered how good of an idea that really was. Especially if the Penguins ended up having to give away multiple first-round draft choices. Thankfully, they didn’t once...

There has been no greater talking point this offseason surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers than the conversation about how to make the offense more explosive. Coordinator Matt Canada’s 2022 unit was fifth in the NFL when it came to time of possession at 31:18 per game, fifth in most offensive snaps...

Friday’s “First Call” showcases a Pitt alum opening eyes in the Hall of Fame game. The Steelers need a little help at defensive back. Austin Hedges still has some ties back to Pittsburgh. And a former WPIAL standout is getting back to practice in the NFL. Izzy to the Hizzy...

It could’ve been just a throw-away line from Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington after a long day of working the phones in advance of Tuesday’s trade deadline. Maybe he didn’t even know the significance of what he said. Significant, that is, if we are to take him at his...

A former Pittsburgh Steeler is starting to emerge in his new city. We are going to see an NFL replay rules change. We might see an expansion of the NFL Guardian Caps into game day. And Damar Hamlin is starting to shine in Bills’ practices. All that in Thursday’s “First...

That didn’t take long. One week of Steelers training camp, and “U mad, bro?” is composed almost entirely of frothing Steelers fans. With just enough Pirates grumbling as a garnish. I can’t wait for September. Ken emailed last Monday. It appears he didn’t like something that Mark Madden and I...

The NFL Network visited Pittsburgh Steelers training camp this week. And all the usual preseason optimism at Saint Vincent College seems to have filtered back to the studio. One of the hosts of “Good Morning Football,” Peter Schrager, sang the praises of quarterback Kenny Pickett. Meanwhile, co-host Kyle Brandt was...

By now, every NFL fan has seen some version or another of the Pittsburgh Steelers statistics when T.J. Watt plays and when he doesn’t. They were 8-2 with Watt in the lineup last year. They were 1-6 without him. The defense allowed less than 17 points per game when Watt...