Breakfast With Benz category, Page 143
First Call: Ex-Steeler wanted Le’Veon Bell back in Pittsburgh. Ravens mad at Bengals. Aaron Donald’s surprising revelation.
Friday’s “First Call” gives us an ex-Steeler who wishes Le’Veon Bell would’ve come back to Pittsburgh instead of going to Kansas City. Another AFC coach admits his team wanted Bell. Aaron Donald’s surprising quote about his huge game last week. And the Ravens are mad at the Bengals. Better luck...
Fantasy Sports: Chase Claypool, Travis Fulgham emerge; Explaining those data problems that hit many leagues
No. Your commissioner wasn’t mining for your data. It wasn’t a weird computer virus to worry about along with coronavirus. It wasn’t a hack of your fantasy football league from Russia or China. It was an error from your platform’s service provider that kept you in fantasy-limbo throughout Sunday afternoon....
Tim Benz: Dwayne Haskins to Steelers? Theory adds up. Stats, actions from Washington do not.
I feel bad for Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph. During a week where he has to relive every image of Myles Garrett clonking him on the head with his own helmet, the NFL rumor mill is kicking him in the crotch. OK, maybe not that directly. No one is writing that...
First Call: Odds to sign Le’Veon Bell? Only one team in front of Steelers. Pirates painful anniversary.
Thursday’s “First Call” gives us the odds of the Steelers signing Le’Veon Bell. A former Steeler gives Bell some advice. A Cleveland Browns player steps out on behalf of Myles Garrett. We mourn a painful Pirates anniversary. And “Pittsburgh South” isn’t moving on just yet. Been there, done that If...
Tim Benz: Steelers face a better Browns team. But how much better is Baker Mayfield?
In advance of his team’s game against the Steelers this week, Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield made one thing clear. “Mama didn’t raise no wuss.” Fair enough. Even if Mayfield is unable to play through his rib injury Sunday at Heinz Field, I wouldn’t have made that kind of judgment...
U mad, bro? Fans think Steelers are overrated; Readers pout about Pitt, Pirates, Patriots
When is a 4-0 start in the NFL not good enough? When you live in Pittsburgh and root for the Steelers. That’s how we start “U mad, bro?” this week. We also hear from persnickety Pitt fans, bummed-out Buccos backers and stubborn New England Patriots conspiracy theorists. After the Steelers...
First Call: Jets release Le’Veon Bell. Could he rejoin the Steelers? One national outlet makes a case.
Wednesday’s “First Call” gives you the wide range of reactions to Le’Veon Bell’s release from the New York Jets. Who might sign him? The Steelers? The Patriots? We look at the latest chapter in the Pirates’ quest to help the Tampa Bay Rays win the American League Championship Series, a...
Mike Tomlin will have an easier time blocking Myles Garrett storyline than the player himself
Speaking about Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Myles Garrett on Tuesday, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said you have to be “mindful of his location.” I’m particularly mindful of Garrett’s last location versus the Steelers. That was at the end of Cleveland’s 21-7 win on Nov. 14 when he was standing near...
Tim Benz: So, about that Chase Claypool vs. J.K. Dobbins debate …
“How do you like Chase Claypool now???!!!” Um, I like him. A lot. How could anyone have a different reaction after Claypool put up four touchdowns in one game against the Philadelphia Eagles? Just the beginning ?? FOX ? pic.twitter.com/fEzTUM6BvN— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) October 11, 2020 But, in typical Twitter...
Steelers, Penguins fan Steve Byrne drops Pittsburgh references into directorial film debut
It’s natural for any filmmaker, right? You’re a week away from your first written and directed big-screen release. You’re worrying about how the premiere will be staged. You have press lined up all week. You’re coordinating with producers, actors and family. Above all else, though, one thing is weighing on...
Tim Benz: Like the idea of Tuesday night NFL games? Good. You’ll see them again.
“Are you ready for some football?? A Tuesday night party??” The Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans are. I think. Hank Williams Jr. should get back in the studio to re-record the old “Monday Night Football” open. Because thanks to a covid-19 scheduling backlog, I don’t think this evening’s game will...
First Call: Le’Veon Bell ‘likes’ criticism of Jets; Big Ben erased from Browns record books; Pitt, WPIAL QB promoted in Dallas
Former Steeler Le’Veon Bell disses his coach on Twitter. Ben Roethlisberger is finally erased from the Cleveland Browns record books. The Dallas Cowboys may turn to a Pittsburgh product at quarterback if Andy Dalton gets hurt. “Ground Chuck” is still in playoff form. All that and more in Tuesday’s “First...
Unfiltered: Tim Benz and Mark Madden discuss Steelers win over Eagles, Penguins’ moves, moreVideo
Tim Benz and Mark Madden return for this week’s edition of “Unfiltered” on TribLive’s Facebook page to talk about the Pittsburgh Steelers win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at Heinz Field. The Steelers are 4-0 this season, but Madden doesn’t think the Steelers have had a convincing win yet....
First Call: Will Baker Mayfield play vs. Steelers? Aaron Donald dominates. Steelers opponent loses QB.
In Monday’s “First Call,” Baker Mayfield wants you to know how tough he is heading into Steelers week. Just ask his “momma.” Also, a future Steelers opponent just lost their quarterback. A division rival beats up on another one. Aaron Donald wrecks Alex Smith’s return. And Robert Morris’ hockey team...
Madden Monday: Steelers’ hot start is ‘least impressive 4-0 in history’; Pitt is like its coach
The Steelers won the battle of Pennsylvania Sunday. Sorry, “BENsylvania.” The Penguins traded a Stanley Cup-winning goaltender. Sorry, a two-time Stanley Cup-winning goaltender. And the Pitt football team lost in unbelievable fashion. Sorry, completely typical Pitt fashion. So it was quite a week. Mark Madden and I recap all of...
Tim Benz: ‘Feats of Strength’ (7-11 connection) and ‘Airing of Grievances’ (pass coverage) as Steelers outscore Eagles
I could make things really easy this week. The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Philadelphia Eagles, 38-29, on Sunday to improve to 4-0 for the first time since 1979. And pretty much the entire week all anyone will talk about is two things. So let’s keep it brief. Feats of Strength?...
Pitt, Boston College are opponents Saturday, but fighting the same battles
On Saturday, the Pitt and Boston College football teams will be opponents. Most of the rest of the year, though, these two teams fight many of the same battles. They are city schools in pro sports towns, trying to reestablish the national pulse they had in the 1980s. Doing the...
First Call: Tight ends will be big in Steelers vs. Eagles. Cole vs. Glasnow in Game 5.
Friday’s “First Call” looks at a key matchup in Sunday’s Steelers-Eagles game. The Steelers defensive front gets some high first-quarter grades. Robert Morris hockey has found a special story and a special skater. And the Duquesne Dukes may be part of an Atlantic 10 renaissance. Tale of the tight ends...
Tim Benz: Steelers-Eagles should be a tale of the trenches
Analysis of Sunday’s Pittsburgh Steelers game against the Philadelphia Eagles comes down to two specific things. Check that. The analysis isn’t even that complicated. Simply put, the Steelers should win. Period. And they should cover the seven-point spread bouncing around most gambling outlets. But how easily the Steelers win —...
NFL covid-19 disruptions are causing chaos in fantasy football world, too
Want a “fantasy,” Steelers fans? Here’s a fantasy. How about an NFL week without the specter of games being postponed or moved around? That’s a fantasy in my world. It’s also a fantasy in most fantasy football leagues. And while the real-life logistics of maneuvering around the covid-19 landmines are...
First Call: Titans illegal practice session before Steelers game? J.J. Watt’s clash with Bill O’Brien. Ex-Pirates pitchers shine.
Steelers fans want to know what exacerbated the Tennessee Titans coronavirus outbreak. Thursday’s “First Call” tries to bring that into focus. Also, J.J. Watt apparently had a burr under his saddle about former coach Bill O’Brien. The Duquesne basketball team is thinking mini-bubble. And more ex-Pirates pitchers are impacting the...
U mad, bro? Steelers fans are smoldering. Pitt fans upset. Penguins fans ‘fond farewell’ to Matt Murray.
I’ve gained a whole new respect for Steelers fans. They’ve proven to me that they can get just as uncontrollably agitated about a game the Steelers didn’t even play as they can get about a game that the Steelers didn’t win. I mean, this Tennessee Titans postponement really has Western...
First Call: Steelers pass rush facing banged up Eagles O-line. Vegas struggling to trade Marc-Andre Fleury.
Wednesday’s “First Call” outlines some offensive line problems in Philadelphia as the Eagles get ready to face a fearsome Steelers pass rush. The Vegas Golden Knights are struggling to trade Marc-Andre Fleury. And Ex-Pirates aplenty put their stamp on last night’s Yankees-Rays playoff game. More problems up front In advance...
Tim Benz: Mike Tomlin noncommittal on NFL forfeit question. That’s smart. For many reasons.
This 2020 NFL season has to be a special kind of torture for Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. Almost all coaches from pee-wee football to the NFL pound a message of “controlling the controllables.” In other words, focus only on your team. Your own job within that team. On that given...
Pirates middle infield is full of options for 2021. It’s also full of questions
As the Pittsburgh Pirates prepare for 2021, a vast amount of uncertainty exists. When will games start? Will fans be allowed? What will the length of the schedule be? What about payroll? Who knows? One thing I can pretty much guarantee, though, is that the Pirates will not be allowed...
