Tim Benz stories, Page 23

I feel strongly that Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II is going to keep Mike Tomlin as head coach beyond this season. Yes, even if they lose out and wind up 7-10. That said, the conversations about firing or trading Tomlin sure have picked up as the 2023 campaign has...

It’s always a sad feeling when Steelers-related depression grips Pittsburgh. It’s especially sad around the holidays. This week’s “U mad, bro?” entries run a wide gamut. George Pickens gets a lump of coal. The coaching staff gets quite a few. And I’m placed on Santa’s naughty list a few times....

Pitt alum Tyler Boyd takes a swipe at Pittsburgh Steelers receiver George Pickens as his Bengals prepare to visit Acrisure Stadium. Damontae Kazee’s suspension is upheld for the remainder of the regular season. T.J. Watt seems baffled that some Steelers aren’t responding to Mike Tomlin. Jaromir Jagr is still playing...

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin often says that he does not like to “paint with a broad brush.” After losing a third straight game Saturday in Indianapolis, though, Tomlin understood it was time to use a few wide strokes when describing what is wrong with his team. One of them...

If Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens thinks that only non-athlete media types are criticizing his lack of effort, then he is sorely mistaken. Pat Freiermuth is taking the blame for a bad play in the Steelers’ most recent loss. The officiating crew has been revealed for this week’s Steelers-Bengals...

The Pittsburgh Steelers may not have to contend with Cincinnati’s top pass catcher on Saturday. Damontae Kazee is getting some support from interesting places. Rashard Mendenhall can’t help making himself look dumb. And a former WPIAL basketball star shows a little brotherly love. All that in Tuesday’s “First Call.” Bengals...

Don’t take this the wrong way, Pittsburgh Penguins fans. But Marc-Andre Fleury was trying to avoid hearing you chant for him to get into the game Monday night at PPG Paints Arena. “I didn’t want to hear it,” Fleury said after his Minnesota Wild lost to the Penguins 4-3. “Because...

During Monday’s press conference, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin summed up his feelings about the club’s three-game losing streak. “One week, you’re drinking wine, then next week you’re squashing grapes. Obviously, we’ve squashed a lot of grapes of late. I’m interested in a little wine,” Tomlin said. After the...

Despite a lot of speculation about the future of Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh, odds are that he’ll be back as the Steelers’ head coach next year. The franchise has had only three coaches since 1969. Plus, team owner Art Rooney II has so often publicly aligned himself with Tomlin despite...

Monday’s “First Call” paints a less-than-pretty picture of the AFC wild-card race for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Terry Bradshaw has some thoughts on the Steelers’ offense. Shannon Sharpe has thoughts on Mike Tomlin. We look at Marc-Andre Fleury’s return to Pittsburgh, and it was a rough weekend against a tough opponent...

With a 30-13 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday, the Pittsburgh Steelers have now lost three in a row and have fallen to 7-7. That’s good for just 11th in the conference. They now are last in the AFC North. The Steelers blew an early 13-0 lead. From that...

Friday’s “First Call” features Cameron Heyward rebuffing Ben Roethlisberger’s assessment of Pittsburgh Steelers culture. An ex-Steeler is upset with the state of the team. A former Pirate is about to be part of a big trade. And a local hoops star just set a record at Duquesne. Dissenting opinion Ben...

After losing back-to-back games against a pair of two-win teams, there is no reason to pick the Pittsburgh Steelers to win Saturday in Indianapolis. Hence, I’m picking the Steelers to win Saturday in Indianapolis. That’s the way the NFL has been the past five to 10 years. That’s the way...

In a season that’s been up and down at times (to be kind) and flat-out maddening at others (to be blunt), the Pittsburgh Penguins have constantly been searching for that lightning bolt moment. They’ve hunted for a turnaround game that could ignite an extended winning streak. One that would eventually...

A lot of you think I don’t like Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. That’s not true. I like Tomlin more than many readers presume as a person and as a coach. What I hate is the national media coverage of Tomlin. Part of the reason why I’m as critical of...

Thursday’s “First Call” has unkind critiques of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ tight ends from a former player. The NFL rule book is about to get more complicated. The Steelers’ playoff road is rated as the most slippery in the league. And Marc Andre-Fleury discusses his long-term future. That sounds bad Former...

After his team’s 4-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes Tuesday night, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan leaned into a tried and true analogy when discussing the impact of his team finally scoring a pair of power-play goals. “Seeing the glass half full a little bit and trying to celebrate some of...

The NFL and its Players Association want more answers about how the Steelers handled T.J. Watt’s concussion. We investigate the prospect of Jonathan Taylor of the Colts returning to play against the Steelers on Saturday. Antonio Brown wants to retire as a Steeler. A former Steelers backup quarterback is heading...

Despite what is currently a six-year drought without a playoff win, the Steelers are highly unlikely to fire head coach Mike Tomlin after this season. But would they consider trading him at the nadir of his run in Pittsburgh? Presumably, Tomlin could still hold significant cachet with other franchises, starving...

The NFL’s big officiating controversy of the week in Kansas City wasn’t really a controversy at all. It was just a case of unfortunate timing. That’s CBS NFL rules analyst Gene Steratore’s take on the fallout from the offensive offside ruling against Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney late in his...

In Tuesday’s “First Call,” former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger tamps down any questions of a comeback. He also fans the flames of criticism when it comes to the coaching staff’s clock management. In hockey, the Penguins welcome Logan Cooley for the first time. And two other local skaters are shining...

There are two constants in Pittsburgh. The first is citywide angst whenever the Steelers go into a slump. The second is road construction. Let’s bring those two unavoidable eventualities together. Let’s say the Hot Metal Bridge near the Steelers’ facility needs repairs — again. Construction crews can make the decision...

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a train wreck right now. But, somehow, in the wake of all the other NFL results in Week 13, they are still in a playoff position. In Monday’s “First Call,” we get into how that’s possible. Plus, we look at the Steelers’ opponent next week. We...

It felt stupid, didn’t it? Tracking all those AFC games Sunday to see how they would impact the Steelers and the playoff standings. What a fruitless endeavor after how the Steelers performed in their last two games, losing both at home against teams (the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots)...

Everything is bad with the Pittsburgh Steelers right now. Losing back-to-back home games against two-win teams (the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots) has sapped any enthusiasm moving forward for the rest of the season. What’s even worse is that whenever the team is eventually eliminated from the playoffs —...