Tim Benz: The easier the analysis, the harder the answers for Steelers’ run defense
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin knows what needs to improve when it comes to his team’s struggling run defense. “I want us to be stouter,” Tomlin said Tuesday. OK. Great. Sounds good. We’ll see everybody Sunday at Acrisure Stadium against the Seattle Seahawks. Problem identified. Problem solved. Of course,...
Did the Steelers get ‘hosed’ by the officials in New York? CBS rules analyst Gene Steratore weighs in
After Sunday’s 34-32 season-opening win in New York, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said that he believed the Steelers “got hosed” by the officials on a crucial call late in the game. It turns out he may have been right. With just over a minute remaining in the game, trailing...
First Call: Seahawks injury news; Giants sticking with Russell Wilson; Tyler Glasnow exits during no-hitter
Tuesday’s “First Call” has injury news for the Seattle Seahawks as they get ready to arrive at Acrisure Stadium for Sunday’s game against the Steelers. We check in on Russell Wilson’s status in New York, and we update the health of a former Steeler who was injured for Miami. Plus,...
Broderick Jones, Payton Wilson, Keeanu Benton absorb criticism from ex-Steelers
Some ex-Steelers are unhappy with what they are seeing from a trio of current players in black and gold. Retired Steelers offensive lineman Trai Essex has gotten into the media game. He hosts the “Snap Count Show” with former teammate Charlie Batch on the Big Play Sports Network. The two-time...
Tim Benz: Let Aaron Rodgers write the Steelers’ future. He can’t erase the past
Aaron Rodgers was excellent in his debut as the starting quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. He was 22 of 30 (73%) for 244 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions and a passer rating of 136.7 en route to a 34-32 victory over the New York Jets. That statement and...
First Call: Justin Fields’ comments on the Steelers defense; how Russell Wilson played with the Giants; Pitt-WVU odds
Monday’s “First Call” features Justin Fields’ postgame comments about the Steelers’ defense. We check in on how Russell Wilson did for New York’s other team. Odds are out for the Backyard Brawl, but not yet for Penn State’s next game. And the Pirates head to the Beltway for a week....
Madden Monday: ‘The Steelers can’t play defense, and Aaron Rodgers is really good’
For Mark Madden of TribLive and 105.9 The X, the analysis of the Steelers’ 34-32 win over the New York Jets is pretty simple. Aaron Rodgers and the passing game: Thumbs up. Everything else: Thumbs down. “It comes down to the Steelers can’t play defense, and Aaron Rodgers is really...
Feats of Strength: Aaron Rodgers’ stellar return, role player prowess part of exciting Week 1 Steelers win
You might have seen a close Pittsburgh Steelers win coming in advance of their 2025 season opener against the New York Jets. I did. I picked them to win by two points. Unfortunately, I said the final score was going to be 15-13. In the end, the Steelers ended up winning...
Feats of Strength: Aaron Rodgers’ stellar return, role player prowess part of exciting Week 1 Steelers win
You might have seen a close Steelers win coming in advance of their 2025 season opener against the New York Jets. I did. I picked them to win by two points. Unfortunately, I said the final score was going to be 15-13. That’s 28 total points, folks. Most gambling outlets...
Tim Benz: ‘Serial optimism’ may determine the fate of the 2025 Steelers
During a conversation at his locker Wednesday, Steelers safety Miles Killebrew described himself as a “serial optimist.” “I always say, ‘This is our year.’ I don’t see anything that’s telling me otherwise this year. I think we are going to be a great team,” the special teams captain said this...
First Call: Arthur Smith’s cloudy response about Jaylen Warren; George Pickens’ quiet opener for Dallas
Friday’s “First Call” has an interesting interpretation of Jaylen Warren from Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. An often-discussed wide receiver option for the Steelers is retiring. George Pickens played his first game in a Cowboys uniform. A former Steelers offensive tackle is trying to make a comeback with a massive...
Football Footnotes: Annual NFL predictions have Steelers falling back. But how much?
As is tradition at “Breakfast With Benz,” we use our first “Friday Football Footnotes” of the year as the platform to make our season predictions. Ready or not, here we are. • Last year, I had the Steelers at 9-8 and the last team to miss the playoffs. They ended...
After big numbers vs. Pitt, Duquesne WR Joey Isabella hopes to follow brother’s path to NFL career
It’s not like Duquesne wide receiver Joey Isabella took the Pitt Panthers by surprise. They were preparing for him on Saturday in advance of the 2025 season opener for both clubs. “They’ve got a great receiver in a guy named Joey Isabella,” Panthers coach Pat Narduzzi said during his opening...
U mad, bro?: Steelers uncertainty, Cam Heyward’s contract lead to prickly reader interactions
Cam Heyward’s contractual situation is still sticky. The Pittsburgh Steelers did very little in the preseason to assure fans that 2025 is going to be much different than recent years past, and hope for the future with the upcoming crop of draft-eligible quarterbacks took a dent in Week 1. This...
First Call: Tracking 2 significant Jets injuries; Will Howard discusses broken bone; Jakobi Meyers update
In Thursday’s “First Call,” we examine two injury notes concerning the New York Jets as they get ready to host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday for a Week 1 showdown. We also get a health update from rookie QB Will Howard, and some more info on a one-time trade target...
First Call: Jets coach calls Aaron Rodgers questions ‘not relevant’; scary moment for Pirates prospect Konnor Griffin
New York Jets coach Aaron Glenn wants to downplay any storylines about Aaron Rodgers’ return with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. There was a scary moment for the Pirates’ top prospect Tuesday night. A wide receiver signing in Buffalo should get the attention of Steelers fans. And we look at...
Tim Benz: We are well beyond ‘We’ll see’ with Cam Heyward’s contract debate
With the Aaron Rodgers-Justin Fields storyline, DK Metcalf’s debut, the reconfigured secondary, and just the fact that it’s the 2025 season opener, the Pittsburgh Steelers really didn’t need another subplot to make the Week 1 contest in New York interesting. Enter Cameron Heyward’s Rubik’s Cube of a contract dispute. It’s...
Justin Fields discusses ‘most appealing’ reason he left Steelers for Jets
As he did when he was a Pittsburgh Steeler, New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields spent Tuesday handling a lot of media questions about a high-profile QB situation with a sense of calm and class. That’s how he did it for nearly two months to start 2024 in Pittsburgh. That’s...
First Call: Jets sign ex-Steelers LB; update on Najee Harris; Duquesne president wants hoops City Game back
Tuesday’s “First Call” brings us back from the Labor Day weekend with news about three linebackers who used to be Pittsburgh Steelers. There is an update on Najee Harris. The Pirates face two tough opponents back-to-back at PNC Park. And Duquesne’s president wants the Pitt basketball rivalry back after Saturday’s...
Tim Benz: ‘Banana ball’ success is real. Angry comps to ‘Bucco Ball’ are not
I didn’t attend either of the Savannah Bananas events at PNC Park over Labor Day weekend. However, I know quite a few folks who did, and the reviews were all positive. If you are coming here looking for the old, fuddy-duddy, baseball purist “That’s not real baseball, so I’m not...
Madden Monday: ‘The Jets will use Justin Fields better than the Steelers ever did’
Sunday’s Steelers-Jets regular-season opener will undoubtedly feature one of the most unique Week 1 quarterback matchups of all time. Aaron Rodgers is going to make his debut with the Steelers one year removed from playing for the Jets. Justin Fields is going to make his debut for the Jets one...
For Duquesne football, goals extend beyond highly anticipated opener vs. Pitt
If you’ve ever done the drive from New England to Pittsburgh, you know time has an uncanny way of slowing down. The minutes seem like hours. The hours feel like centuries. Regardless of which state you are departing, there really is no perfect route to take, and you are invariably...
Tim Benz: For Mike Tomlin, the ‘process’ must finally lead to progress
The next time the Pittsburgh Steelers convene at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, it’ll be for a game-week practice. Sunday’s season opener against the New York Jets is officially next on the agenda. The phrases “offseason” and “preseason” will be shelved until next year. All that work from those months...
Report: Marquez Valdes-Scantling chose 49ers over Steelers despite Aaron Rodgers’ recruitment
It looks like a recruiting effort from Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has come up short. Former free-agent receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling ended up signing with the San Francisco 49ers after being released by Seattle earlier this week. However, Valdes-Scantling insists Rodgers was trying to coax him into signing in Pittsburgh. “He...
First Call: Where Steelers rank on Forbes NFL franchise value list; ILB Mark Robinson signs with future AFC foeVideo
Friday’s “First Call” has the latest Forbes.com rankings of NFL team value. We’ll find out where the Steelers sit. Mark Robinson signs in the AFC East. Some notes and video from Kyle Schwarber’s four-homer night for the Phillies. The Pirates will be part of a very interesting night at Fenway...
