Tim Benz stories, Page 136
Tim Benz: Impact of Steelers win over Colts? Opposing defenses will tell that story
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...
First Call: JuJu pans Primanti Bros., a Steeler is mad at the refs, Bill Belichick has a tantrum
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...
Tim Benz: Josh Bell trade just latest in never-ending cycle for Pirates
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....
Is Steelers win over Colts a ‘false dawn’ or a ‘rediscovery’ of earlier 2020 blueprint?
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...
Madden Monday: Ben Roethlisberger ‘was the power and the glory’
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...
First Call: Colts mad at refs, Baker Mayfield blames himself, Ravens looming, Pirates perspective
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....
Tim Benz: Pass game, Mike Hilton lead ‘Feats of Strength’ as Steelers storm back vs. Colts
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...
Tim Benz: Steelers offense has gone from ‘however we choose’ to how do they fix it?
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...
First Call: Taylor and turnovers are concerns for Steelers vs Colts; AFC Week 16 odds
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...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans come down hard on Ben Roethlisberger, ‘apathetic’ Bengals loss
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....
Mark Madden on Steelers’ losing streak: If they lose out, ‘they should fire Tomlin and Ben should quit’
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....
First Call: Past, present Steelers mourn Kevin Greene; NHL team mocks JuJu; Ryan Shazier vents
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...
Tim Benz: ‘Airing of Grievances’ after Steelers horrific Bengals loss; Big Ben, JuJu, fading defense
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....
Tim Benz: Wanna blame Notre Dame for College Football Playoff mess? Me too, but we can’t
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...
First Call: Antonio Brown finally scores for Tampa; Le’Veon Bell may get more carries for K.C.
Monday’s “First Call” examines a potentially expanding role for Le’Veon Bell in Kansas City. Antonio Brown finally scores for Tampa Bay. Win No. 1 for the New York Jets may actually prove costly. And the odds are out for the College Football Playoff. Leaning on Le’Veon? The Kansas City Chiefs...
Tim Benz: Steelers have plenty to get right in Monday’s ‘get right game’
The expression of the week when describing the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Monday night test against the Cincinnati Bengals has been, “It’s a ‘get right’ game.” If you’ve listened to any sports radio at all this week, you’ve heard that phrase applied to the thinking of how things should go down in...
Tim Benz: Adopt the 2020 chaos! Include Cincinnati, Coastal Carolina in College Football Playoff.
The most overused phrase of 2020 is, “Hey, it’s 2020!” Well, allow me to employ it one more time while discussing college football. Hey, it’s 2020! So what better year to bust the College Football Playoff norms than this year? The selection committee should embrace the chaos and admit either...
First Call: Bengals warn JuJu of pregame dancing, Steelers won’t have to deal with Bengals top RB
The Bengals aren’t wild about Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and his pregame dancing. The Steelers won’t have to prepare for Cincinnati’s star running back. And some controversy surrounding the Cleveland Browns-Baltimore Ravens game Monday night. That’s what we’ve got to wrap up the week for Friday’s “First Call.”...
AFC Playoff picture: Expect no help for Steelers this weekend
When the Pittsburgh Steelers take to the field Monday night, there will be many questions about their sputtering offense and their fatiguing defense. Even if coach Mike Tomlin’s team snaps its two-game losing streak in Cincinnati, the fanbase will take that result with a massive grain of salt. Which probably...
First Call: Steelers’ Super Bowl odds slip; Pirates draft options besides Kumar Rocker? NFL’s 17th game coming?
Wednesday’s “First Call” looks at where the Steelers stack up on the Super Bowl odds board. The NHL Trophy odds are out, too. Kumar Rocker may not be a lock as the Pirates top overall pick in June after all. And that NFL 17-game schedule may soon become a reality....
Tim Benz: Mike Tomlin’s messaging is clear, but some answers are not
Most Steelers fans assumed that their team would fall from its unbeaten perch eventually. However, most didn’t expect to see them tumble down the NFL mountain so quickly. Over the last three weeks, they’ve looked more like a Super Bowl fraud as opposed to a Super Bowl favorite, thanks to...
U mad, bro?: A Steeler is mad at someone on ESPN; readers are mad at Tim Benz
In this week’s “U mad, bro?” post, it’s Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey who is mad. And you don’t want to see Maurkice Pouncey when he is mad. Actually, come to think of it, I do want to see Pouncey when he’s mad. On the field. Against the Cincinnati Bengals Monday...
First Call: Josh Allen pregame video about JuJu’s dancing; last date with a Steelers rival in Cincy?
Tuesday’s “First Call” shows us that the Buffalo Bills may have been a bit more perturbed about pregame activities from one of the Steelers players than we thought. The Steelers could see the last of a longtime Cincinnati Bengals rival on Monday. We check on the confidence level of Steelers...
Mark Madden on Ben Roethlisberger: ‘I thought he was MVP. Now I wonder if his career is over.’
Let’s be honest. There’s not much to feel good about when it comes to Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers offense these days. Even for those who have been in Roethlisberger’s camp throughout his whole Pittsburgh career. Mark Madden is one of those folks in the Pittsburgh media. On 105.9 The...
Tim Benz: The ‘new normal’ stinks, especially as a way to describe the Steelers’ rotten offense
Like everyone else, Steelers fans are enduring everyday existence with the “new normal:” face coverings, closed businesses, social distancing and Zoom holiday functions. Now the “new normal” is a way to describe their favorite NFL team. And it’s annoying in those terms, too. Because, for as much as I struggle...
