Tim Benz stories, Page 5
Tim Benz: Mike Tomlin’s ‘belief’ will be tested by his own run defense in Baltimore
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ run defense stinks. Many times this year, that statement has been true. Like over the first three weeks of the season, when it yielded a combined 418 yards to the New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots. Or when Cincinnati’s Chase Brown raced to 108...
First Call: James Harrison says Mike Tomlin isn’t ‘a great coach’; Flyer says team was ‘flat’ vs. Penguins
Tuesday’s “First Call” has some grumbling reaction from Philadelphia after the Flyers’ loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. James Harrison pans Mike Tomlin. We get injury updates from Baltimore on a few players as the Ravens prepare to host the Steelers. And we preview snowy college basketball showdowns for Pitt and...
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport: ‘Even discussing firing Mike Tomlin is completely ridiculous’
According to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, despite noticeable crowd unrest at Acrisure Stadium on Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers are not entertaining the idea of firing head coach Mike Tomlin. “Even discussing firing Mike Tomlin is completely ridiculous,” Rapoport said during “NFL Gameday Kickoff” on Monday. “I don’t see any...
Tim Benz: 66,068 people heard ‘Fire Tomlin’ chants at Steelers game. Well, 66,067 anyway
There were 66,068 people at Acrisure Stadium on Sunday for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ loss to the Buffalo Bills. They all heard the “Fi-re Tom-lin” chants and the boos for “Renegade.” Actually, I should say only 66,067 people. Because we all know Steelers owner Art Rooney II didn’t hear them. He...
First Call: James Cook’s blunt assessment of Steelers’ CBs; Aaron Rodgers bothered by postgame question; Pens vs. Flyers
Buffalo’s star running back tells the world why his team was able to exploit the Pittsburgh Steelers on the ground. Aaron Rodgers doesn’t like a question from the media. Linebacker Patrick Queen snaps at a former Steeler via social media. And the Penguins renew acquaintances with the Flyers in Philadelphia....
Madden Monday: There’s no nice way to put it — the Steelers are ‘gutless’
I’ll admit it. This is an oversimplification of how to critique the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 26-7 dud of an effort against Buffalo on Sunday, but I’m most disappointed in how the players played on defense, and I’m most disappointed in how the players were coached on offense. Sure, there is some...
Airing of Grievances: 3rd quarter catastrophe, run defense debacle lead to humiliating Steelers loss
Watching the Steelers on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills made me wonder if they all ate some Thanksgiving leftovers that had gone bad in the refrigerator. Because the entire team threw up all over itself during a 26-7 loss to fall to 6-6. The offense was bad. The defense was...
Football Footnotes: The most surprising stat of Steelers-Bills reveals a lot about Mike Tomlin’s team
The most amazing stat heading into the Steelers-Bills game Sunday at Acrisure Stadium is 30:0. Thirty is the number of questions that were asked at head coach Mike Tomlin’s press conference Tuesday. Zero is the number of questions that had to do with the Steelers’ opponent, the Buffalo Bills. Those...
First Call: Potential Steelers WR target signs with Bills; Mike Tomlin discusses odd rule that hurt his team
Our final “First Call” before the Thanksgiving break has Mike Tomlin’s attempt to figure out the injury-timeout rule that pinched his team Sunday. A player some Steelers fans wanted to see in Pittsburgh could now be playing against the Steelers instead on Sunday. We look ahead to a busy weekend...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans rip media for being too easy on Mike Tomlin, fry the team for loss to BearsVideo
Thanksgiving is coming on Thursday. So you thought I’d leave you hanging for “U mad, bro?” this week, right? Pfft! C’mon! I wouldn’t do that to you. I’ve got you covered with a rare Wednesday edition. But I really don’t know what you have to be mad about. Thanksgiving feasts...
This Thanksgiving, Pittsburgh sports figures owe thanks to Mike Tomlin and the Steelers
As we head into Thanksgiving, I can’t help but notice the cornucopia of Pittsburgh sports figures who owe a debt of thanks to Mike Tomlin and the Steelers. Their loss in Chicago on Sunday has the local sports scene so engulfed in flames that no one is paying attention to...
Tim Benz: Loss to Bears puts Steelers’ non-losing season streak in danger
Whatever the 21-year stretch of never having a losing season means to coach Mike Tomlin, owner Art Rooney II and anyone else in the Steelers organization, they better understand how much Sunday’s defeat in Chicago has put it in peril. Linebacker T.J.Watt seems to have a grasp of that. “The...
First Call: Ja’Marr Chase omits Jalen Ramsey’s name from spitting apology; Bengals expect Joe Burrow at QB vs. Ravens
Ja’Marr Chase has apologized for spitting at Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey. But he didn’t specifically apologize to Ramsey himself. Chase and Joe Burrow may be returning in Cincinnati at a good time for Steelers fans. The Browns are staying with Shedeur Sanders at quarterback. And we’ve got some...
First Call: Aaron Rodgers’ on-camera reaction to costly Steelers mishap; another huge day for George Pickens
Monday’s “First Call” features Aaron Rodgers noticing a painful Steelers penalty before it happened in Chicago. George Pickens was dominant again in Dallas. A former Steeler executed one of the most unpredictable trick plays of the year. And both Pitt and the Steelers are listed as underdogs at Acrisure Stadium...
Madden Monday: Steelers coaches had a ‘cowardly, chicken scratch, offensive game plan’ vs. Bears
There was plenty to digest from Sunday’s 31-28 Steelers loss in Chicago. Just make sure you have some Tums handy once you begin digesting. In this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark Madden of TribLive and 105.9 The X says the issues all start with head coach Mike Tomlin and his...
Airing of Grievances: Passing differential, disastrous 4th-quarter sequence sink Steelers in Chicago
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ day at work in Chicago went worse than Ferris Bueller’s principal’s. Come to think of it, wasn’t his last name Rooney? That fits. We should be used to that by now, shouldn’t we? After a 31-28 defeat at Soldier Field by the Bears, the Steelers are 1-13...
No ‘psychological warfare’ necessary in Duquesne-Robert Morris regular season finale
Robert Morris football coach Bernard Clark has no idea if the gameday staff plans to post or announce out-of-town NEC scores at Joe Walton Stadium during his team’s game versus cross-town rival Duquesne on Saturday. “We have a jumbotron. We have the ability to do it,” Clark said. “I’ve never...
First Call: Kaleb Johnson’s carries; George Pickens’ future in Dallas, reasons for his ‘MNF’ punishment
Friday’s “First Call” tries to figure out a way to get more playing time for Kaleb Johnson in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive backfield. George Pickens talks about his future with the Dallas Cowboys, as CeeDee Lamb discusses the reasons for their temporary “Monday Night Football” benchings. We also preview Pitt’s...
Football Footnotes: Constant QB conversation drowning out other interesting Steelers-Bears storylines
Aaron Rodgers’ wrist. Mason Rudolph’s momentum. Rodgers’ record in Chicago versus the Steelers stinking in Soldier Field. These have been the storylines all week in advance of Steelers-Bears in Chicago on Sunday afternoon. But the quarterback-dominated headlines are swallowing up some other significant Steelers talking points. We get to those...
First Call: Steelers may be a fit for a 2026 game in Paris; another WR candidate is available
Thursday’s “First Call” has news regarding another potential date in Europe for the Steelers. We check the Bears’ injury report in advance of welcoming Pittsburgh. A familiar wide receiver is available on the free agent market. And Darnell Washington clears the air about his weight. Remember Paris According to Adam...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans grumbling about CB depth chart, Arthur Smith, QB injury coverage
Wednesday marked the 162nd anniversary of The Gettysburg Address. And while it may feel like “four-score and seven years ago” since the Steelers last won a postseason game, it hasn’t really been that long. Not quite, anyway. However, eight years without a playoff victory is enough to make some people...
Tim Benz: In the case of Aaron Rodgers or Mason Rudolph, it’s not a 50-50 decision
A week of speculation about who will play quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers in Chicago on Sunday has already grown tiresome. And it’s only Wednesday morning. The obvious bottom line on the topic is that if the call between Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph is 50-50… it’s not 50-50. It’s...
First Call: Ja’Marr Chase suspension upheld; Steelers work out QBs; Pirates reportedly ‘in’ on Kyle Schwarber
Wednesday’s “First Call” has an update on Ja’Marr Chase’s suspension for spitting during the Steelers game Sunday. The Steelers worked out some quarterbacks. A former Steeler is now an Indianapolis Colt. The Pirates are allegedly “in” on some big-name free agents. And Robert Morris got an emotional win over a...
A look back at the Steelers’ long and ugly history in ChicagoVideo
Since 1936, there have been as many Allied victories in Europe as there have been Steelers victories in Chicago against the Bears. One. In 1995, the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Bears, 37-34, in overtime at Soldier Field, as Crafton’s Bill Cowher beat Baldwin’s Dave Wannstedt. Aside from that result, the...
Tim Benz: For someone who is ‘not a pressure guy,’ Pat Narduzzi has ramped that up for Pitt’s next 2 games
For Pitt football coach Pat Narduzzi, it was one thing to lose a football game (37-15) to ninth-ranked Notre Dame on Saturday. It was quite another thing to lose face. But that happened to Narduzzi too. Calling a timeout with six seconds left in an effort to score a garbage-time...
