Tim Benz stories, Page 165
Tim Benz: Jets’ stellar run defense can’t scare Steelers
The result was bad. The explanation was worse. Last week, the Steelers threw the football with fourth-string quarterback Devlin “Duck” Hodges 38 times against the Buffalo Bills. That’s the same Buffalo Bills team that entered the game third in the NFL in pass defense. That didn’t end well. Hodges was...
First Call: Steelers captain Cam Heyward not on board with ditching ‘Renegade’Video
“The jig is up. The news is out.” “Renegade” is in a slump. Last Sunday, the Buffalo Bills hit a 40-yard pass-play, and went on a game-altering fourth-quarter scoring drive after the videoboard crew played the Steelers’ noted pump-up song. The Bills went so far as to practice with the...
Evgeni Malkin or Jaromir Jagr? Geno’s 400th goal brings debate into focus
Our weekly Penguins podcast with TribLive beat writer Seth Rorabaugh finds Seth on the road in Wilkes-Barre. He’s checking in on the AHL Pens while the NHL club is out west in Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. They face the Oilers Friday after beating the Flames on Tuesday. Seth gives us...
Tim Benz: Steelers say game plan is to get Jets QB Sam Darnold to see more ghosts
En route to a 33-0 loss back on Oct. 21, New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold got caught on “Monday Night Football” microphones admitting he was “seeing ghosts” from the New England Patriots defense. Sam Darnold is mic’d up and he came to the sidelines and said, “I’m seeing ghosts.”(Via...
U mad, bro? Steelers loss has readers anything but merry during holiday season
So much for the idea of Christmas spirit. A Steelers loss to the Buffalo Bills has turned just about everyone on my Twitter feed and in my email into a Grinch. Understandable. Anyone who sat through four quarters of watching that offensive quack-fest from Devlin “Duck” Hodges probably didn’t walk...
First Call: CFL wants ‘Duck’ as Canada goose; Steelers LB Bud Dupree snubbed from Pro BowlVideo
In Wednesday’s “First Call,” if the Steelers decide they don’t want Devlin Hodges this offseason, someone else already does. Bud Dupree got snubbed from the Pro Bowl. And a reason to doubt the Tennessee Titans. ‘Duck’ to become a Canada goose? If things go south in Pittsburgh for quarterback Devlin...
Tim Benz, Kevin Gorman agree with Steelers’ QB decision, rip Mike Tomlin’s strategy vs. Bills
Wednesday’s “Breakfast With Benz” podcast features Trib columnist Kevin Gorman. It’s our weekly wrap-up of Mike Tomlin’s press conference. Kevin and I look at the fallout from the loss to the Buffalo Bills in terms of playoff impact. Gorman still has his eyes on the Browns as a threat. I...
Tim Benz: Steelers are stuck with ‘Duck’ for now. Starting him Sunday is right call.Video
I started drinking coffee when I was 13. I’ll say it before you do. Yes, that’s what stunted my growth. It was usually instant coffee. I stole it from my father every morning. He always seemed to have Folgers Instant Crystals or Taster’s Choice in the pantry. Gross. The grounds...
First Call: How the Bills used ‘Renegade’ against Steelers; Browns’ players want outVideo
For Tuesday’s “First Call,” the Bills used “Renegade” to their advantage. Some Browns players want out of Cleveland. And not everything went great for a Bills fan at Heinz Field. Renegade role reversal When the jumbotron crew at Heinz Field plays “Renegade,” the goal is to fire up the Steelers...
Penguins start swing through Western Canada while dealing with illness
In our weekly hockey chat with Penguins Radio Network host Brian Metzer, we cover a lot of ground. As the Penguins themselves will be doing over the next few weeks. The club is on the road for its swing through Western Canada starting Tuesday night against the Calgary Flames, before...
Tim Benz: What Steelers QB ‘Duck’ Hodges actually said that motivated the Bills
Buffalo Bills defensive lineman Shaq Lawson used a perceived slight from Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Devlin “Duck” Hodges for motivation during his team’s 17-10 win at Heinz Field Sunday night. He claims Hodges referred to the Bills defense as “normal.” Devlin Duck Hodges apparently called the #Bills "just another defense" this...
Tim Benz: Pirates need to let manager Derek Shelton truly be in charge
A frequent criticism of the Pittsburgh Pirates in recent years has been that the franchise employed one of the most expensive managers in Major League Baseball but had one of the lowest payrolls. In August 2018, USA Today published a deep dive into why managerial contracts were dipping. Clint Hurdle’s...
Mark Madden, Tim Benz dissect Steelers’ loss to Bills, Bryan Rust shining with Penguins
“Madden Monday” for this week isn’t exactly a pick me up. Nor should it be after what we saw Sunday night at Heinz Field. I’m joined by Mark Madden of TribLIVE and 105.9 the X as we go over the many things that went wrong for the Steelers against...
First Call: Watch Patriots’ video of Bengals sideline; Texans help Steelers
In this Monday’s “First Call,” you can see what the Patriots filmed on the Bengals sideline. Three former Nittany Lions have big afternoons in the NFL. And the Steelers get a little help from Houston. View for yourself On their Sunday NFL pregame show, Fox aired the footage of what...
Tim Benz: Airing of grievances after Steelers’ ‘Duck’ Hodges was ‘fowl’ vs. Buffalo
I guess Duck finally killed ‘em. That’s what it looks like when a fourth-string quarterback faces a top-notch NFL defense. Not pretty. Devlin “Duck” Hodges seemed capable in his three previous starts against a Browns defense without three starters, the shoddy Arizona Cardinals and the lackluster Los Angeles Chargers. But...
First Call: Antonio Brown struts his Google status, John Tortorella pouts after Pens lossVideo
In “First Call” Friday, Antonio Brown is bragging about his wild “popularity,” John Tortorella wasn’t happy after Thursday’s loss in Pittsburgh, and Rob Gronkowski is staying retired. This made his day Antonio Brown spent most of the day melting down on social media again Thursday. I simply think he has...
Tim Benz: Josh Allen the latest mobile quarterback to test Steelers — in a whole new way
Another one of these stories? Yup. Another one of these stories. Not my fault. I didn’t make the NFL schedule. Or create the opposing rosters of the Pittsburgh Steelers. But if the Steelers keep facing this string of mobile quarterbacks, I’m going to keep writing about them. Mainly because Mike...
Previewing the Steelers-Bills matchup — from Buffalo’s point of view
We’ve broken down just about every angle of the Steelers-Bills game from a Pittsburgh perspective. Now, we try to figure out how it looks from Buffalo’s point of view. The Bills come in at 9-4. Their defense is almost as good as the Steelers’ overall, and it is better in...
First call: Goodell on Antonio Brown’s status, Chara fights Wilson, hoops player knocks out ref
Thursday’s “First Call” looks at the NFL’s continued attempts to wait out Antonio Brown’s social media insanity. A college basketball player accidentally punches out an official. Le’Veon Bell continues to brag about his second career as a bowler. Lamar Jackson may play against the Jets after all. Tom Wilson fights...
Penguins podcast: Pittsburgh looking for bounce back outing against Columbus
It’s our weekly Pittsburgh Penguins podcast with TribLive beat writer Seth Rorabaugh. Lots to get into here, after a rotten second period spoiled Tuesday night’s game against the Montreal Canadiens. We get into why it happened and who was at fault. Tristan Jarry wasn’t quite as sharp in goal as...
Tim Benz: Steelers, Bills do it differently on defense, but see same stellar results
When I look at the Pittsburgh Steelers’ game against the Buffalo Bills, I keep seeing the numbers “10” and “9” flashing in my head. As in the final score. I just wish I had a clearer picture of which team’s logo was next to the bigger number. Then I pause...
First Call: Le’Veon Bell brags about bowling, Antonio Brown’s new song, potential Starling Marte trade partnerVideo
In “First Call” Wednesday, Le’Veon Bell brags about his bowling night out, Antonio Brown tries his hand at music, and a logical trade partner for Starling Marte emerges. Bell’s bowling boast Steelers Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis was renowned as a great bowler, with a perfect game under his belt....
Tim Benz: Young Jedi Tristan Jarry should rebound after Penguins’ ‘Star Wars’ night loss
AT&T SportsNet’s Penguins reporter Dan Potash got into the mood for “Star Wars” night at PPG Paints Arena Tuesday. The Force is with me...how about you?? Puck drop is seconds away! -DP #StarWarsThemeNight @penguins @NHLNetwork pic.twitter.com/QaAPxD9Yqk— AT&T SportsNet™ PIT (@ATTSportsNetPIT) December 11, 2019 Unfortunately for the Pens, the Montreal Canadiens...
Who will come out on top in Steelers-Bills defensive duel?
It’s our weekly “Breakfast With Benz” podcast wrapping up Steelers coach Mike Tomlin’s press conference. TribLive Steelers beat writer Joe Rutter hops on with me this week. We pick apart the huge game looming against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night. And there’s a lot of meat on the bone....
U mad, bro? Readers agitated over fake punts, Steelers play calls, NFL refs, Pitt tweetsVideo
You were mad because “U mad, bro?” was late last week. Well, we heard you. So we are back on schedule this week. And your discontent is just as obvious as ever. This week’s complaints from readers range from Steelers play calling, to our coverage of the team, to NFL...
