Post-Gazette Steelers insiders Gerry Dulac and Ray Fittipaldo react to the NFL Week 18 victory that clinched the AFC North title and a date with the Houston Texans to start the NFL playoffs next week.
How much credit does QB Aaron Rodgers deserve for a clutch fourth quarter that included a game-winning touchdown pass to Calvin Austin III? Especially in the absence of top receiver DK Metcalf? How did Kenneth Gainwell, Pat Freiermuth, Jaylen Warren and the rest of the offense overcome multiple long touchdowns from Lamar Jackson and the Ravens? What happened to Jalen Ramsey, Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt and the defense on some of those long scores for Zay Flowers and the Ravens offense? And what are this team's chances vs. C.J. Stroud and Houston next week? Our duo tackles those questions and more.
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Host Adam Bittner and Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise react LIVE to the Steelers' NFL Week 18 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens at Acrisure Stadium. This show is presented by FanDuel.
Was coach Mike Tomlin's team able to come through and win the AFC North to earn a spot in the NFL playoffs? Was QB Aaron Rodgers able to overcome the absence of receiver DK Metcalf and tight end Darnell Washington and put up points alongside names like Jaylen Warren, Kenneth Gainwell, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Calvin Austin III, Adam Thielen, Scotty Miller, Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith? How well were Cam Heyward, Derrick Harmon, Joey Porter Jr, Jalen Ramsey and the defense able to contain Derrick Henry and the Ravens offense? And how did T.J. Watt look in his return from his collapsed lung?
Our duo tackles those questions and more.
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On the Saturday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by FanDuel and Edgar Snyder & Associates, Post-Gazette Steelers insiders Christopher Carter and Brian Batko preview the team's crucial Week 18 matchup vs. the Baltimore Ravens.
Could this be the last ride for legendary quarterback Aaron Rodgers? Or is there a chance he comes back to play another season? If he does, do we expect that to be with the Steelers? What improvements can he make over last week's debacle against the Cleveland Browns? How much will another DK Metcalf absence affect the Steelers offense?
Christopher and Brian also break down some keys to the game. Is there anything more important Sunday night than stopping Ravens running back Derrick Henry? How does the complexion of the game change with Lamar Jackson back in at quarterback instead of Tyler Huntley? And how much is that game plan affected by whether T.J. Watt will play? Our duo tackles those topics and more.
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Post-Gazette Pirates insiders Jason Mackey and Colin Beazley break down the latest rumors behind GM Ben Cherington's pursuit of free agent Kazuma Okamoto.
What are Jason and Colin hearing? Could the Pirates really be making another splash on the open market? Or will the Japanese star sign with one of the various other teams interested in his services? Would the signing make sense? Do Jason and Colin think it could really happen?
Our duo tackles those topics, then discusses the best Pirates of the quarter-century as 2026 gets underway.
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The Post-Gazette's King Jemison breaks down the storylines surrounding the Penguins' current three-game win streak, their longest since October.
Which players have sparked this recent good run of form? How has Blake Lizotte's return from injury helped the team? How key was the penalty kill from names like Lizotte, Connor Dewar and Noel Acciari in Thursday's overtime win over the Red Wings? How sweet was it for Kris Letang to get the winning goal in his 1,200th NHL game?
King also talks about the Penguins named to their home countries' Olympic rosters. Can Sidney Crosby captain Canada to a goal medal? Or will Erik Karlsson and Rickard Rakell play spoiler for Team Sweden? King tackles those topics and more.
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On the Friday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast presented by Edgar Snyder & Associates and FanDuel, host King Jemison and Paul Zeise look ahead to Sunday's AFC North championship game between the Steelers and Ravens. What would be better for the Steelers — losing and seeing real change in the organization, or winning the AFC North? Plus, what concerns do we have about T.J. Watt's return and the offense without DK Metcalf and Darnell Washington?
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On the Wednesday episode of The PG Penguins Show, presented by FanDuel, Post-Gazette insiders King Jemison and Jason Mackey look on a busy 2025 for the Penguins. What were some of the biggest storylines of the year? Tristan Jarry is out and Stuart Skinner is in. Is this team leaving 2025 better than they were at the start of the year? We also, of course, talked some about the current winning streak. Later, we look ahead to a fascinating 2026 for the Penguins. First, some talk about the Yegor Chinakhov trade and what we thought. Then, we chat about the team's playoff chances, whether they'll make a big trade and the players representing their country at the Olympics including Sidney Crosby, Erik Karlsson and Rickard Rakell. For more sports, visit post-gazette.com.
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On the Wednesday episode of the PG Pitt Show, presented by FanDuel, host Stephen Thompson covers Pitt's rebounding problems and why there’s really no solution to them. That's bad news for the Panthers, because the outcome of essentially every game moving forward will be determined by a number of different factors, rebounding included. They know what they need to do, but aren’t capable of doing it. Thompson looks ahead at Clemson, which poses a tough matchup with its rebounding ability and 3-point defense. For more sports, visit post-gazette.com.
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On the Wednesday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by FanDuel and Edgar Snyder & Associates, host Adam Bittner welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insider Christopher Carter to assess Aaron Rodgers' play at QB this year.
Does he deserve the "inconsistent" label after his latest performance against the Browns? Can his personnel plausibly be blamed with DK Metcalf absent? Or did should Rodgers still have been expected to do more with Kenneth Gainwell, Jaylen Warren, Adam Thielen, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Pat Friermuth, Scotty Miller and others available as options?
Our duo tackles those questions, then talks defense. How close is the unit to living up to Mike Tomlin's preseason expectations that it be "historic." What's the biggest factor in the turnaround over the past month? Is Derrick Harmon the simple answer? Or is it more complicated than that. How much credit do Tomlin and DC Teryl Austin deserve for the secondary, which has shined with an ensemble cast that includes Jalen Ramsey, Joey Porter Jr., James Pierre, Brandin Echols, Asante Samuel Jr. and Kyle Dugger? And how many offenses remain in the AFC playoff picture that could pose problems for this group?
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Awards season has begun, and as we turn our attention to 2026, our WPIAL insiders Keith Barnes and Mike White hand out the first-ever VXies, honoring the top players, teams, coaches, performances and upsets in the 2025 calendar year!
To keep things interesting, the two only knew of the categories and made their own selections separate from each other.
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So grab some popcorn and check out the Varsity XTra Podcast, sponsored by Dave & Busters!
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