Tim Benz Columns category, Page 115
Tim Benz: Steelers win, but some grievances to air: Injuries, wide receivers’ play, stopping tight endsVideo
Given that the Steelers have only managed to win twice this year, I wanted to allow a little time before our weekly “Airing of Grievances.” After all, we’ve got to pick our spots to bask in the warm afterglow of victory, don’t we? That said, the Steelers’ second win of...
Tim Benz: Robert Morris goalie Justin Kapelmaster off to strong start
When starting goaltender Francis Marotte transferred to Clarkson during the offseason, it created what appeared to be a massive void on the depth chart for the Robert Morris Colonials. Usually, problems like that aren’t patched over by the time the first weekend of conference play is concluded. Usually. Fortunately for...
Tim Benz: Steelers’ feats of strength after 24-17 win over ChargersVideo
The Pittsburgh Steelers were traveling to the West Coast — where they are always bad — to play the Los Angeles Chargers. They were banged up, absent eight regulars. And they had to start third-string quarterback Devlin “Duck Dynasty” Hodges. So I had the “Airing of Grievances” template ready to...
U mad, bro? Steelers are bad, so it’s all Mike Tomlin, all the time for readers
It’s all Mike Tomlin, all the time in “U mad, bro?” this week. His decision to kick away in overtime. His hypothetical relocation to Washington. His superiority to me as a head coach. All of these matters are clearly up for debate. Well, most of them anyway. Billy did not...
Tim Benz: Steelers are dealing with many unhappy returns
Mike Tomlin’s hunch about his dreadful kick return team was so bleak, the Steelers’ head coach felt the need to give up possession of the football after winning the overtime coin toss last Sunday. That was an overreaction from Tomlin. And it was the wrong move. Yes, I say that...
Tim Benz: If Devlin ‘Duck Dynasty’ Hodges starts for the Steelers, just let him flyVideo
My expectations weren’t high. But I allowed myself to be pleasantly surprised. Hey, I can do that. I witnessed the Pirates win three whole playoff games back in 2013, you know. With my own eyes! I had a micro-level response like that on Sunday. That’s when Devlin “Duck Dynasty” Hodges...
Tim Benz: Penguins’ inconsistent start leading to low-tension games
This year’s Pittsburgh Penguins team certainly doesn’t seem to be one that’s high on tension. It’ll let you beat the traffic out of the arena. In the club’s first game, it put forth a listless effort in a flat 3-1 season-opening loss to the Buffalo Sabres. In Game 2 Saturday,...
Tim Benz: What it would take for Steelers to trade Mike Tomlin to RedskinsVideo
I’d do this. Would the Pittsburgh Steelers? No. Would Mike Tomlin want it? Unlikely. He shouldn’t. At least if football stability itself dictates his decision. For other reasons? Well, only he would know that. Since both ESPN and CBSSports.com are fanning the flames on this topic, let’s take a look...
Tim Benz: Evgeni Malkin, Nick Bjugstad injuries have ripple effect beyond their absencesVideo
I’ll reiterate a sentiment I expressed last month. Someone please give me a giant sleeping pill so I can pass out until January 2020. It’s time to be done with 2019. This weekend the tone surrounding Pittsburgh’s pro franchises went from bad to worse to “I think need a new...
Tim Benz: Mike Tomlin’s OT call in Steelers loss was logical but lacked common senseVideo
Mike Tomlin’s decision to kick off to begin overtime against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday made perfect sense. If you are willing to ignore common sense. Which I am not. In case you missed what happened, the Steelers won the coin flip to start overtime, tied with their AFC North...
Tim Benz: Much airing of grievances as Steelers lose to RavensVideo
JuJu Smith-Schuster’s turnover cost the Steelers the game. His overtime fumble allowed the Baltimore Ravens to kick a field goal and win 26-23 Sunday at Heinz Field. That’s an obvious grievance. Mike Tomlin’s call to defer after winning the overtime coin toss worked. By his logic anyway. But that decision...
Tim Benz: Sabres’ Conor Sheary proves to Penguins that he ‘can still play’
By the middle of the third period, Pittsburgh Penguins fans were booing like they didn’t want to be at PPG Paints Arena anymore. Meanwhile, Conor Sheary was playing like a guy who wanted to be traded back. He scored twice en route to a 3-1 Buffalo Sabres win Thursday night...
Tim Benz: In awful AFC, Steelers not dead yetVideo
An interesting dynamic is brewing in the AFC. It’s good news for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The dynamic is that, right now, most of the conference is awful. Not just the crummy AFC North. The whole conference has been lousy so far. It’s so bad, even at 1-3, the struggling Steelers...
Tim Benz: Airing of grievances as Steelers win over Bengals far from perfectVideo
It was nice to finally write about some “Feats of Strength” after the Steelers finally secured their first win of 2019 Monday night over the Bengals, 27-3. But as Mike Tomlin pointed out, it was far from perfect. We “air our grievances,” win or lose, at “Breakfast With Benz.” And...
Tim Benz: Wildcat worked, but let’s hope Steelers don’t have to use it againVideo
During his weekly press conference, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was gruff, dismissive, generally terse and a bit on edge. Even more so than normal, I mean. It was almost as if his team had fallen to 0-4 against the Cincinnati Bengals as opposed to trouncing them, 27-3, the night...
Tim Benz: Feats of strength from Steelers’ win over Bengals (finally)Video
Finally! I almost forgot this was possible. We’ve had three straight “Airing of Grievances” entries to start the 2019 season. I was getting worried we’d never get to post a “Feats of Strength” Steelers postgame column. Hey, that’s why it’s always nice to see the Cincinnati Bengals pop up on...
Madden and Benz Unfiltered: Clint Hurdle’s firing, Steelers-Bengals previewVideo
The Pittsburgh Pirates made their move Sunday by firing Clint Hurdle, but that can’t be the end of it … can it? Tim Benz and Mark Madden lament the firing of Hurdle and the praised heaped upon general manager Neal Huntington in the wake of a disastrous 2019 season. The...
Tim Benz: Botched firing of Clint Hurdle typical of 2019 Pirates
Given the news cycle of the last week, this may be hard to do. But play along with me if you can. Imagine that the Pirates simply fired Clint Hurdle after the season ended Sunday evening. Hurdle manages Game 162. The franchise gives its sendoff to Steve Blass. The Pirates...
First Call: Antonio Brown gets into Twitter spat with Eric Weddle
Friday’s “First Call” features another Antonio Brown Twitter spat. A major rules change to basketball may be coming. And we’ve found the ugliest sports fan tattoo of all time. Which is to say, we have found the best sports fan tattoo of all time. Cat fight! Former wide receiver Antonio...
Tim Benz: Former WPIAL athlete at the center of the ‘Sexy Mister Rogers’ costume controversy
Is it a beautiful day in your neighborhood? If Dessie Mitcheson is in your neighborhood right now, the answer is most assuredly “yes.” View this post on Instagram @shoptobi A post shared by Dessie Mitcheson (@dessiemitcheson) on Jul 30, 2019 at 10:33am PDT Told ya. However, the former Kiski Area...
Tim Benz: Who are NFL’s legitimate 3-0 and 0-3 teams?Video
After three weeks of the 2019 NFL season, some teams have lived up to their offseason hype and are unbeaten. Others are every bit as bad as predicted. Some teams are stunningly 3-0. Others are a dreadfully disappointing 0-3. I think we all know what category includes the Pittsburgh Steelers....
Tim Benz: Steelers’ only hope? That AFC North teams stink worse than they do
It’s said that necessity is the mother of invention. That appears to be especially true if you are inventing optimism. For the most part, that’s what is happening within the Pittsburgh Steelers fan base in 2019, and even within the locker room. In a town that lives, breathes, and eats...
Tim Benz: Steelers game stats are as ugly as their 0-3 record
After a terrible 0-3 start for the Pittsburgh Steelers, fans may be wondering if the team is really as bad as its record. Sadly, it is. If you look deeper at the numbers than just the winless start, the statistics are even worse than you may think. Let’s start with...
Tim Benz: Minkah Fitzpatrick’s Steelers debut was microcosm of debate to acquire himVideo
If you were looking for crystallization of the entire Minkah Fitzpatrick debate, you got it in his first game as a Pittsburgh Steeler Sunday in San Francisco. If you share my opinion about Fitzpatrick as a player, you saw all the reasons to be happy about the transaction. He was...
Tim Benz: Airing of grievances is overflowing after Steelers’ 3rd loss
The longer the Pittsburgh Steelers’ losing streak continues, the easier it is to come up with our weekly “Airing of Grievances.” Boy, it really has become weekly, hasn’t it? We are long overdue for a “Feats of Strength” post. Maybe that will happen next Tuesday after a Monday night game...
