Tim Benz stories, Page 92

It’s obvious the Pittsburgh Steelers got an enormous amount of help to qualify for the playoffs Sunday. From the Jacksonville Jaguars’ massive upset of the Indianapolis Colts to the Chargers and Raiders avoiding a tie on “Sunday Night Football” to the Baltimore Ravens gifting the Steelers three turnovers. But as...

In a most unlikely turn of events, the Pittsburgh Steelers offense was able to turn around a dreadful day to rally late and win the 2021 season finale in Baltimore, 16-13 in overtime. In an even less likely development, the Jacksonville Jaguars (3-14) stunned the Indianapolis Colts (9-8), 26-11. That...

Friday’s “First Call” doesn’t paint a rosy picture for Lamar Jackson as we wait to see if the Ravens quarterback is going to play against the Steelers. Todd Haley has a new coaching job. We look at the Penguins’ next opponent. And the Duquesne men’s basketball team may finally be...

Let’s say you are a defenseman for the Pittsburgh Penguins. You’ve never played on the NHL stage before. Neither has your partner on the blue line. Your first game together is going to take place in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. Let that sink in for a minute....

Former Steelers All-Pro Antonio Brown is now officially a former Tampa Buccaneer, too. Tampa Bay terminated his contract Thursday in the wake of Brown’s decision to storm off the sideline shirtless during Sunday’s game against the New York Jets. Within their press release announcing the move, the Bucs countered Brown’s...

Thursday’s “First Call” has a health update on Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson as we prepare for the latest chapter of Steelers-Ravens. A loss in the football world is felt by a former Steeler. Evgeni Malkin is on the doorstep of a return for the Penguins. And Antonio Brown is telling...

Glad tidings from Steelers fans coming off the holidays and Ben Roethlisberger’s goodbye party lasted only briefly. Given their unfortunate playoff predicament, my inbox was sour like three-week-old eggnog and saltier than that holiday nut-mix grandpa likes. If somehow the Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Indianapolis Colts and the Steelers manage...

For Steelers fans who consider the Jacksonville Jaguars to be a clown show, apparently you were even more accurate than you may have believed. By now, most of Pittsburgh is aware that if the Steelers are to make the playoffs, they need to beat the Ravens on Sunday in their...

Tuesday’s “First Call” looks at Ben Roethlisberger’s life after the NFL. We get some bad news on Bud Dupree, an interesting opinion on NFL records in a 17-game season and a look at what may go down as the goal of the year in the NHL. Guess who was in...

As the Pittsburgh Steelers prepare for their regular-season finale in Baltimore on Sunday, we all know the likelihood of them making the playoffs is slim. Sure, they could beat the Ravens for a second time this year. Even though the game is on the road and the Steelers are a...

When is an NHL eight-game win streak longer than an eight-game win streak? Probably when it lasts a full month. The Penguins’ lengthy eight-game unbeaten jaunt began back on Dec. 4 in Vancouver. So between the holiday break and a covid pause, you’ve got to go back to before you...

Tuesday’s “First Call” has some negative fallout for the Browns after their loss to the Steelers Monday night. A stunning turn from Antonio Brown regarding Ben Roethlisberger. And Aaron Rodgers is talking about Pittsburgh again. Miffed Mayfield Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield wasn’t happy with his team’s offensive approach as...

For as nice as it was to see Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger get a warm send off from the Heinz Field fans, I do have one significant regret after the team’s 26-14 win over the Cleveland Browns on “Monday Night Football.” With Cincinnati clinching the AFC North on Sunday,...

In Monday’s “First Call,” we look at how far-fetched the Steelers’ playoff chances truly are. We also find out what the Cleveland Browns’ playoff elimination has done to the gambling line on their upcoming game against the Steelers Monday night. The Antonio Brown saga has plenty of twists and turns....

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ first game back from their coronavirus pause was a wild one. Sunday’s contest against the San Jose Sharks featured a 6-1 lead for the Pens after one period. That narrowed to a 6-5 lead in the third before eventually leading to an 8-5 win. Two hat tricks...

For as much as Monday night’s Steelers-Browns game at Heinz Field will be about honoring quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s illustrious career, it also will be about remembering the two decades before he came to Pittsburgh. Those 20 seasons between the start of the 1984 season and the conclusion of the 2003...

Across Pittsburgh, Steelers fans are hoping to see quarterback Ben Roethlisberger wrap up his storied Heinz Field career in grand style Monday night against the Cleveland Browns. If that is going to happen, he’s going to need a lot of help from his receivers. Something he hasn’t gotten enough of...

Thursday’s “First Call” shows how long the odds are against the Pittsburgh Steelers making the playoffs. A Pitt product may be kicking for the Cleveland Browns against the Steelers on Monday. And familiar names dot the scoresheets in some NHL games that were actually able to be played on Wednesday....

Pittsburgh Steelers fans are switching the heat. It’s no longer the team’s headline-worthy bad play that is making them angry. It’s our actual headlines at TribLIVE that they don’t like. Yes, I received a disproportionate amount of responses in my email on that topic over the past few days. So,...

Pro Football Hall of Famer John Madden died on Tuesday at the age of 85. His indelible imprint on the NFL came in many ways. As a Super Bowl winning coach with the Oakland Raiders. A legendary broadcaster. And the voice and name behind the iconic EA sports “Madden NFL”...

An important piece of the Steelers offense may be back for “Monday Night Football.” Rocky Bleier is torching his former team again. Reinforcements are coming for the Kansas City Chiefs in advance of their big AFC showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals. And a former Steeler is in the hunt for...

For Robert Morris University men’s hockey coach Derek Schooley, the past seven months have been dedicated to resurrecting the school’s hockey programs. The next two years will be dedicated to rebuilding them. In May, the RMU administration cut the men’s and women’s hockey teams from the athletic department. Thanks to...

The most head-scratching outcome of the 2021 Steelers season wasn’t their 16-16 tie against the 0-8 Detroit Lions on Nov. 14. I mean, c’mon. We’ve gotten pretty used to the Steelers underperforming against lesser competition in recent years. Haven’t we? I’d argue this team’s biggest surprise came during a 15-10...

Tuesday’s “First Call” provides a health update on the Cleveland Browns before they visit the Steelers on Monday night. We also hear from a Steelers player who is mad that he was left off of the Pro Bowl roster. And we’ve got some bad news for a pair of former...

On one sideline of Paul Brown Stadium stands the hometown Cincinnati Bengals. Seconds away from sweeping their AFC North rivals. With 41 points on their side of the scoreboard. Not to mention a roster with the AFC’s leader in passer rating and Pro Bowlers at running back, wide receiver and...