Post-Gazette insiders Gerry Dulac and Ray Fittipaldo report from the Steelers' South Side practice facility, where coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that the team is preparing for Justin Fields to start Sunday in NFL Week 2 against the Denver Broncos as Russell Wilson continues to nurse a calf injury. Is Tomlin being sincere? Or could he be playing mind games with Broncos coach Sean Payton? How are is Tomlin of the national interest in the QB situation? And why is this different than the Mason Rudolph vs. Kenny Pickett decision that Tomlin had to make last year? Our duo tackles those questions and gives an update on injured receiver Roman Wilson.
On his weekly Chipped Ham and Football podcast, Post-Gazette Steelers insider Brian Batko welcomes the team's new play-by-play commentator Rob King to react to an 18-10 victory against the Atlanta Falcons in NFL Week 1 and look ahead to a crucial matchup vs. the Denver Broncos in Week 2. How did King's debut in the booth go? Does Arthur Smith deserve more credit for his own debut as the team's offensive coordinator, despite the lack of touchdowns? How will -- and how should -- the quarterback situation play out this week between Justin Fields and Russell Wilson as the latter continues to nurse his calf injury? What are his thoughts on Terrell Edmunds' return to the defense via NFL free agency? And what impact will the loss of punter Cameron Johnston have on the rest of the season? Our duo tackles those topics and more.
On his daily First 10 podcast, Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey reacts to the firing of Heather Lyke as Pitt athletic director, first reported by the PG's Christopher Carter. What prompted the shocking move from chancellor Joan Gabel, during Backyard Brawl week with prominent alumni including DeJuan Blair and Darrelle Revis in town no less? Could names including Pat Bostick, Louis Riddick and Doug Whaley make sense as replacements? And how much pressure is the school under to get this hire right amid the shifting college athletics landscape?
Jason offers his thoughts on those questions, plus other topics around town. What's taking the Penguins so long in getting a deal done with Sidney Crosby? What did Crosby have to say at his media session Monday? What impact will the season-ending injury to punter Cameron Johnston, plus the signing of former first-round pick Terrell Edmunds have on the Steelers' season? And what did we learn from Paul Skenes' latest strong start for the Pirates?
On the Monday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, Adam Bittner hosts in place of Christopher Carter and welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo to react to the team's NFL Week 1 victory against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Specifically they analyze the quarterback situation. Did Justin Fields' solid outing after a shaky start give coach Mike Tomlin the latitude to let the injured Russell Wilson rest as long as necessary? Should Fields get a chance to keep the starting job even when Wilson is recovered? How much could the type of calf injury Wilson is dealing with affect him for the rest of the season? And how much did a rough day for receivers not named George Pickens contribute to the inability to make big plays and finish drives?
Our duo tackles those topics, then turns attention to the defense. Was the dominant effort in the victory more a reflection of how good this unit can be? Or how limited Atlanta's offense was with a hobbled Kirk Cousins? Were DeShon Elliott and Donte Jackson underrated offseason additions? And what's Minkah Fitzpatrick's potential now that he seems freer to roam around the defense?
The show ends with some talk about a rough Week 1 in the AFC North that saw the Cleveland Browns lose to Dallas, the Cincinnati Bengals fall to the New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens drop a nail-biter to the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Who should be most concerned? And how much could an early division lead help the Steelers?
On his daily First 10 podcast, Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey reacts to the Steelers' 18-10 victory against the Atlanta Falcons in NFL Week 1. He highlights the dominance of LB T.J. Watt and kicker Chris Boswell on a day when the offense took center stage. And ponders what should happen at quarterback after Justin Fields filled in capably for injured starter Russell Wilson.
He also weighs in on Pitt's win over the Cincinnati Bearcats on Saturday, noting QB Eli Holstein's maturation and a breakout performance from RB Desmond Reid. Then he wraps the show by explaining why he was encouraged by the Pirates' Jared Jones and newly promoted Billy Cook after they split their series with the Washington Nationals over the weekend.
Post-Gazette sports writers Adam Bittner and Paul Zeise react live after the Steelers' NFL Week 1 matchup with the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. How did QB Justin Fields look in starting for the injured Russell Wilson? How should we assess new OC Arthur Smith's unit in his first regular season test? How did the offensive line navigate the uncertainty of the last few weeks surrounding Isaac Seumalo, Broderick Jones, Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier? What kind of difference did Patrick Queen, Donte Jackson and other new additions make on defense? And how did the receiver pecking order behind George Pickens shake out for names including Scotty Miller, Van Jefferson and more? The live stream will begin 10-15 minutes after the conclusion of the game on FOX.
Post-Gazette Pitt insiders Christopher Carter and Stephen Thompson break down the Panthers' 28-27 win over Cincinnati on Saturday at the Bearcats' Nippert Stadium. How did the Panthers complete their epic comeback, as they were down 21 points with just a few minutes left in the third quarter? What adjustments did Eli Holstein make that allowed him to perform so much better in the second half? What kind of play calls did defensive coordinator Randy Bates dial up to get the defense to stand tall? And how can Pitt, now 2-0, take momentum from this contest into next week's Backyard Brawl with Cincinnati? Our duo tackles those topics and more.
On the Friday episode of First 10, Jason Mackey takes reader questions about the hottest topics in town, including the future of Pirates manager Derek Shelton and GM Ben Cherington. Has Bob Nutting seen enough to make a change? Plus, Mackey offers thoughts on the Steelers quarterback quandary and if the Penguins have enough to make a playoff run for Sidney Crosby and Co.
On the Friday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, host Christopher Carter and Steelers insider Brian Batko discuss the latest injury to quarterback Russell Wilson, which has his Week 1 status in doubt. Is this going to be a problem for the rest of the season? And is Justin Fields ready to start the opener? Plus, we break down the matchup in Atlanta and give our predictions.
Post-Gazette sports editor and fantasy football analyst Chris Dell breaks down his favorite players to start — and sit — at every position ahead of Week 1 using his top 200 rankings cheat sheet. Host Dalton Brown runs through the guys that Chris is higher and lower on vs. the FantasyPros Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR), as well as looking at optimal strategy for defenses/kickers heading into the weekend.
Who are the most popular fantasy QBs that belong on benches this weekend, and what does that say about the season-long stock for guys like Dak Prescott and Brock Purdy facing tough Week 1 matchups?
When is the right time to buy or fade RBs with tougher defensive opponents than others this weekend, and where does put commonly-drafted players like D'Andre Swift, Ezekiel Elliott and Kyren Williams?
Why is Chris so high on Texans wide receivers Nico Collins and Tank Dell, and how does he feel about top opening week matchups to exploit for young wideouts with upside in Malik Nabers and D.J. Moore?
Also, the guys look at some sleepers at tight end, D/ST and kicker to consider to wrap up the show.
Chris is the founder of BettingPredators.com and the former fantasy football and sports betting lead analyst for ESPN 97.5. He recently won first place out of 235 analysts in the FantasyPros’ 2023 Fantasy Football NFL Draft Accuracy rankings competition. For more fantasy football content, including Chris' Top 200 weekly rankings and his '30 in 30' Sunday series, visit post-gazette.com/sports/fantasy-football