First Call: Steelers’ blunt assessment of Patriots’ offense continues; Jordan Addison returning for Vikings
Tuesday’s “First Call” has some interesting quotes in the wake of the Steelers-Patriots game. The Minnesota Vikings are getting an offensive weapon back in advance of their contest against the Steelers in Ireland. Derrick Henry suddenly has a fumbling problem in Baltimore, and the Pirates could influence the National League...
Pat Narduzzi has at least 1 area of confidence coming off Pitt’s loss at WVU
Whenever a college football team drops a game in a way Pitt lost at West Virginia, the topic invariably comes up about how the players will — or won’t — bounce back emotionally when they have to take the field next time out. For Pitt, that’ll be Saturday against Louisville...
Tim Benz: Cameron Heyward, T.J. Watt hope to avoid ‘roller coaster’ but must continue climb back to topVideo
When the Pittsburgh Steelers won their first game of the season, one single identifiable trait got them to victory, even though there were plenty of holes elsewhere. The passing game. Aaron Rodgers, his pass catchers and Arthur Smith’s pass game design were really good. Very little else was. Sunday’s 21-14...
First Call: James Conner, Najee Harris suffer significant injuries; Russell Wilson struggles as Giants get booed
In this Monday’s “First Call,” we pass along unfortunate injury news surrounding two former Pittsburgh Steelers running backs. Russell Wilson is having a tough time in New York, while the Vikings may be giving the Steelers some problems in Ireland. Plus updates on the rest of the AFC North. Conner’s...
Madden Monday: Steelers should watch tape of win in New England ‘as if they lost’
The New England Patriots aided the Pittsburgh Steelers in getting a 21-14 win at Gillette Stadium on Sunday by committing five turnovers and seven penalties. For those reasons, in this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark Madden of TribLive and 105.9 The X isn’t putting much stock in the Steelers’ win...
Feats of Strength: Timely turnovers, potent pass rush lead to rare Steelers win in New England
It was a “Throwback Weekend” for NFL coverage on CBS. The network celebrated 50 years of “The NFL Today.” That’s probably a good thing. Because, for the most part, you had to go back to the 1970s to find much success for the Steelers in New England. They won there...
Football Footnotes: Believe it — the Steelers have won in New England. No, seriously
The Pittsburgh Steelers head to Gillette Stadium this Sunday for a Week 3 showdown against the New England Patriots. It’s a game that could have long-term ramifications. Given the soft AFC East chasing Buffalo, Drake Maye’s potential advancement at quarterback, and a revamped coaching staff with former Steeler and Patriot...
First Call: Reports of ‘significant’ injury in practice for Steelers OL; Patriots may get key CB back
The Pittsburgh Steelers may have lost some of their depth along the offensive line. The Patriots could get a key piece of their team back Sunday when the Steelers visit New England. Justin Fields won’t play Sunday for the Jets, and the Pirates are gearing up for their final home...
U mad, bro?: Steelers position changes, Mike Tomlin’s message, anthem singers, ‘Renegade’s’ failure
Just one loss for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and already the emails and social media interactions are taking creativity to a new level. Our first “post-loss” edition of “U mad, bro?” involves position changes, the removal of “Renegade,” complaints about the anthem singer, 30-year-old movie references, 50-year-old musical references, and grandiose...
First Call: Broadcast and officiating crews revealed for Steelers-Patriots; another Viking out for Ireland game
We know the broadcast crew and the officiating crew for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ game in New England on Sunday. We also have word about the first captain for Mike Sullivan in New York. We tell you how some potential stars for the Pirates did in Altoona’s playoff game. And we’ll...
Tim Benz: Fuss over Kaleb Johnson’s special teams miscue masks a greater problem with RB rotationVideo
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin threw a loaf of bread to the pond full of hissing geese in the fanbase and the media who wanted to see Kaleb Johnson punished for his ghastly kickoff miscue Sunday versus the Seattle Seahawks. Actually, it wasn’t really a loaf of bread. It...
Rare Paul Skenes clunker adds to September slide
A rare dud from Paul Skenes on Tuesday night was just the latest sad chapter in a September swoon for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cy Young favorite couldn’t make it out of the fourth inning as the Chicago Cubs (87-64) beat the beleaguered Bucs (65-87), 4-1, behind their own blossoming...
Tim Benz: Sorry, Sid, but this time the call is coming from inside the house
Over roughly three decades of covering sports — almost 24 of those years in this city — I’ve never seen a more copacetic relationship between local reporters and a big-time superstar than the one that exists between Sidney Crosby and the media contingent in Pittsburgh. Throughout the vast majority of...
First Call: How this week’s QB injuries impact the Steelers; George Pickens comments on playing with Kenny PickettVideo
“First Call” for Tuesday looks at how all those quarterback injuries over the weekend may impact the Pittsburgh Steelers. A former Pitt standout is dealing with an injury of his own. A new Steeler scouts their upcoming opponent in the pocket this week. And George Pickens has a curious quote....
Tim Benz: Broderick Jones’ 4-letter description of loss to Seahawks — and why he’s right
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Broderick Jones summed up his club’s 31-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. “That game was like a (expletive) show, basically, for us,” Jones said Monday afternoon. Yup. That’s a pretty accurate description of the 2025 Acrisure Stadium season opener. We can come up with...
Madden Monday: ‘I hate this defense’ and ‘I would have cut Kaleb Johnson before he got to the sideline’
The biggest reason for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ loss on Sunday afternoon was Kaleb Johnson’s flubbed kick return in the fourth quarter. Down 17-14, the rookie running back allowed a kickoff to drop in the landing zone and skip by him into the end zone. He failed to cover it there,...
First Call: Justin Fields injured; Mitch Trubisky plays; Russell Wilson’s big day
Monday’s “First Call” recaps polar opposite outings from both of the Steelers’ former quarterbacks who are now in New York. We get a look at how Pittsburgh’s next opponent did Sunday. And old friend Mitch Trubisky had some game action for the Buffalo Bills. We’ll tell you how he did....
Airing of Grievances: Kaleb Johnson’s big mistake, defensive deficiencies ruin Steelers home opener
Sunday’s festivities for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ home opener against the Seattle Seahawks began with 1980s metal star Bruce Dickinson singing the national anthem. After that, though, as Dickinson once sang with his band Iron Maiden, the Steelers endured “Hell on Earth.” The Steelers gave up a touchdown on the opening...
First Call: Tyler Kennedy can’t dismiss Sidney Crosby trade talk; car stolen from ex-Steeler involved in high-speed chase
Friday’s “First Call” has a crazy story about someone stealing the car of a retired Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl champion. Tyler Kennedy thinks there might be some fire to the smoke about these Sidney Crosby trade rumors. We set up the weekend of college football action. A Cleveland Brown may...
Football Footnotes: How the Steelers used DK Metcalf’s yards-after-catch skills in Week 1
One area where the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense was particularly strong Sunday in New York was its ability to exploit the run-after-catch skills of new receiver DK Metcalf. In this Friday’s “Football Footnotes” post, we analyze how the Steelers used Metcalf’s athleticism to turn short passes into big chunk plays in...
Pitt, WVU coaches employing mind games, motivational tactics in advance of Backyard Brawl
The message appeared to have multiple layers in its intent from Pat Narduzzi. As the Pitt football coach stood at his podium to open his Monday morning press conference before this Saturday’s game at West Virginia, he read a list of results from Week 1 of the college football season....
First Call: Examining the Steelers’ alleged interest in Tyreek Hill; more Seahawks secondary issuesVideo
Thursday’s “First Call” follows up on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ alleged interest in Miami wide receiver Tyreek Hill. There are two stories of interest surrounding the Seattle Seahawks’ secondary in advance of their trip to Pittsburgh. And an error made by a New York Jet in their loss to Pittsburgh has...
Tim Benz: What might be behind the Sidney Crosby trade conversation — and what isn’t
After years of attempting to dismiss any suggestion that he may want to leave Pittsburgh someday, both Sidney Crosby and his agent fanned the flames of that conversation this week. As recently as June, Crosby’s agent, Pat Brisson, called rumors of Crosby being willing to accept a trade to Colorado...
U mad, bro?: Cam Heyward, Keeanu Benton, Broderick Jones take heat from Steelers fans even after win
After the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Jets, 34-32, on Sunday, quarterback Aaron Rodgers summed up the victory perfectly. “The best part about Week 1 victories like this is there’s so much correctable tape,” Rodgers said. “It’s like a coach’s dream journal. To win, but also to have some correctable moments?...
First Call: Terry Bradshaw changes his tune on Aaron Rodgers; something to watch with the refs in Steelers-Seahawks
In Wednesday’s “First Call,” Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw is singing a different tune about Aaron Rodgers. The fancy stats seem to like Justin Fields’ performance better than how Rodgers played in the Steelers’ win over New York on Sunday. We know the officiating crew for this week’s...
