Tim Benz stories, Page 27
Tim Benz: If the Steelers go with Justin Fields in 2025, actually treat him like a starter
During his season-ending press conference on Tuesday, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was asked about the team’s plans at quarterback next season. At no point did he make a strong suggestion that the franchise was intending to retain Russell Wilson as the starter. In fact, his answer sounded like it had...
First Call: Steelers show interest in Pitt safety; Maxx Crosby endorses idea of Raiders signing Najee Harris
Thursday’s “First Call” connects the Steelers to a Pitt defensive back in advance of the NFL draft. A Pro Bowl defensive star is stumping for his team to sign Najee Harris. There is yet another twist in the Diontae Johnson saga. Zay Flowers’ injury status is still murky for the...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans are firing back at criticism of Mike Tomlin
Thanks to an eighth straight year without a playoff win, criticism of Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has been brisk. So you know how that goes. As soon as a push to fire Tomlin starts, there is a big pushback in the other direction. Or, there are some that just try...
‘Still not over it’: 30 years later, some Steelers can’t forget the ’94-’95 AFC Championship GameVideo
Former San Diego Chargers coach Bobby Ross just turned 88 years old last month. He also just went through knee replacement surgery. That didn’t stop him from sharing his memories of Jan. 15, 1995. “So, how can I help you?” Ross said on the other end of the phone. “What...
Tim Benz: Mike Tomlin’s answers about George Pickens raise more questions
During Tuesday’s season-ending press conference, I asked Steelers coach Mike Tomlin if it was a priority for the franchise to get wide receiver George Pickens a contract extension in the offseason. He didn’t say, “Yes.” Instead he said: “We haven’t had any conversations about pecking orders or priorities regarding any...
For Duquesne football, challenges of playing Pitt in ’25 opener are well worth the opportunity
Last week’s announcement about Duquesne being Pitt’s season-opening opponent at Acrisure Stadium to start the 2025 college football season generated a lot of buzz on the Bluff. During a halftime interview at the Duquesne-St. Joseph’s basketball game on Wednesday, Dukes athletic director Dave Harper admitted he was hoping to get...
First Call: Steelers LB was hampered during playoff loss; team already looking at RBs in draftVideo
Tuesday’s “First Call” has some background on a Pittsburgh Steeler who was compromised heading into Saturday night’s playoff game at Baltimore. The Steelers are already looking at running backs in advance of the NFL draft. A former Steeler turned in a highlight on defense during the “Monday Night Football” playoff...
Should the Steelers want to keep Russell Wilson? Should T.J. Watt want to stay in Pittsburgh?
Before linebacker T.J. Watt and quarterback Russell Wilson went into meetings at Steelers headquarters Monday, both players told media members they want to stay in Pittsburgh for years to come. For Wilson, that would mean signing here — presumably on a multi-year deal — instead of leaving in free agency...
First Call: Steelers not expected to move on from Mike Tomlin; loss to Ravens panned by Terry Bradshaw, Bill Cowher
In Monday’s “First Call,” don’t expect the Pittsburgh Steelers to make any move at the head coaching position. A pair of Steelers legends are disappointed in their former team’s effort during Saturday night’s playoff loss in Baltimore. A familiar face will be coaching the Patriots when the Steelers visit New...
Madden Monday: Steelers shouldn’t bring Russell Wilson back ‘at any price’
The 2024-25 Pittsburgh Steelers season is over. Now they have to start figuring out what to do for 2025-26. Good luck. Whatever they try to do won’t be dictated until they figure out an action plan at quarterback. They currently do not have a QB under contract for 2025. It’s...
Airing of Grievances: Another hideous start, rotten run defense result in 6th straight playoff loss for Steelers
A Steelers season that had a lot of promise at 10-3 is now over thanks to an all-too-familiar collapse. It was another slide that started in December and ended with a thud in early January. It’s been that way in Pittsburgh pretty much since the end of the 2017 regular...
First Call: John Harbaugh brings up ‘next week’ while discussing Zay Flowers; ex-Steeler up for 49ers’ defensive job
Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh said something that caught the attention of many Pittsburgh Steelers fans. A former Steeler is making a name for himself on the interview circuit for defensive coordinators. The Penguins have a chance to make some noise in the wild-card race this weekend. And Evgeni Malkin...
Tim Benz: Penguins flip the script to avoid another late-game collapse against Oilers
It’s fitting that the Pittsburgh Penguins’ “Star Wars Night” promotion Thursday evening followed Tuesday’s 4-3 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. That defeat created a great disturbance in the force at PPG Paints Arena. The Penguins blew a 3-1 advantage in the third period, then lost the shootout 2-0,...
Football Footnotes: If the Steelers are to upset the Ravens, here are 3 specific fixes they’ll need
When you lose 34-17, as the Pittsburgh Steelers did in Baltimore in Week 16, that means there are plenty of things to correct. That’s particularly true if you face the same opponent in the playoffs three weeks later, as the Steelers are doing Saturday when they visit Baltimore again to...
First Call: Zay Flowers update; Ravens preparing for Justin Fields to get snaps
Thursday’s “First Call” has an update on injured Baltimore receiver Zay Flowers as the Ravens get ready to host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday. Baltimore is getting ready for both Steelers quarterbacks in the game. The national media spin about Mike Tomlin is in its usual January mode. And we...
U mad, bro?: Fans are either mad at the Steelers or mad at people critical of the Steelers. Pick a side
The Pittsburgh Penguins have lost five of six and are living off of loser points like the raccoons who dig through my garbage can on trash night. Actually, let’s be honest. This year, for the Penguins, every night is trash night. As a result, I’ve gotten quite a few angry...
Tim Benz: Try as he might, Mike Tomlin can’t ‘tote those bags’ of playoff frustration for all of his players
Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin doesn’t want his players carrying the burden of the franchise’s seven-year playoff-win drought. “What you mentioned is my story, it’s not this collective’s story,” Tomlin said Monday. “Many of these guys involved do not tote those bags. I happily tote those bags. It’s not something...
Tim Benz: Pens play ‘points game’ poorly to open crucial 5-game homestand
Pittsburgh Penguins winger Bryan Rust doesn’t care that 40 of 82 games remain on the schedule. The extra point they gave away to a division rival Tuesday night is worthy of some angst. “It’s never too early to play the points game,” Rust said with some agitation. “There’s (nine) points...
First Call: Justin Fields on his chances for snaps vs. Baltimore; Broderick Jones wanted Ravens rematch
Wednesday’s “First Call” has Justin Fields’ assessment of his chances of getting on the field in some form this week against the Baltimore Ravens. A Steelers offensive lineman says this is the playoff rematch that he wanted going into Week 18. A former Steeler is under consideration for the New...
First Call: The roadblock facing teams trading for Mike Tomlin; Steelers-Ravens officials revealed
Tuesday’s “First Call” has a wrinkle in the conversation about the idea of teams trading for Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. We get to know the officials for Saturday’s Steelers-Ravens game. An ex-Steeler and Raven has joined a different AFC playoff club. And we examine the opponents of the Penguins...
KHL player pulls a Rodolfo Castro and loses cellphone on ice mid-shift
I’m sure Pittsburgh baseball fans fondly remember that Pirates game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2022 when former infielder Rodolfo Castro’s cellphone popped out of his back pocket while he was sliding into third base. Well, a Russian hockey player just said, “Rodolfo, hold my beer.” Or, perhaps better said,...
Tim Benz: Steelers haven’t earned the privilege of a clean slate heading into playoffs
Last week, we couldn’t even get “on the same page” about whether or not George Pickens and Russell Wilson were “on the same page” about being “on the same page.” Last question to George Pickens was about the his role in the end zone interception vs. the Chiefs.His response (or...
Madden Monday: Expect Steelers’ return to Baltimore to go from ‘bad to worse’
There is some hope within the Pittsburgh Steelers fanbase that a second time around in Baltimore will be better than the first. There is a good reason for that. That reason is it couldn’t go much worse than the first time. The Steelers dropped their regular season road game against...
First Call: A Bengals DB trashes George Pickens; ESPN reboots the Mike Tomlin trade speculation
Monday’s “First Call” features a Cincinnati Bengal talking trash on Pittsburgh Steelers receiver George Pickens. There’s Mike Tomlin trade speculation … again. We have playoff gambling odds for the Steelers and Penn State. Mason Rudolph got more playing time for the Tennessee Titans. Diontae Johnson made his debut for the...
Airing of Grievances: ‘Anemic’ offense; late-arriving defense result in Steelers’ 4th straight lossVideo
The Steelers’ recent losses to the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs were one thing. Those defeats could be explained by simply saying the club played a trio of the best teams in the NFL — three division winners with a combined 40-9 record. Saturday night’s defeat to...
