Tim Benz Columns category, Page 95
Ex-Bengal pans JuJu Smith-Schuster, criticizes Steelers’ draft strategy, offensive line construction
Before Vontaze Burfict and Adam “Pacman” Jones played in Cincinnati, the Bengals had plenty of other irritating players for Steelers fans. Perhaps none was more grating than mouthy wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Yes, he of the infamous Terrible Towel desecration. Well, Houshmandzadeh is still taking shots at the Steelers. And...
Tim Benz: At this point, the health of Joe Haden and T.J. Watt is a bigger deal than Ben Roethlisberger’s
I had a realization looking at the Steelers’ extended injury list in advance of Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Ben Roethlisberger’s iffy health status (pectoral injury) isn’t the chief concern. There was a time when the slightest whiff of an injury to Roethlisberger would send this city into a...
First Call: Todd Haley discusses his relationship with Ben Roethlisberger; Jaromir Jagr still scoring in Czech league
Friday’s “First Call” has Todd Haley discussing Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, video of Penguins legend Jaromir Jagr still scoring goals and news about Lamar Jackson’s absence from Baltimore Ravens practice. Also, the story of a kicker who helped beat the Steelers—and himself—at the same time. Going over old times Former...
Ex-Steeler Mike Hilton returns with Bengals, in possession of something he nabbed from Joe Haden
During his time with the Steelers, I always found Mike Hilton to be one of the more friendly and genuine players in the locker room. An engaging person who really appreciated the role he earned while he was here. A role he eventually parlayed into a four-year, $24 million contract...
Tim Benz: Steelers injuries are a concern. Not an excuse. Just ask some of their AFC rivals.
During his weekly press conference on Tuesday, expect Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin to be asked about the state of his team’s injury-depleted roster. You should expect an answer similar to this. “Such is life in the National Football League. Attrition through injury is inescapable in every NFL locker...
Airing of Grievances: Penalties; injuries; ill-timed big plays highlight Steelers’ latest upset loss to Raiders
On Saturday at Heinz Field, it was S.O.P — same old Pitt. On Sunday at Heinz Field, it was S.O.S — same old Steelers. Yet another upset loss to the Raiders franchise, their sixth in eight games since 2006. Yet another offensive catastrophe. Yet another give-back game in the standings...
First Call: Hall of Fame WR critical of Ben Roethlisberger; more Ravens injuries; regular season ‘Hard Knocks’ series
Friday’s “First Call” features a harsh rebuke of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The injuries keep mounting in Baltimore. A shakeup for HBO’s “Hard Knocks” series. And cornhole is trying to become an Olympic sport. Seriously. I think. Tell us what you really feel NFL Hall of Famer Cris Carter didn’t...
Raiders quarterback Derek Carr reignites old Steelers-Raiders rivalry with jab at Immaculate Reception
Part of the reason why some Pittsburgh Steelers fans are convinced that their team has had so much trouble with the Raiders in recent years — five losses in seven tries since 2006 — is that the Steelers haven’t been emotionally prepared for the Raiders. The theory being that the Steelers...
Tim Benz: By need or design, Steelers’ 3-man weave at outside linebacker needs to stay
For the Steelers, it could have been a case of necessity being the mother of invention. Or maybe a successful rollout of a grand plan. Either way, Mike Tomlin doesn’t want to talk much about the three-man rotation at outside linebacker we saw from his defense during Sunday’s Week 1...
Mike Tomlin had a creative message for his rookies before their 1st road game in Buffalo
All nine of the Steelers’ 2021 draft class members came from Power 5 conference programs. One benefit of that is the players come to the NFL having a feel for big-time football. The daily mechanisms and framework that exist on that scale. The pressures and expectations associated with being a...
‘U mad, bro?’: Steelers fans want more faith; Pitt fans want more coverage; Pirates fans want more wins
The Steelers season is just starting. The Pirates season is finally ending. Pitt’s fan base is starting to wake up. And the emotions from all sides are equally raw. That’s abundantly clear in this week’s “U mad, bro?”. After their win Sunday over the Buffalo Bills, this Twitter follower remained...
Tim Benz: Pirates’ inability to finish a sweep is something to behold
I have 15 windows open on my browser as I write this post about the Pittsburgh Pirates. The first one is the Google Doc I’m using to write my initial draft. The next 13 are box scores of the 13 losses from the Pirates this year as they have unsuccessfully...
Tim Benz: Cameron Heyward, pass rush prowess, special teams adventures tell the story of Steelers’ upset win over Bills
Uh, oh. The Steelers are going to be that kinda team again in 2021, aren’t they? That “30-Minute Men” team we talked about at length last season. Especially during that opening stretch of 2020 when Mike Tomlin’s crew won 11 in a row, largely by playing “above the line” football...
Tim Benz: Dawna, the 3 horses and Flight 93’s ‘ambassadors’ of heroism
There is a language at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Stonycreek Township. A way of talking. No one actually whispers, but no one uses their full voice either. Every conversation is in hushed tones. Emotions seem to be communicated in the silence in between thoughts. And that’s just the...
Tim Benz: AFC North media members are bullish on prospects for Ravens, Browns, even Bengals
As the Pittsburgh Steelers prepare for the start of the 2021 season in Buffalo on Sunday, it seems like a good idea to check in with their competition within the AFC North. To do that, I got in touch with some media colleagues in each city to get their perspectives...
Tim Benz: Twitter shame-police are making me defend Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly
So it’s come to this. Twitter has fallen so deep into the ninth circle of hell that it has forced me to side with the head coach of Notre Dame football. And, yes, that head coach is still Brian Kelly. I need a shower and I haven’t even gotten to...
Wilmer Difo’s Wrigley Field pop-up mishap comically foreshadowed by ex-Pirate Sean Casey
During a radio appearance on WDVE on Thursday, former Pirate and Upper St. Clair native Sean Casey told a laugh-out-loud story about playing at Wrigley Field. Little did he know that the punchline would be recreated by his hometown team later that night. The Pirates are in the middle of...
First Call: Jordan Berry finds new team; Steelers will like this ESPN prediction; Bills’ Josh Allen ripe for regression?
Ex-Steelers punter Jordan Berry already has a new job. It comes with an ironic twist. Steelers fans will like one bold prediction from ESPN.com but probably will hate a second one. Also, a statistical warning for the Steelers’ opening opponent. And those who remain from the Robert Morris hockey program...
Tim Benz: Adam ‘PacMan’ Jones calls Steelers ‘dirtiest’ team in the NFL during hilarious rant
The rivalry between the Steelers and Bengals may not be as bloodthirsty as it was five or six years ago. But you’d never know that by listening to former Bengal Adam “PacMan” Jones. The former Cincinnati defensive back has made no bones about continuing his disdain for the Steelers into...
Tim Benz: ‘Dwayne Train’ preseason hype showed a lot of deep-rooted scars for Steelers fans from ugly quarterbacking history
Quarterback Dwayne Haskins’ stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers has gotten off to a decent start. Most days he looked sharp in training camp. Then, during the first three preseason games, he was a lot better than I expected (28 of 42, 271 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 92.5 passer rating)....
Tim Benz: Steelers appear to have drafted an impactful rookie class. Now they have to count on it for success in 2021
The Steelers appear to have drafted a very productive class of rookies, many of whom could see extensive playing time in high-leverage situations. On offense, first-round pick Najee Harris will be the featured running back. Third-round selection Kendrick Green should start the year at center. Second-rounder Pat Freiermuth already is...
Tim Benz: With preseason games over, Steelers still have 3 big issues to address
For the most part, the Pittsburgh Steelers appeared to have a very positive training camp and a solid preseason. Friday night’s 34-9 dud of a loss to the Carolina Panthers in the preseason finale aside. It appears as if a lot of questions surrounding the team’s depth — and even...
Tim Benz: Little details of Pat Freiermuth’s game could lead to a big impact on Steelers offense
The big picture on Pat Freiermuth is that the Steelers hope he will be an answer at tight end for years to come. Freiermuth’s measurables are impressive. He’s 6-foot-5, 251 pounds with 9 7/8-inch hands. And with a 4.72 40-yard dash, he’s fast enough for a tight end of that...
Tim Benz: If Steelers fans are giving Dwayne Haskins a chance to improve, they should give Mason Rudolph the same shot
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin often says that his team “has no time for hypothetical conversations.” Former head coach Bill Cowher famously stated his disdain for the “what if” game. Well, I have a disdain for the annual fourth preseason game of the NFL season. Yet the Steelers are...
Tim Benz: Steelers answering questions about thin roster spots as preseason wins mount
It’s always wise to caution putting any stock in the results of Steelers preseason games. Especially with this 3-0 start in 2021. After all, the Steelers are playing nothing but NFC teams that finished out of the playoffs — and with sub-.500 records — in 2020. Over the first two...
