The Pittsburgh Steelers needed a win to get back on track against the Cincinnati Bengals before the playoffs. Unfortunately, they gave about as awful of an effort as any fan could have asked for. From the start of the game, the Bengals came out hot, and the Steelers were shell-shocked. While the defense eventually stepped up and made things more difficult for Joe Burrow and his lethal offense, the damage had already been done.
The real issue, though, was the Steelers’ offense. Russell Wilson struggled throughout the game, unable to find any rhythm. George Pickens had a rough night, dropping passes that could’ve extended drives. Even Pat Freiermuth, who had been playing well, let a crucial catch slip through his hands—one that might’ve put the Steelers in field goal range to steal a last-minute win. But the offense’s failure wasn’t the only problem; Mike Tomlin’s questionable clock management added to the difficulty.
After the game, Tomlin addressed the media and was asked why his offense could perform so well against the Bengals just a few weeks ago on the road, but struggled so badly this time. His response is sure to upset fans, as he offered a lackluster explanation that did little to justify the team's offensive regression. Steelers fans are bound to be frustrated by the same old rhetoric after such a disappointing loss.
"We made plays in that one," Tomlin said. "We didn’t make enough routine plays in this one."
Tomlin is known for his memorable sayings, and he often turns to familiar phrases, especially in difficult situations.
The 19-17 loss to the Bengals was disappointing for many reasons, but one stands out: just a month ago, the Steelers’ offense thrived against this same defense. Now, they can't even gain a yard with two attempts to secure a first down.
Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith has been underwhelming down the stretch. His name has been tossed around as a potential head coach candidate, but that feels hard to believe given the fact that he can't get more than 17 points against a bad Bengals defense. Any team that holds Cincinnati to 19 points should win, but the Steelers couldn’t. The blame for this must fall squarely on the shoulders of the man in charge of the offense.
The regression has been alarming, and hearing Tomlin blame routine plays for the struggles isn’t good enough. Yes, missed routine plays—like dropped passes—played a part, but Wilson made several poor decisions down the stretch. The playcalling was predictable and lacked creativity, which allowed a subpar Bengals defense to control the game.
The silver lining is that the Steelers have already clinched a playoff spot. The playoffs bring a fresh start, but heading into them on a four-game losing streak isn't ideal. Pittsburgh is likely to face the Baltimore Ravens in the first round unless the Los Angeles Chargers lose on Sunday.
If that happens, the Steelers would face the Houston Texans on the road. With the playoff picture soon to be set, these tough losses could quickly be forgotten with a playoff win that builds momentum. However, a loss, and things will take a much uglier turn.
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The Green Bay Packers have a logjam at wide receiver. Adding rookies Matthew Golden and Savion Williams to quarterback Jordan Love’s arsenal infuses a big-play element to head coach Matt LaFleur’s offense, while Mecole Hardman is a veteran presence at an otherwise young position group with untapped potential but limited big-game experience. As the 2025 regular season approaches, the Packers might be a popular phone call for general managers of teams aiming to bolster their receiving corps and upgrade the offense. Could Packers’ Romeo Doubs be a Top Trade Candidate? With training camp underway, Romeo Doubs sits atop the depth chart but could quickly be pushed by Golden for the top spot. In addition to Hardman, Golden, Williams, and Doubs, playmakers like Dontayvion Wicks and Jayden Reed will also be pushing for snaps and a consistent role in the passing game. According to Pro Football Focus NFL analyst Bradley Locker, the competition and infusion of talent at receiver could make Doubs one of the top trade candidates across the NFL. “Since being taken in the fourth round in 2022,” Locker writes for PFF. “Doubs has become a solid option for Green Bay. Last season, he turned in a 71.0 PFF receiving grade with 1.62 yards per route run. However, his drop rate has sat above 9% in two of his three seasons, and health has also been an issue, with Doubs logging less than 700 snaps in two of three campaigns. “Golden figures to be Jordan Love’s WR1, especially with Christian Watson sidelined yet again. Green Bay also added rookie Savion Williams to the mix, which suggests that the team wasn’t satisfied with its receiver play from a year ago. Will the Packers finally move on from one of Doubs, Jayden Reed or Dontayvion Wicks, each of whom has shown flashes but not developed in full? The most likely would figure to be Doubs, who is effectively playing on a one-year deal in 2025.” If Golden makes the immediate leap and flashes like a No. 1 wide receiver, GM Brian Gutekunst and the Packers could bit sitting on one of the most coveted receivers for contending teams aiming to fill a need. Doubs has caught 147 passes for 1,700 yards and 15 touchdowns through his first three seasons as one of Love’s top targets. If he’s supplanted by Golden, his next catch may come from elsewhere.
With a week until the MLB trade deadline, the Philadelphia Phillies are expected to be aggressive. With needs in the bullpen and the outfield, there are plenty of ways to address the roster at the deadline. While the outfield market isn't great, the Phillies are, according to Andrew Fillipponi of 93.7 The Fan, a Pittsburgh sports talk radio show, one of many teams looking to acquire the polarizing Pittsburgh Pirates star, Oneil Cruz. "Source: The Phillies are one of the teams that's trying to trade for Pirates CF Oniel Cruz." Fillipponi writes, "Philly has gotten terrible play in CF this year. And they are interested in seeing what Cruz could do in a lineup with Harper, Schwarber, and Turner. Good veteran influences. Stay tuned." While the Phillies' interest in Cruz doesn't come as a surprise, the language of this report from Fillipponi is noteworthy. Not only are the Phillies interested, but they're trying to trade for Cruz at the deadline. He would take over in center field for Brandon Marsh, and Marsh could then slide over to left field, replacing Max Kepler who has had his struggles this season. Adding a player like Cruz, who is 26 years old and is under team control through 2028, would cost a lot. However, the Phillies are reportedly willing to go all in this trade deadline and could part with some of their top prospects. Though if the Pirates ask for top prospect Andrew Painter, the Phillies won't budge. Every other prospect is on the table, including Aidan Miller and Mick Abel. Cruz, who hit a 513-foot home run in the 2025 Home Run Derby, is a highly sought-after player on the trade market. Even though Cruz is batting just .219 on the year, he will still draw plenty of intrigue from around the league. Part of what makes him so appealing is his power and speed. He's hit 16 home runs this season, which would be second on the Phillies, and has an MLB-leading 33 stolen bases. Cruz will cost a fortune, but according to this report, the Phillies are looking to land the polarizing Pirates' star center fielder at the trade deadline.
The Milwaukee Bucks' decision to waive-and-stretch Damian Lillard sparked even more Giannis Antetokounmpo rumors on social media. There were already reports that Antetokounmpo was considering his options and potentially forcing his way out of Milwaukee, and the Lillard move did little to alleviate the situation. Nevertheless, the weeks have gone by, and Antetokounmpo is still a Buck. More importantly, the team believes that's not going to change any time soon. "We have no indication that anything is really changing as far as our relationship with the player we think is the best in the world," a Bucks front office executive told Spotrac's Keith Smith. "We rebuilt on the fly, in a really challenging situation, but we think we did it as well as it could be done." Antetokounmpo trade rumors have cooled off around the league, and while anything can happen in the NBA, that doesn't seem likely at this point. "Do I think the star guys like Giannis (Antetokounmpo) or LeBron (James) are going to go anywhere? Nope. Is it possible? Sure is," said a Western Conference executive. Giannis chose to stay in Milwaukee with one of the most lucrative contract extensions in NBA history. He was overly critical of the team's effort last season, and another early playoff exit may have driven him to the edge. Even so, he's talked about how he wants to win "the right way," as opposed to chasing rings. That said, with head coach Doc Rivers' long list of questionable postseason performances and a championship window that could be closing right before their eyes, Giannis trade rumors will flood social media again if the Bucks get off to a slow start during the 2026-26 campaign.
New York Yankees fans may be loud and opinionated, but at leas one former MLB manager does not believe they are wrong when it comes to Anthony Volpe. Amid a growing clamor to bench the Yankees’ struggling shortstop, for Rays, Cubs and Angels manager Joe Maddon suggested the Yankees should consider sending Volpe to the minors because of shaky defensive and visible confidence issues. Speaking on MLB Now Thursday, Maddon said Volpe’s error Wednesday night showed him a player who is struggling internally. “He got down on one knee … unsure of himself.” The play — a routine grounder to shortstop — raised red flags. Maddon reminded that Rogers Centre's tricky turf may contribute, but the deeper concern is Volpe’s mental state: “Something … his confidence is lacking right now.” While Yankees manager Aaron Boone has vehemently and consistently defended Volpe, there are numbers that show he could benefit from decompressing in the minors. Right now, Volpe, who won a Gold Glove, is at 0 Defensive RUns Saved and has a 2 Fielding Run Value, according to FanGraphs and Baseball Savant. That’s down from a +10 DRS and +6 FRV in 2024. He is not offering much on offense either. Through 99 games, Volpe is hitting .214 with 12 home runs, 53 RBI and a .686 OPS. Maddon cited what the Mets recently did with top catching prospect Francisco Alvarez, who was demoted for a short time and has come back a better player. Volpe’s bat remains underwhelming—his .214 average and .686 OPS are near league-low. Defensively, metrics confirm Maddon’s gut check. The shortstop who once won a Gold Glove now posts replacement-level defense. Maddon suggested the Yankees get a rental at shortstop at the deadline to ease up on Volpe. At just 24, Volpe still has room to grow, but with Aaron Judge’s clock ticking on a championship, maybe he shouldn’t be doing it where it can cost the Yankees games. If they prioritize winning now, a temporary demotion could be a tough but necessary adjustment.
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