Tim Benz stories, Page 119

The first “U mad, bro?” of 2021 starts with Steelers fans in Pittsburgh. Then it hits Philadelphia, New York, Washington and Miami along the way. We’ve got tight ends turning into running backs. A cure-all for NFL officiating. And dismay over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Oh, and a lesson in grammar....

It doesn’t look like Omar Khan will be leaving the Steelers just yet. The NHL’s new franchise in Seattle is going to have some very familiar Penguins alumni in the front office. A WPIAL product is upset about what happened in Philadelphia Sunday night. And there is an update on...

The Steelers-Browns playoff game is on as scheduled. For now. That’s despite a continuing spread of coronavirus cases within the Cleveland Browns organization that started before its Week 16 loss and continued through the team’s Week 17 win over the Steelers. Via an email to TribLive Steelers beat writer Joe...

What’s not to like about the Penguins’ contract extension for John Marino? No. Seriously. What’s not to like? The Penguins signed their 24-year-old defenseman to a six-year $26.4 million extension over the weekend. It’s a great deal. Which is why it’s probably not getting a ton of buzz on the...

The Steelers are listed among the teams favored to acquire Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz. Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield gets a subtle shot at one of his critics. A former Steeler is teaming up with the Browns in advance of their playoff showdown. And Robert Morris hockey is ranked...

Watching Sunday’s 24-22 Steelers loss in Cleveland felt like a preseason game to me. I spent 50% of the game yelling at the Steelers players to run more aggressively, block better and tackle harder. Then I spent the other 50% of the game yelling at them to avoid getting injured....

Our first “First Call” of 2021 picks up on a familiar Steelers theme: opposing teams mocking JuJu Smith-Schuster. The Browns appeared to do that after their win over the Steelers Sunday. Meanwhile, T.J. Watt draws high praise from another NFL legend. The gambling line for Sunday’s Browns-Steelers rematch is out....

Our first “Madden Monday” podcast of 2021 looks at the Steelers of 2022. Could they really open up that season with Mason Rudolph at quarterback? In the wake of Sunday’s performance against the Cleveland Browns, Mark Madden seems to think so. Madden isn’t saying that’s what he’d do. But he’s...

Sunday’s 24-22 Steelers loss to Cleveland really didn’t matter. The two teams are just going to play again this weekend in the playoffs anyway. And the Festivus season has come and gone. But we continue with our weekly “Airing of Grievances” and “Feats of Strength” into 2021. As, of course,...

Recently released interview clips with former Steelers great Kevin Greene reveal his thoughts on current star T.J. Watt. The Cleveland Browns have more coronavirus issues. The gambling line on their game against the Steelers has shifted dramatically. And an AFC contender may have a significant injury issue heading into the...

We are three days removed from a Steelers win. Enough happy holiday levity. I’m done with Christmas feel-good drivel. Let’s get back to our nuts and bolts. Let’s get back to what made “Breakfast With Benz” great. The “Four A’s”: Angst. Agitation. Animosity. Anger. Time to get the gravel in...

A popular question this week in Pittsburgh has been how to view the Steelers in the wake of their victory against the Indianapolis Colts. Are they back to being the team that looked like a threat to go 16-0? Or was that win just a victory to stop the downward...

JuJu Smith-Schuster versus a sandwich shop. Bill Belichick has a hissy fit. And how to bet on Steelers versus Browns. Pfft! And you said 2020 brought us nothing good. Here’s Tuesday’s “First Call.” JuJu Smith-Schuster…. Yelper First, the Buffalo Bills. Then, the Cincinnati Bengals. Now … Primanti Bros.? Yes, JuJu...

At 11:59 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, check Twitter. No, not to see if 2020 gave us one last kick to the crotch on the way out the door. To see if the Pittsburgh Pirates did. Maybe that’s when they’ll announce their latest news dump. Um, I mean salary dump....

If the usual 68,400 Steelers fans had been in attendance at Heinz Field Sunday, my guess is 68,399 of them would’ve exited the stadium saying, “I never saw that coming.” And the other guy would have been lying. Given the way the Steelers had played over the last four games...

Once the Steelers blew a goal-to-go sequence in the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts, one thought went racing through my mind. “So, how is Tristan Jarry going to do as the Penguins full-time goaltender this year?” Why not? Time to start thinking about hockey, right? The...

Monday’s “First Call” shows us that the Indianapolis Colts aren’t handling their loss against the Steelers particularly well. The Ravens may be back to Heinz Field soon. Baker Mayfield is blaming himself for the Cleveland Browns’ humbling loss. And a slap-in-the-face reality check about the Pirates’ trade of Josh Bell....

Given the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive woes of late, I’m struggling to best express my level of surprise with how they turned momentum in the second half of their 28-24 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday afternoon at Heinz Field. Perhaps, sticking with the tone of the season, I’ll borrow...

It may be hard to remember this, but at one point the 2020 Steelers (11-3) did manage to win 11 straight games. One of those wins was even against the mighty Cincinnati Bengals. You know, the 3-10-1 AFC North cellar-dweller that just used a third-string quarterback to upset the free-falling...

In our last call for “First Call” before Christmas, we look at how the oddsmakers have jumped off the Steelers bandwagon. And rightfully so. We also take a look at two threats facing the Steelers from the Indianapolis Colts, forecasting the AFC playoff picture and bad news for a former...

Over the last three seasons, the Pittsburgh Steelers have done more to ruin holiday cheer than the Grinch, Ebenezer Scrooge, Hans Gruber and “Bad Santa” combined. The difference is all of those movies have happy endings. The same cannot be said for each of the Steelers’ last three December campaigns....

The Steelers have now lost three games in a row after winning their first 11 outings of the 2020 season. Don’t be shocked if they lose their next three as well. Why not? The Indianapolis Colts are up next, followed by the Cleveland Browns. Both of those teams are 10-4....

Tuesday’s “First Call” gives us wide-ranging reaction to the passing of Hall of Fame Steelers linebacker Kevin Greene. Another former Steelers star has seen enough of the team’s offense. Myles Garrett is still dealing with covid-19 aftereffects. And everybody is piling on JuJu Smith-Schuster. I mean everybody. Remembering a star...

So much for the idea that the Steelers’ trip to Cincinnati was a “get right game.” I suppose that’s what it looks like when “gettin’ right” goes wrong. The 11-2 Steelers went into 2-10-1 Cincinnati and lost 27-17 in one of the worst defeats of the Mike Tomlin-Ben Roethlisberger era....

The easiest thing in the sports world to do is to hate Notre Dame. The arrogance. The individualism. The hype. The specially catered ACC membership rules. The money. The independent television network deal. So when the Fighting Irish were drubbed 34-10 by Clemson in the ACC Championship Game, that resulted...