Post-Gazette Sports Network: Pittsburgh Steelers, Pirates, Penguins and more

Post-Gazette sports writers Adam Bittner and Paul Zeise react live after the Steelers' NFL Week 2 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks, the home opener at Acrisure Stadium. Were Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, Calvin Austin III, Pat Freiermuth and Jonne Smith able to maintain momentum in the passing game? Was Broderick Jones able to get back on track at left tackle? How did Zach Frazier, Troy Fautanu and...

Post-Gazette Steelers insiders Gerry Dulac and Ray Fittipaldo recap an NFL Week 2 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the home opener at Acrisure Stadium. They sort through the defense's many issues in slowing down QB Sam Darnold, RB Kenneth Walker III and receiver Jaxson Smith-Njigba. Is it time to worry about coach Mike Tomlin's high-priced unit that includes names like Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt and Ja...

Post-Gazette Pitt insiders Stephen Thompson and Abby Schnable break down the Panthers' 31-24 overtime loss to West Virginia on Saturday in the 108th edition of the Backyard Brawl. How did the Panthers let this game slip away in such embarrassing fashion, when they had so many chances to win? Did coach Pat Narduzzi fail to prepare his team for the rivalry game environment? How can the Panthers clea...

Post-Gazette/Daily Collegian Penn State insiders Isaiah Maldonado and Lyle Alenstein break down the Nittany Lions' 52-6 win over Villanova on Saturday at Beaver Stadium. What did the Nittany Lions' domination of the FCS foe say about the team moving forward? Are they ready to face the rigors of the Big Ten schedule, starting with a showdown with No. 4 Oregon in two weeks? Will the defense's utter...

On the Saturday edition of the North Shore Drive podcast, Steelers insiders Christopher Carter and Brian Batko give a final look at the Week 2 matchup with the Seahawks. Can the maligned Steelers run defense shut down Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet, forcing Sam Darnold to play hero ball? Can we expect to see Keeanu Benton improve, or is it time to see Yahya Black more to help put a lid on the...

Why does this defense, especially a secondary led by a banged-up Devon Witherspoon, pose a challenge to Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers offense? Can DK Metcalf take advantage of Seattle's injuries for a major revenge game? And will Broderick Jones improve enough to allow it all to happen? Plus, Paul dives into the other big game this weekend: Saturday's Backyard Brawl between Pitt and West Virginia...

Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey joins host Adam Bittner to ponder Penn State's progress through the first two weeks of the season. Have coach James Franklin's Nittany Lions proven anything yet? Is there anything they can show against Villanova that they haven't against Florida International and Nevada? Does Franklin deserve criticism for the soft schedule? And is Oregon in a few weeks t...

Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey joins host Adam Bittner to sort through the controversy surrounding the future of the Backyard Brawl rivalry between Pitt and West Virginia. Who shares more blame for the future for the series going on hiatus? Pat Narduzzi, Allen Greene and the Panthers? Or Rich Rodriguez, Wren Baker and the Mountaineers? Would both teams benefit from some non-conference...

On the Friday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Edgar Snyder & Associates, host Adam Bittner welcomes Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey to analyze which young Steelers are under the most pressure to prove themselves heading into NFL Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks? Can Roman Wilson finally generate some production behind DK Metcalf and Calvin Austin III after...

Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey joins host Adam Bittner to analyze the future of Henry Davis and other young players with the Pirates. Is Henry Davis still a viable candidate to be the club's catcher of the future? Or are his struggles at the plate to profound to overcome in his time share with Joey Bart? Will any of Nick Yorke, Cam Devanney, Liover Peguero or Ji-Hwan Bae appear on the...

Post-Gazette Pitt insiders Stephen Thompson and Abby Schnable preview the Backyard Brawl between heated rivals Pitt and West Virginia. What are the keys to the game from both sides? How is West Virginia sorting out its quarterback situation between Nicco Marchiol and Jaylen Henderson after a lifeless performance last week vs. Ohio? Will the Mountaineers find production on the ground after their st...

Post-Gazette insiders Gerry Dulac and Ray Fittipaldo give their Steelers practice report from the team's UPMC Rooney Sports Complex ahead of an NFL Week 2 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks at Acrisure Stadium. Why do DC Teryl Austin and captain Cam Heyward seem optimistic about fixing the run defense issues that crept up against Justin Fields, Breece Hall and the New York Jets in Week 1? Can the i...

In this episode of their Serving Up Pitt volleyball podcast, Post-Gazette insider Abby Schnable and former Panthers player Cat Flood break down the team's performances from the past week, which includes a statement sweep over No. 3 Kentucky and victories over Pepperdine and Jacksonville. Did this Pitt team announce its arrival on the national stage after beating Kentucky so handily? Have the Panth...

On his weekly Chipped Ham & Football podcast, Post-Gazette insider Brian Batko welcomes Associated Press sports writer and Post-Gazette alumnus Andrew Destin to preview the Steelers' NFL Week 2 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. How will the Steelers defense, which struggled so mightily against Justin Fields and Breece Hall in Week 1, deal with the Seahawks' rushing attack, led by Kenneth W...

Post-Gazette high school sports insider Matt Press interviews Norwin cross country standout Annie Czajkowski after she set a 5k record for the Knights at the Red, White & Blue classic at White Oak Park. What did the record-setting performance mean to her? What's her excitement level for competing at the New Balance Nationals in Boston? What does her weekly training routine look like? What type...

Post-Gazette high school sports insider Matt Press interviews this week's WPIAL and Pittsburgh City League boys athlete of the week, Latrobe cross country runner Charlie Heese. He gets the inside scoop on how Charlie cruised to a victory at the Red, White and Blue Classic race last weekend at White Oak Park; Charlie's summer training regimen that led to his victory; the ways a wrestling background...

Live around 5 p.m., Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise gives his thoughts on the Steelers defense heading into its NFL Week 2 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks. Is the unit capable of a "redemption Sunday," as captain Cam Heyward vowed in recent podcast comments? Or are problems with the run defense still too glaring between the struggles of Keeanu Benton and the injury absence of...

On his weekly mailbag podcast, Post-Gazette Pirates insider Noah Hiles answers reader questions. Among them: How should the front office manage the Oneil Cruz situation heading into next season, with major questions looming over his ability to become a true MLB star? Is GM Ben Cherington's job secure if this team is able to finish close to the .500 mark under manager Don Kelly? Was moving Bubba Ch...

On the Wednesday edition of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Edgar Snyder & Associates, host Adam Bittner welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insiders Christipher Carter to assess the team's line play in NFL Week 1 against the New York Jets. Is it too soon to panic about Broderick Jones after he gave up three sacks? Or is he a valid concern for coach Mike Tomlin and OC Arthur Smith? Do t...

Live around 5 p.m. Eastern, Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise analyzes the Steelers' offense following the NFL Week 1 victory against the New York Jets. How much potential does OC Arthur Smith's unit have after scoring 34 points in its debut? How high can new faces like Aaron Rodgers, Jonnu Smith and DK Metcalf lift the group's ceiling? Can Broderick Jones, Troy Fautanu and the offensive li...

Post-Gazette Steelers insiders Gerry Dulac and Ray Fittipaldo report from coach Mike Tomlin's weekly news conference ahead of an NFL Week 2 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks at Acrisure Stadium. What did Tomlin have to say about the signing of Jabrill Peppers, a veteran safety? What could it mean for the injured DeShon Elliott moving forward? And how could Elliott's absence impact the secondary as...

On the Tuesday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey welcomes Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo to analyze the Steelers' outlook after the NFL Week 1 victory against the New York Jets. Should Aaron Rodgers' performance cause us to adjust expectations for coach Mike Tomlin's team? How much of the production from receivers like DK Metcalf, Calvin Austin I...

Post-Gazette insiders Stephen Thompson and Abby Schnable analyze the state of play with Pitt football as the Backyard Brawl rivalry game vs. the West Virginia Mountaineers looms this weekend. Are the QB Eli Holstein, OC Kade Bell and the Panthers meeting the grade offensively? Particularly in the running game with Desmond Reid? How did depth DBs Shawn Lee and Shadarian Harrison look in extended ru...

Post-Gazette high school sports insiders Mike White and Keith Barnes recap a busy week in football news around the WPIAL and City League. What do the guys make of Shady Side Academy's controversial forfeit to Clairton? Should there be repercussions? Why was the offensive battle between North Catholic and Blackhawk one of the highlights of the week? And how has the Cougars' Brayden McCarthy been ab...

Post-Gazette Pirates insider Colin Beazley discusses the last week in Pirates' minor league baseball, as both Double-A Altoona and High-A Greensboro advanced to the minor league playoffs. Beazley discusses what this means and what next steps are, before highlighting nine players who stood out in the last week: Rafael Flores, Hunter Barco, Brandan Bidois, Konnor Griffin, Termarr Johnson, Duce Gours...