Tim Benz stories, Page 15

It’s fitting that the NFL trade deadline is on Election Day. I felt the same way leaving my local polling branch as I did when I saw who the Steelers were looking at to address their need at wide receiver. Underwhelmed by the choices and unfulfilled by the process. I’ll...

At the halfway point of the NFL season, there’s a lot to like about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense. As of Monday morning, coach Mike Tomlin’s team ranked second in points allowed per game (14.6). With 15 takeaways, only the Packers (19), Vikings (17) and Lions (16) had more. The team...

Monday’s “First Call” recaps Sunday’s AFC North results as the Pittsburgh Steelers rested during their bye. The next opponent for Mike Tomlin’s team is the Washington Commanders. They continued to impress with another win. Pitt product and former Steeler James Conner had a big day for the Arizona Cardinals. Mason...

Necessity may have been the mother of invention when it comes to Mike Sullivan’s recent decision to pair Sidney Crosby on the same line with Evgeni Malkin. For the immediate future, though, it appears that mother knows best. In the three games since the Penguins (5-7-1) moved Malkin from center...

Former Pittsburgh Steeler Diontae Johnson saw only 13 snaps in his Baltimore Ravens debut and wasn’t targeted on the day. That was the plan heading into Baltimore’s Week 9 game against the Denver Broncos, a contest the Ravens (6-3) won 41-10. The Ravens coaching staff wanted to get Johnson up...

Friday’s “First Call” features former Pittsburgh Steeler Diontae Johnson speaking about his return to the AFC North. Juan Soto insists he’ll listen to free-agent offers from every Major League Baseball team. Presumably, that includes … the Pirates? The Penguins hope to finally gain traction with a second straight win Saturday....

Thursday’s “First Call” features a message from Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan to struggling goalie Tristan Jarry. Zach Frazier and Nick Herbig discuss their health. Steelers special teams coach Danny Smith tells the story of how the team decided to bring back Corliss Waitman. And there were some Pirates ties...

Here’s my personal “U mad, bro?” submission for this week: I’m mad that Nov. 1 isn’t a national holiday. Kids should get Nov. 1 off so they can stay out late and trick-or-treat under cover of darkness as all the unholy ghosts, witches and goblins intended. Halloween was not meant...

As the Duquesne men’s basketball team approached the 2024-25 season, it sold something to recruits and potential incoming transfers that you wouldn’t have assumed it had. Stability. That’s not a quality one would associate with a team that’s going through a coaching change and a quest to replace three of...

Tuesday’s “First Call” gives us the predictive powers of Pittsburgh Steelers rookie Beanie Bishop. Jeremiah Moon explains why he didn’t get flagged on Calvin Austin’s punt return. We get a look at the Penguins’ next opponent beyond the return of Marc-Andre Fleury. Plus, we have honors for both Robert Morris...

Justin Fields’ injury may impact the Pittsburgh Steelers’ game plan Monday night against the New York Giants. The team’s next opponent after the bye is flying high. One of New York’s linemen claims he is ready for the challenge of facing T.J. Watt. Mason Rudolph had a rough outing for...

A rare Sunday off for the Pittsburgh Steelers gives us a chance to focus on the Penguins in this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast. Based on how poorly the team is playing, that’s not a good thing. The Pens are 3-6-1 in the first 10 games of 2024-25. They have lost...

When you’re rooting for (or covering) the Pittsburgh Steelers, the easiest thing in the world to do is to bash Mike Tomlin and his coaching staff when they make a bad decision, mismanage the clock or lose a game. Over the past seven years, there have been plenty of chances...

This Friday’s “Football Footnotes” updates the Cooper Kupp trade watch from a Pittsburgh Steelers’ perspective. There are some interesting numbers for Najee Harris heading into Monday night’s game against the New York Giants. We look ahead to what is next for 7-0 Pitt after the Panthers blew out Syracuse Thursday...

Thursday’s “First Call” advances an opinion of note regarding the idea of the Pittsburgh Steelers trading for wide receiver Cooper Kupp. We look at some turbulence for another New York football team coming to Pittsburgh. Syracuse’s visit to Acrisure Stadium on Thursday night should bring fireworks beyond just the quarterback...

Some fans grumble about the NCAA transfer portal and about how NIL is negatively changing the landscape of college sports. That’s a tough sell when it comes to ACC football this year. There are plenty of teams in the conference that have improved thanks to play from transfer quarterbacks. Two...

If Russell Wilson had been bad in his first start as a Pittsburgh Steeler on Sunday night, all we would be talking about this week in “U mad, bro” would’ve been Justin Fields getting benched. But Russ cooked, and the Steelers won. So instead of a big, juicy main course,...

For the Pittsburgh Penguins (3-4-1) on Tuesday night, quite a lot went right in Calgary against the Pacific Division-leading Flames (5-0-1). • The Pens outshot their hosts 38-25. • Pittsburgh won 63% of the faceoffs and blocked 21 shots. • The power play scored one goal and posted another just...

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. had one of his best games of the season Sunday night during the team’s 37-15 win over the New York Jets. According to the Pro Football Focus numbers, he yielded just one reception for 9 yards over the course of 57 defensive snaps. That...

In Wednesday’s “First Call,” we have praise for the Pittsburgh Steelers defense from New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers. A familiar Steelers opponent is joining an AFC North team. Another high-profile trade prospect at wide receiver may be up for grabs. And we check in on a pair of local...