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

On his weekly Chipped Ham & Football podcast, Post-Gazette Steelers insider Brian Batko previews the NFL playoffs matchup against the Ravens with former Baltimore tight end and podcaster Daniel Wilcox. Can Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and DC Teryl Austin stymie star Ravens QB Lamar Jackson again? Or has the reigning league MVP figured out how to combat T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, Minkah Fitzpatrick,...

On their weekly Pitt sports mailbag video, Post-Gazette insiders Christopher Carter and Stephen Thompson answer reader questions. Among them: Is Panthers standout Damian Dunn healthy enough to play Tuesday night vs. Duke? And do coach Jeff Capel, star Jaland Lowe and the squad have a chance to upset Cooper Flagg and the Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium? And on the football side, they ponder w...

Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise reacts to the day in Pittsburgh sports news live around 5 p.m. Do the Steelers have any chance in their NFL playoffs matchup with the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, considering how bad they've looked during their four-game losing streak? Do they still know more ways to stop Lamar Jackson than anyone else in the league? What factor will Mike Tomlin's past suc...

Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey offers 10 thoughts on the Steelers' NFL Week 18 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals during his daily First 10 podcast. What were coaches Mike Tomlin and Arthur Smith thinking in pivoting away from Russell Wilson and the passing game? Has Wilson regressed to the point that GM Omar Khan should re-think his approach at the position next season? Why did Tomlin go...

On the Monday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Edgar Snyder & Associates, host Christopher Carter welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo to react to the team's NFL Week 18 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and look ahead to the wild-card playoff matchup with the Baltimore Ravens. Have coach Mike Tomlin and OC Arthur Smith begun to lose trust in QB Russell Wils...

Post-Gazette Steelers insiders Gerry Dulac and Ray Fittipaldo react to the team's NFL Week 18 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium. Why did coach Mike Tomlin and OC Arthur Smith abandon the pass-heavy attack led by Russell Wilson that worked against this opponent a month ago to focus on Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren and the running game? Was the game plan too reliant on a regressing of...

Post-Gazette sports writers Adam Bittner and Paul Zeise react live after the Steelers' NFL Week 18 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium. Can QB Russell Wilson shake of his string of costly turnovers and build passing game momentum with targets including George Pickens, Pat Freiermuth, Calvin Austin III and Mike Williams? How will Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris manage in the runn...

Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise reacts to the day in Pittsburgh sports news live around 5 p.m. Eastern. Did Minkah Fitzpatrick really deserve his nod for the NFL Pro Bowl this year? Or did he coast to the honor off of reputation? Do selections for T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward and Chris Boswell make more sense? How much pressure is QB Russell Wilson under in NFL Week 18 vs. the Bengals? Could hi...

On his daily First 10 podcast, Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey sizes up the NFL MVP race. Is the Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen the most deserving as the most irreplaceable player on the best team? How much consideration do Steelers AFC North rivals Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens) and Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals) deserve? And where does Philadelphia Eagles RB and former Penn State great...

On the Friday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Edgar Snyder & Associates, host Christopher Carter welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insider Brian Batko to preview the NFL Week 18 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. Is this game a must-win to avoid a potential first-round matchup with the Baltimore Ravens and instead draw the struggling Texans? Is QB Russell Wilson's ability...

Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise reacts to the day in Pittsburgh sports news. Do former Steelers Hines Ward and James Harrison belong in the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Why do voters not see enough in their decorated resumes? And how should their resumes stack up against 2025 class finalists including Torry Holt, Reggie Wayne, Steve Smith and Terrell Suggs? Later, Paul gives his thoughts on...

On his daily First 10 podcast, Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey has New Year's resolutions for the Pirates, Penguins & Steelers. Why should GM Ben Cherington and the Pirates be most focused on getting more from players already on their roster, such as Ke'Bryan Hayes, Jack Suwinski and Henry Davis? As opposed to making moves in the MLB trade and free agency markets? And what could bou...

Post-Gazette Steelers insiders Christopher Carter and Ray Fittipaldo report from Steelers practice ahead of an NFL Week 18 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. They recap comments from DeShon Elliott and Teryl Austin on the defense's bickering following the Week 17 loss to Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs. Does Elliott regret any of his comments? Why does Austin believe the...

Joel Haas and Lyle Alenstein react to Penn State's win over Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl, which secured a spot for the Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl and College Football Playoff semifinals against either Notre Dame or Georgia. Was the game too close for comfort with likely tougher challenges awaiting? How far can running backs Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton carry this team after another dom...

On the Wednesday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Edgar Snyder & Associates, host Christopher Carter welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo to analyze the Steelers offense. Should getting George Pickens the ball be the No. 1 priority for Mike Tomlin and Arthur Smith in the NFL Week 18 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals? Can the offensive line stand up l...

On his daily First 10 podcast, Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey previews the Fiesta Bowl between Penn State and Boise State with a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals on the line. Is Nittany Lions coach James Franklin right about the state of the sport and his call for Alabama Crimson Tide legend Nick Saban to be commissioner? Does Penn State's old-school approach of relying...

On their weekly Pitt sports mailbag podcast, Post-Gazette insiders Christopher Carter and Stephen Thompson answer reader questions. Among them: Is football coach Pat Narduzzi winning the overall transfer portal battle after retaining the likes of Eli Holstein and Kyle Louis but losing players like Sincere Edwards and Ryland Gandy? Would our opinion of the season have been any different if the Pant...

On the Monday edition of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Edgar Snyder & Associates, host Christopher Carter welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo look ahead to an NFL Week 18 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. Do coach Mike Tomlin and his players have enough time to get back in a groove ahead of the NFL playoffs? Could a potential first-round matchup with the Hous...

On his daily First 10 podcast, Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey reacts to the Penguins' recent surge into Stanley Cup playoff positioning. Is the power play's recent success real? Or just a short burst of production? Can Michael Bunting and Philip Tomasino maintain their recent success? And how should GM Kyle Dubas react to these promising trends? Should he add to the roster before the N...

On their weekly Penn State football podcast, host Adam Bittner and Post-Gazette/Daily Collegian Nittany Lions insider Joel Haas preview the Fiesta Bowl against Boise State with a trip to the Orange Bowl and College Football Playoff semifinals on the line. Will Ashton Jeanty and the Broncos provide a tougher test than SMU did in Round 1? Or will Penn State's talent advantage yield a similar result?...

On his daily First 10 podcast, Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey offers 10 thoughts about the Steelers following their NFL Week 17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Acrisure Stadium. Are the Steelers getting enough value out of their expensive defense? Or do well-paid stars Minkah Fitzpatrick, Patrick Queen, T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward and Alex Highsmith deserve scrutiny amid this three-game l...

On the Friday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Edgar Snyder & Associates, host Christopher Carter welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insider Brian Batko to analyze Russell Wilson's future with the franchise. Should GM Omar Khan and coach Mike Tomlin still look to bring him back despite the three-game losing streak to the Eagles, Ravens and Chiefs? Should Justin Fields get ano...

Post-Gazette Pitt insiders Stephen Thompson and Christopher Carter break down the Panthers' 48-46 loss to Toledo in Thursday afternoon's GameAbove Sports Bowl, with Stephen reporting from Ford Field in Detroit. What led to the defeat for the Panthers? How did coach Pat Narduzzi and Kade Bell affect the outcome of the contest with some of their late-game coaching decisions and play calls? How did D...

Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise reacts to the day in Pittsburgh sports news around 5 p.m. Primarily, he reacts to the Steelers' NFL Week 17 loss to Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs. Can coach Mike Tomlin still win with this team in the playoffs? Are C.J. Stroud and the Texans an opponent they can beat if they have to travel to Houston for the wild-card round? What...

On the Wednesday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Edgar Snyder & Associates, host Christopher Carter welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo to react to the team's NFL Week 17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Who and what are this team's biggest problems right now? Are players like DeShon Elliott and Patrick Queen referred to guys like Minkah Fitzpatrick and...