Tim Benz Columns category, Page 50

After the Pittsburgh Penguins won a close 2-0 contest in Anaheim on Tuesday night, Ducks coach Greg Cronin made a boxing analogy. “There wasn’t a lot of rhythm to the game,” Cronin said via the Associated Press. “There weren’t a lot of scoring chances either way. It was like two...

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin had a smile on his face. There was some levity to his retort. But as is often the case when someone makes a joke, there’s a lot of truth to it. And there’s usually a message to the delivery. During his weekly Tuesday press conference,...

Wednesday’s “First Call” features familiar Pittsburgh Steelers faces in new places. A big-time offensive tackle reveals how he nearly wound up in Pittsburgh. And the Steelers may be facing a former Pro Bowler at quarterback in a few weeks. Big deal in Big D According to multiple reports, including one...

When it comes to the run game, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense has finally stumbled into something it can use. Positive reinforcement. Through most of the first seven games of the season, when examining tape, Steelers coaches and players could only walk away from what they witnessed and say, “We’re not...

Tuesday’s “First Call” has some midseason accolades for Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. We also look at the potential return of Martavis Bryant to the NFL, Tuesday’s rematch between the Penguins and Anaheim Ducks, and an AFC North team dealing with an ill-timed run of injuries. Pump the brakes NFL.com’s...

While the Pittsburgh Steelers had Sunday to rest, it was a successful day for everyone else in the AFC North. Next week’s opponent at Acrisure Stadium chalked up a victory too, as did a former quarterback who used to wear the Black and Gold. But one former Steelers receiver found...

A dead body. That’s how Duquesne basketball player Halil “Chabi” Barre described himself for the first 72 hours after the incident. “The first two to three days, I felt terrible,” Barre said after practice Friday. “My body felt weak. I couldn’t even lift my arm. l was just laying down...

A few years ago, Mark Madden of 105.9 The X and TribLIVE dubbed former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster as “A.B. Jr.” and Chase Claypool as “A.B. Jr. Jr.” With all of their antics and quotes, the descriptions fit. So what does that mean for George Pickens in the...

In this week’s “Friday Football Footnotes,” we look at the Pittsburgh Steelers in the big picture after Thursday’s win. We lay out the local college football slate of games. There is plenty of good NFL viewing on Sunday. And the Browns-Cardinals game could be quite a quarterback conundrum. • The...

With our “Airing of Grievances” and “Friday Football Footnotes,” we have the Pittsburgh Steelers pretty well covered after the Thursday night game against Tennessee. So this is an all-hockey “First Call.” We’ve got Gary Bettman’s State of the Union on fighting in the NHL. Phil Kessel wants to keep playing....

With this year’s Pittsburgh Steelers team, we’ve come to expect the unexpected. Well, except for Diontae Johnson touchdowns and first-quarter scoring drives. But after Thursday’s 20-16 comeback win against the Tennessee Titans, I guess even those items are in play now. Those were just two of the storylines worth recapping...

Thursday’s “First Call” has an important injury update for this evening’s Steelers-Titans game. We have more details about that reported Steelers trade with the Bears that never happened on Tuesday. A Pittsburgh-area NHL player just notched his first goal. And we remember a Pittsburgh connection to the late Bobby Knight....

On Tuesday, Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt lashed out at the NFL for fining teammate Jaylen Warren $48,000 (twice) for lowering his helmet. The second-year running back only makes $870,000 before taxes and fees. That’s 11% of his income. Here are the plays. These two plays got Jaylen Warren fined a...

When the NFL referees stink during a Steelers loss, that takes some of the heat off of the Steelers themselves. When the Steelers lose, that takes a lot of the heat off the Penguins if they are struggling. And if the Penguins are struggling, the Steelers are losing, and either...

Wednesday’s “First Call” gives us a Pittsburgh Steelers trade rumor that never panned out. We have a new person interested in buying into the franchise. A former Steelers quarterback has been traded. Will Levis looks good to go as the starter for the Tennessee Titans at Acrisure Stadium Thursday. And...

If you were frustrated by the officials in the Steelers-Jaguars game Sunday at Acrisure Stadium, you weren’t alone. And, no, I’m not just talking about Diontae Johnson. CBS NFL officiating analyst Gene Steratore is right there with you. Based on his appearance on WDVE Tuesday morning, it’s clear Steratore, who...

Tuesday’s “First Call” includes a Jaguars player making a damning statement about the Pittsburgh Steelers offense. Ben Roethlisberger is giving an endorsement for a former teammate as Steelers offensive coordinator if Matt Canada is fired. We learn a little bit more about Titans quarterback Will Levis, and there is some...

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson went all-in on his criticism of the NFL officials who worked his team’s 20-10 loss to Jacksonville on Sunday. “They were calling some stupid stuff,” Johnson said after Sunday’s game. “They should get fined for making terrible calls and stuff like that. That’s how...

After getting knocked out of Sunday’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, one has to wonder if Kenny Pickett is going to be healthy enough to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night against the Tennessee Titans. But as Mark Madden of 105.9 The X and TribLIVE said in this...

Monday’s “First Call” has some trash talk for the Pittsburgh Steelers to swallow after their loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. We also look at how the Steelers’ next opponent has gotten a boost at quarterback. The Penguins hope to end their homestand on a high note. And some Pitt and...

The Pittsburgh Steelers were bad. The officials were worse. The weather was lousy. Aside from that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the game? After two straight wins, the Steelers took a major step in the wrong direction by suffering a 20-10 loss at home to the Jacksonville Jaguars (6-2)...

Some days the last thing in the world Matt Sweet wanted to do was eat. Anything. At all. But applesauce? He could do applesauce. One container of applesauce. Other days, the only thing he felt like he could possibly do was lie in bed. But a short walk? OK. Get...

For this week’s “Friday Football Footnotes,” we look at some of the big questions hanging over Sunday’s Steelers-Jaguars game at Acrisure Stadium. One of them should be, “Is this the first of two rounds this season between the teams?” Don’t be stunned to see the Jags win the AFC South,...

Friday’s “First Call” sees George Pickens volley back after some eyebrow-raising comments from a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars. A former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman is unimpressed with the starting cornerback combination on the team. We look at the upcoming college football slate for Pitt, Penn State and West Virginia....

When the Steelers win in comeback fashion, on the road, as underdogs, generally the Pittsburgh sports fanbase is feeling pretty good. About the Steelers, anyway. Well, the second half of the Steelers game at least. But there are plenty of other things to complain about. And we touch ‘em all...