Tim Benz Columns category, Page 84
Tim Benz: If Ben Cherington is feeling ‘urgent’ about the Pirates, let’s see proof beyond keeping guys he already has
Maybe Pirates general manager Ben Cherington has a different definition of “urgent” than I do. Or the Oxford dictionary does. “Urgent: showing that you think that something needs to be dealt with immediately.” On Tuesday, after the MLB trade deadline passed, Cherington described the Pirates’ action of keeping outfielder Bryan...
U mad, bro?: Readers have helmet-cap hysteria, Steelers ‘hold-in’ sanctimony, Pirates trade deadline depression
The Steelers have a wide receiver staging a “hold-in.” The Pirates just traded their best pitcher and recently endured a seven-game losing streak. And the NFL is making their players wear weird safety cushions on their helmets. Oh, also, you may not have heard about this one. It may have...
Plenty of reasons for Steelers to embrace multiple-tight end ‘mode’ even more in 2022
During the first week of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, I asked head coach Mike Tomlin about tight end Zach Gentry and the prospect of his development leading to the usage of more two-tight end packages. “We’ve been in that mode,” Tomlin replied. Looking at the numbers, that appears to be...
Tim Benz: It’s what Steelers GM Omar Khan did not say about Diontae Johnson’s contract that matters most
Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan made his feelings about Diontae Johnson abundantly clear Tuesday. He wants him on the team. This year and moving forward. One thing Khan didn’t make quite as obvious is that he wants Johnson to stay at the franchise’s preferred salary. Not the vastly expanding...
Tim Benz: Good luck to what remains of Pirates roster after trade deadline passes
The trade deadline for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the rest of Major League Baseball is Tuesday evening. Whatever the Pirates do, it’ll no doubt make their Major League roster even less competi— Uh, I mean … it’ll no doubt stock their farm system with even more pieces for the inevitable...
Steelers linebacker speaks cautiously, but he’s clearly not a fan of NFL’s protective Guardian Caps
When it comes to the NFL’s new “Guardian Caps,” Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Myles Jack is at least trying to be more diplomatic than, say, for instance, Green Bay’s De’Vondre Campbell. “I just think it’s stupid, to be honest,” Campbell said via Packers Wire. “You say you’re doing it to protect...
Tim Benz: Pirates may not know how to win, but they sure have figured out when to lose
I’ll give the 2022 Pittsburgh Pirates credit for one thing. They sure do know how to bury a losing streak. The current slide for the Buccos started July 24, just before Steelers training camp opened. So no one in Pittsburgh noticed. Now it’s up to seven games, in advance of...
Madden Monday on Kenny Pickett’s 3rd-team status with Steelers: ‘It’s just how life is for rookie quarterbacks’
Pittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett is being relegated to third-team duties to begin his first NFL training camp. Because of that, he hasn’t been working with a lot of veterans or top-of-the-depth-chart talents. As a result, a lot of the team drills have been a struggle for Pickett. The...
Friday Football Footnotes: Another big-money receiver contract; Baker Mayfield doesn’t want to see his old Browns jersey
The Pittsburgh Steelers are entering their third day of training camp. The rest of the National Football League’s teams are wading into preparations as well. So, let’s find out what’s happening across the rest of the NFL in our first “Friday Football Footnotes” of 2022. Eyes on the prize Every...
Tim Benz: Mike Tomlin may not be re-evaluating Steelers QB battle ‘after every throw,’ but it feels like everyone else is
Mike Tomlin has said that the Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff won’t be reshuffling the quarterback depth chart on a daily basis. “We’re not going to micromanage, or overmanage, this quarterback competition,” Tomlin said Tuesday. “The depth chart is not going to rest on every throw.” He didn’t say anything about...
Tim Benz: No comparison between Diontae Johnson’s ‘hold-in’ and T.J. Watt’s — beyond the action itself
While discussing the state of his contract negotiations with the Pittsburgh Steelers during a training camp media scrum Wednesday, wide receiver Diontae Johnson admitted that he was frustrated by some of the public reaction to his financial requests. Specifically, those in fan and media circles who don’t believe he is...
Steelers don’t have a designated slot receiver in mind — and they think it’s a good thing
On the first day of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, quarterback Mason Rudolph jumped up to snag a high snap. The timing of the screen play was thrown off as a result. But Rudolph was still able to push a short completion to rookie Calvin Austin III. Austin did the rest....
Tim Benz: Larry Ogunjobi willing to play multiple roles to buffer retirement of ‘Mustang’ Stephon Tuitt
The Pittsburgh Steelers signed free-agent defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi to help along the defensive line. Now they just have to figure out the best way to use him. In the base defense, anyway. One thing is clear. In the sub package, they want him to push the pocket. Get after...
U mad, bro?: Quarterback concerns; stadium name-change anger; RB depth; Pirates draft discord
We’ve had a week off from “U mad, bro?” because I was on vacation. As a result, we’ve got a ton of angst built up. So I thought it would be best to release a bit of the building pressure on my inbox and my Twitter mentions before they pop....
Tim Benz: Najee Harris on board with Steelers using 2nd back to lighten his load. But there are other ways, too
Najee Harris isn’t being territorial about how many times he gets the ball in 2022. After 381 touches in his rookie season, the Steelers running back sees value in reducing that number. “There are some plays, if you watch my film, I’ll get somewhat tired. And those aren’t my best...
Tim Benz: Better? Worse? Stagnant? Where are the Penguins as they move into the slow summer lull?
As the Pittsburgh Steelers report to Saint Vincent College for training camp Tuesday, the Penguins — and other NHL teams — get to enjoy what their NFL counterparts don’t. An actual offseason. Oh, sure, players in both sports get their downtime for physical rest and recovery at various points on...
Tim Benz: Latest ESPN offseason poll frames a significant question for 2022 Steelers
The latest in an endless torrent of NFL offseason polls, rankings and lists on national websites actually revealed an interesting truth about the Pittsburgh Steelers. Most of these posts are just filler for the league’s downtime in July before training camp. They are simply conversation starters to drive traffic and...
Madden Monday on Steelers training camp: ‘You have to have resources to have position battles’
The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t have a lot of position battles heading into training camp. That really shouldn’t be the case for a team that hasn’t won a playoff game in five years and barely made the postseason at 9-7-1 a year ago. But in this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark...
Tim Benz: Steelers may be a middle of the road team, but these aren’t middle of the road predictions
As the Pittsburgh Steelers head to training camp at Saint Vincent College, this is the time of year when many Pittsburgh media types (and fans) make a lot predictions about the upcoming season. Except the predictions usually aren’t too bold. They usually are couched with a bunch of “ifs” and...
Tim Benz: Deciding on Tristan Jarry’s contract may be on a shorter timeline than we think
You can understand why Penguins general manager Ron Hextall responded to the question the way he did Wednesday afternoon. A wry half-smile, a quick toss of the hand and a slight shake of the head. As of Wednesday, NHL teams were allowed to start signing players to contract extensions if...
First Call: Cameron Heyward’s practical view on Acrisure Stadium name change; Pirates head to Colorado
Friday’s “First Call” has a hot take from Steelers captain Cameron Heyward on the new name for Heinz Field. A former Penn State star is running out of time to avoid the franchise tag. The Pirates will miss facing a former teammate at Coors Field. And Jaromir Jagr wants NHL...
Le’Veon Bell hints at retirement, suggests he’d like ‘a time machine’ to handle 2018 divorce from Steelers differently
A day after saying he’d be staying away from football this year to concentrate on boxing, former Steeler Le’Veon Bell now sounds like a player who is on the cusp of retirement. He also sounds like a man with a lot of regrets. In a long Instagram post Wednesday, Bell...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans are sure that they hate Acrisure Stadium; Penguins fans aren’t thrilled with free agency
The Steelers announced that they are giving the naming rights for Heinz Field to some company you’ve never heard of, from a city that isn’t Pittsburgh. The Penguins are bringing back a team that won’t change at all from the team that has failed to win its last five playoff...
Tim Benz: There are plenty of reasons to hate Heinz Field name change — but we’re laying it on a little thick
Speaking at what used to be known as Heinz Field, Greg Williams didn’t seem like he deserved to be the most hated man in Pittsburgh. The truth is, that’s because he probably isn’t. I’m not sure if anyone in Pittsburgh really dislikes Williams. Or could recognize him on the street....
Tim Benz: Evgeni Malkin’s decision to stay in Pittsburgh softens focus on Rickard Rakell’s contract
Did you ever break up with someone after a long relationship, then start dating somebody else you barely know right away in an attempt to get back at that other person? Did that new relationship immediately start off with a $30 million prenup? That sort of feels like what happened...
