Sports category, Page 1175
Analysis: Browns in good hands with Jacoby Brissett while Deshaun Watson suspendedVideo
CLEVELAND — Jacoby Brissett’s assignment is clear: keep the Browns competitive and in contention while Deshaun Watson’s away. He’s doing much more than that. During a 29-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night, Brissett, who has zero illusions about his role with Cleveland, effectively moved the offense with...
Run defense issues resurface for Steelers in loss to Browns
Watching the Pittsburgh Steelers try to defend the run has been like trying to absorb Niagara Falls with a paper towel. No matter how often the Steelers try to sop up the leaks, the water keeps gushing through like a tidal wave. It happened again Thursday night in a 29-17...
Penguins general manager Ron Hextall is still looking for salary cap relief
The preseason starts on Sunday for the Penguins and the regular season is right around the corner on Oct. 13. But Ron Hextall is still in offseason mode in one fashion. The team’s general manager is trying to find a way to get his team’s roster compliant with the NHL’s...
Ji Hwan Bae ready to showcase speed, defensive versatility for Pirates after promotion
Ji Hwan Bae doesn’t speak English but flashed a knowing smile when he heard speed mentioned as one of his best assets. The 23-year-old South Korean was promoted to the Pittsburgh Pirates from Triple-A Indianapolis and couldn’t wait to make his major league debut Friday at second base against the...
Steelers WR George Pickens grabs national attention with improbable catchVideo
Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wide receiver George Pickens grabbed the attention of social media users Thursday night with his highlight-reel catch in the first half of a 29-17 loss at the Cleveland Browns. He also earned rave reviews from his teammates with his one-handed, 36-yard reception in the first quarter that...
Lackluster U.S. loses to Japan 2-0 in World Cup warmup
With the World Cup approaching and final roster decisions looming, U.S. soccer players gave a dismal performance in a 2-0 exhibition loss to Japan on Friday in Düsseldorf, Germany. Daichi Kamada scored following Weston McKennie’s giveaway in the 24th minute and Kaoru Mitoma added a goal in the 88th. In...
Mark Madden: The Steelers created this rotten football team, and it can’t be fixed
It’s the nature of sports fans to be optimistic, however cockeyed. To believe that a team perceived to be underperforming can be fixed. Coach ’em up. Tweak the lineup or strategy. Trade all our bad players for all their good players. Find that secret sauce that’s a cure-all, or at...
5 things we learned: Steelers offense continues to spend most of 4th quarter on the sideline
Five things we learned from Browns 29, Steelers 17: 1. Offense sidelined When Ben Roethlisberger was making all of those fourth-quarter comebacks last season, the Steelers were a top-10 team in terms of possessing the ball in the final 15 minutes. They ranked ninth and had the ball more than...
Friday Football Footnotes: Determining ‘Truth or Fiction’ in the NFL during the Steelers ‘mini-bye’ weekend
If you are like me, you had concerns regarding every aspect of the Steelers’ offense. You wondered if the run defense was really fixed. You questioned the depth of the defense beyond its three stars. And you wondered if coaching warts would be exposed in close games after losing a...
5 things to watch in Week 4 of high school football
It wasn’t too long ago that West Allegheny was the team to beat in the Parkway Conference, back before the Indians made the jump to 5A. Remember, they went 29-3 in that conference during their last four seasons there (ending in 2015), reached the WPIAL finals three times in that...
Steelers vs. Browns: What they’re saying in Cleveland after win
There would be no last-minute collapse this time in Cleveland. The Browns’ backup quarterback greatly outplayed Pittsburgh’s starter. The running game dictated play, gashing the Steelers defense. Coming off an epic collapse against the New York Jets on Sunday, Cleveland made it look easy in all facets of the game...
No. 14 Penn State’s Adisa Isaac ready for Central MichiganVideo
STATE COLLEGE — Last season was supposed to be a breakout campaign for Adisa Isaac, but Penn State’s top defensive end spent it on the sideline with a busted ankle. Now he’s back, and his coaches and teammates realize the wait was worth it. The 6-foot-4, 243-pound redshirt junior has...
Pitt vs. Rhode Island matters, but Pat Narduzzi will monitor playing time
Pitt’s game against Rhode Island will unfold Saturday at Acrisure Stadium and on the ACC Network just like any other. It’s Power 5 vs. FCS — not as appealing as the first two home games this season — but it still matters. Nonetheless, Pitt’s coaching staff might not manage it...
Airing of Grievances: Browns exploit Steelers’ numerous deficiencies on both sides of ball
For a while, things weren’t looking bad in Cleveland for the Steelers on “Thursday Night Football.” Mike Tomlin’s club had a 14-13 halftime lead. Both touchdowns actually came on offense. Quarterback Mitch Trubisky had a passer rating of 94.7. They were averaging 5.5 yards per rush to the tune of...
Last play of Steelers-Browns game cost Plum’s Pat McAfee, his fans thousands
The last play of the Steelers-Browns game Thursday night cost Plum native Pat McAfee and his fans thousands of dollars. In coordination with the FanDuel online sportsbook, McAfee often identifies a same-game parlay that he and his fans plan to bet on for a given football game. On Thursday, the...
Maligned offensive line has seemingly been least of Steelers’ problems
CLEVELAND —It might not be a strength, but the offensive line hasn’t proven to be a weakness for the Pittsburgh Steelers so far this season, either. “The O-line really played really well,” Steelers running back Najee Harris said after Thursday night’s 29-17 loss at the Cleveland Browns. “The past couple...
Pirates farm report for Sept. 22, 2022: Mason Martin homers in Indy win
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 74-70) held on for a 6-4 victory over St. Paul (Twins). 1B Mason Martin (.213) went 1 for 4 with a home run, his 18th. C Endy Rodriguez (.545) went 1 for 4 with a triple and two RBIs. SS Hoy Park was 2 for 4 with a...
JT Daniels, defense lead West Virginia to dominant win at Virginia TechVideo
BLACKSBURG, Va. — JT Daniels threw for 203 yards and a touchdown to lead West Virginia to a 33-10 win over Virginia Tech on Thursday night. Freshman CJ Donaldson rushed for 106 yards, and West Virginia (2-2) got a strong performance from its defense to win its second straight game...
Steelers peter out, can’t stop Browns in defeat
CLEVELAND – For 30 minutes, a Pittsburgh Steelers offense that had a space reserved on the back of a milk carton was missing no more. Cries for Kenny Pickett were silenced as Mitch Trubisky directed two touchdown drives to give the Steelers a lead on the road against an AFC...
Pirates strand 10 runners against Cubs for 7th consecutive loss
The brave souls who showed up to the North Shore saw Mitch Keller strike out the side on sliders, Hayden Wesneski pitch an immaculate inning and Kevin Newman hit a home run that put the lights out. What they didn’t see was a Pittsburgh Pirates victory. The Pirates had runners...
Celtics suspend coach Ime Udoka for 2022-23 season
BOSTON — The Boston Celtics have suspended coach Ime Udoka for the 2022-23 season, effective immediately, and with no guarantee he will be back with the franchise. The Celtics said Thursday night that Udoka was suspended for “violations of team policies.” Earlier Thursday, two people with knowledge of the matter...
Steelers notes: Injured star T.J. Watt does drills of moderate intensity during pregame
CLEVELAND — Injured Pittsburgh Steelers star outside linebacker T.J. Watt took part in several individual drills on the FirstEnregy Stadium grass field prior to full team warm-ups for Thursday night’s game at the Cleveland Browns. Watt is on injured reserve because of a pectoral injury suffered during a Week 1...
Steelers rookie George Pickens makes 1-handed catch in game vs. Browns
CLEVELAND — Finally, George Pickens made his presence known during the NFL regular season. And he did it in spectacular fashion. The Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wide receiver was not noticed much during his first two games, much to the consternation of many who’d seen him repeatedly make plays as one...
Alex Ovechkin, banged-up Capitals return to ice for start of campVideo
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Washington Capitals opened training camp Thursday without two of the team’s top players. Nicklas Backstrom and big winger Tom Wilson are expected to miss at least the first portion of the season recovering from injuries. Wilson could be back as soon as December after rehabbing a...
Bills face challenge in Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Kaiir Elam has lost track of just how many friends and family members will be at Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins. “So many I can’t even count,” Elam said. The homecoming for Buffalo’s first-round pick has the potential to be both special and quite the...
