Tim Benz Columns category, Page 85
Tim Benz: 50 years after retirement, Bill Mazeroski uses his Pirates Hall of Fame induction to campaign for teammates
As Saturday’s master of ceremonies for the inaugural Pirates Hall of Fame inductions, team play-by-play announcer Greg Brown delivered his best line as legendary second baseman Bill Mazeroski was receiving his commemorative gold jacket. “Maz asked me to read his speech. He didn’t want to get up here to do...
Madden Monday: Steelers season prediction ‘leaning toward 7-10’ because offensive line will be the NFL’s worst
If you asked a lot of Pittsburgh Steelers fans in February for their opinion of how the team would fare in 2022, they likely would have said, “I don’t know. That depends on who ends up being the quarterback.” Once it was known that Mason Rudolph would be joined by...
Tim Benz: YAC drives comeback as Pitt passes first post-Pickett test
The image of Kenny Pickett was hovering over Pitt’s season opener Thursday night. Literally. During the first timeout against West Virginia, the former Heisman Trophy candidate was in one of Acrisure Stadium’s open-end rotundas, unfurling the team’s 2021 ACC title banner as a crowd of 70,622 wildly applauded. All new...
U mad, bro?: Fans say stop being so hard on Mike Tomlin, Oneil Cruz — but get tougher on Pirates, Steelers
I’m not hard enough on the Pittsburgh Pirates. But I’m too mean to Oneil Cruz. The Steelers didn’t get better during the preseason. But I should stop giving Mike Tomlin a hard time. Dang it! I can’t get anything right. That’s why I post “U mad, bro?” every week, just...
Tim Benz: Oneil Cruz’s highlight night puts the whole ‘exit velocity’ debate in focusVideo
Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz did it again Monday night. Another laser of a home run. This time, 118 miles per hour during a 5-3 loss in Milwaukee. Impressive. HOW 'BOUT A CRUZ MISSILE?! pic.twitter.com/AGQ8sVg3zb— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) August 30, 2022 You know what might be more impressive? His game...
Backyard Brawl: Memories of 13-9 in ’07 with Pitt’s Chris McKillop — ‘We played a perfect game’
When it comes to Chris McKillop’s freshman year as a Pitt Panther, there is at least one aspect of coach Walt Harris’ daily practices that the defensive lineman will never forget. “Walt Harris had a ‘West Virginia’ period,” McKillop said during Wednesday’s “Breakfast With Benz” podcast. “In an 18-period practice....
Backyard Brawl: WVU players ‘recognize their legacy could be authored on Thursday night’
Jed Drenning knows how West Virginia football fans talk about the Backyard Brawl. He was a backup quarterback for the Mountaineers, and he has been part of their game-day broadcast crew for 20 years. Those games are spoken about in snapshots. In individual moments. In specific final scores. “Where were...
Tim Benz: Najee Harris’ revelation about his foot is another example of NFL injury ‘paranoia’ backfiring for Steelers
When medical issues crop up about his players, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin frequently tells us that he’s not a doctor. But, occasionally, he will play one on TV. Well, when he thinks it benefits the team, anyway. Take, for example, halftime of Sunday afternoon’s preseason win over the Detroit...
Madden Monday: Steelers ‘think they are far better than what they are’ — the offensive line may be their undoing
Mark Madden of 105.9 The X and TribLIVE was watching the coverage of the Pittsburgh Steelers preseason game against the Detroit Lions, and he was struck by some of the things Cameron Heyward and T.J. Watt said about the state of the team during interviews. “The thing with the Steelers...
Tim Benz: Despite 3-0 preseason record, very few Steelers questions have been answered
The NFL preseason did little to definitively answer many questions about the 2022 Pittsburgh Steelers. Especially after the 19-9 slopfest of a victory against the Detroit Lions Sunday afternoon in the preseason finale at Acrisure Stadium. Some of those questions have grown into greater concerns. Other questions are now lesser...
Friday Football Footnotes — Fantasy Football edition: When to draft certain Steelers, how to best construct your team
As the NFL preseason wraps up over the next 10 days or so, this is going to be a huge week for fantasy football drafts across Pittsburgh and the rest of the country. So for “Friday Football Footnotes” this week, we spoke with Jeff Erickson of Rotowire. He’s our long-time...
Tim Benz: If Pittsburgh thinks Aaron Donald shouldn’t be suspended, then we are moving the goalposts
A brawl between the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams erupted during a joint practice session Thursday. Rams star Aaron Donald was caught on film swinging a helmet at Bengals players before getting thrown to the ground. #Rams Aaron Donald used a #Bengals helmet to hit Cincy players after a...
U mad, bro?: Steelers’ preseason anxiety meets Pirates’ late-season despair
It’s late August in Pittsburgh. For local sports fans, that marks the annual nexus of Steelers preseason obsession, meeting yearly late-season Pirates fan dejection. Preemptive quarterback concerns. Acute offensive line panic. Defensive back denial. All stirred with long-simmering Pirates angst and frustration. We mix it, shake it, chill it and...
First Call: ESPN projects Steelers to regress; Pirates’ brutal upcoming stretch; remembering Len Dawson as a Steeler
In Thursday’s “First Call,” ESPN.com is setting the bar low for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022. Tough times for the Pirates are about to continue. A trio of ex-Buccos pitchers are on the mound Thursday night. And we remember Len Dawson as a Steeler as the NFL mourns his passing....
Former Steelers linebacker Vince Williams: ‘Mark Robinson is better than I was as a rookie’
It appears that ex-Steeler Vince Williams is a big fan of a new Steeler at his former position. It’s rookie inside linebacker Mark Robinson. “Mark Robinson is better than I was as a rookie,” Williams said Tuesday on social media. “I hope he keeps #93.” Mark Robinson is better than...
Tim Benz: Steelers embrace ‘moving target’ versatility for defensive backfield
On the first day of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, head coach Mike Tomlin gave an in-depth breakdown of how the slot position has changed for wide receivers over the years. “Years ago, there was a designated slot guy,” Tomlin said at Saint Vincent College. “And that was the only guy...
Penguins forward Teddy Blueger involved in summer league’s first-ever on-ice fight
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Teddy Blueger just made a little history. He is currently participating in Da Beauty League. It’s a summer league that features many NHL and top-notch college and amateur players. Founded in 2015, it is believed that the league has never featured a fight. Until Monday. And Blueger...
Duquesne quarterback Joe Mischler looks to return from injury, regain starting position for opener at Florida State
In Pittsburgh, we’ve spent a lot of time this summer talking about quarterbacks. The Steelers have a new rookie in Kenny Pickett, a new free agent in Mitch Trubisky and a returning incumbent in Mason Rudolph vying for the job. At Pitt, new transfer Kedon Slovis will likely to take...
Tim Benz: Ways to address Steelers offensive line? Coach around it in 2022, make it better in 2023
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive linemen have nowhere to hide. After the unit’s shaky performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Saturday’s 16-15 preseason win, the players are taking heat from fans and media outside the team facility and their own head coach within it. Consider this anecdote from guard Kendrick Green after...
Madden Monday: Steelers offensive line ‘might be worse’ than last year — and it may impact the QB thinking too
There have been plenty of positives to discuss regarding the Pittsburgh Steelers’ victories in each of their first two preseason games. • All three quarterbacks — Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph — have performed very well. • The wide receivers — namely rookie George Pickens — have impressed....
Tim Benz: Steelers go 2 for 3 on Mike Tomlin’s checklist in Jacksonville. The miss was a big one
After the Steelers’ 32-25 victory in their first preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks, coach Mike Tomlin identified three specific areas of improvement that he wanted to see in Game 2. They were: • Sharper two-minute execution on both sides of the ball • Improved pass protection • Better run...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans split on booing Mason Rudolph, Pirates fans on edge about Dennis Eckersley’s comments
Some people are mad that Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph got booed Saturday night. Others seem to think he got off easy. Some people are angry at what Red Sox broadcaster Dennis Eckersley said about the Pirates. Others seem to think he could have poured it on more. Some people...
Tim Benz: Talk of trading Chase Claypool for Roquan Smith is one thing, dealing him for the sake of it is something else
I’ve been pretty hard on Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool over the past year and a half. But even I’m a little hesitant to jump on all the recent talk about him being traded. The latest salvo in that regard came from ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio. Speaking Wednesday on 93.7...
Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin on Minkah Fitzpatrick: ‘I’d like to see him get back to the turnover ways’
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin broached the topic on his own Tuesday. So it must be something top of mind for him and the rest of the Steelers coaching staff. How do they rediscover the natural playmaking ability of safety Minkah Fitzpatrick? How do they put him in positions...
Tim Benz: Red Sox broadcast team humiliates Pirates — and hopefully everyone in Pittsburgh applauds what they said
Just another night covering Pittsburgh Steelers training camp in Latrobe. The workday is done. The quotes are transcribed. The photos are attached. The stories are filed. Let’s have a beer or two at Sharky’s, watch the Pirates lose again and call it a night. Rinse. Wash. Repeat in the morning....
