Mike Prisuta’s Sports Section
A weekly look at the games people are playing and the people who are playing them.
Steelers A Step Away from Contention, But It's A Massive Step
Hiring new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith won't make much of a difference without a significant improvement from a quarterback yet to be determined.
What the next Pittsburgh Steelers Offensive Coordinator Should See
There’s a huge question mark looming over the quarterback position. But beyond that it’s easy to see the potential for growth and even explosiveness, if only the Steelers would notice.
QB or not QB? That is the Steelers’ Question
Mason Rudolph is in the conversation for a change and Kenny Pickett is still in the organization’s good graces. But there are layers of variables to resolve on the way to determining 2024’s starter.
Playoffs the Reward for Pittsburgh Steelers’ Unanticipated Transformation
They’re no longer who they were, individually and collectively. But there’s still work to be done if they want to become the team they intended to be all along.
Better Late Than Never: Mason Rudolph's Unexpected Resurrection with the Steelers
Hindsight suggests they could have played him sooner. But there was no reason to perceive Rudolph as anything other than a last resort until he finally proved otherwise.
The Steelers Have Questions, But No Answers, Amid a Late-Season Collapse
From the quarterback position to the culture of their locker room, they’re going to eventually have some explaining to do.
Redemption or Armageddon Awaits the Steelers in Indianapolis
They’ve earned the criticism they’ve been receiving since Arizona and New England. But when it comes from within it has to be either answered or acknowledged.
Great Read: A Neville Island Native's Journey to the Exciting Sidelines of the NFL
Bob Angelo was determined to work at NFL Films. He enjoyed his 43 years there so much he’s written a book about it.
Gaining More Yards Than They've Done in Years Is Not Enough for the Steelers, But It’s a Start
The difference in their offense without former coordinator Matt Canada was more subtle than spectacular, initially. But for a change, there’s hope on the horizon.
Pittsburgh Steelers Finally Get Around to Blaming Matt Canada
The offense was getting worse, not better, as was quarterback Kenny Pickett. That left Mike Tomlin with little choice but to do what needed to be done.
Finally Embracing Change Might be Game-Changing for Steelers
They kept their prized draft picks under wraps intentionally, for whatever reason. Now we’ll find out if turning to rookies can alter the season’s course.
Can Steelers And Kenny Pickett Solve Their Identity Crisis?
The team needs their QB to be neither the goat nor the hero, just something in between.
Steelers are Threatening to Become Their Own Worst Enemy
The continued struggles on offense are frustrating the players as well as Steeler Nation. And they’re becoming tougher to deal with each passing week.
Phillies And Their Fans Are No Match for the Diamondbacks
Arizona was never supposed to reach the World Series. But manager Torey Lovullo and his players got there by finding comfort in the chaos.
Will the Pittsburgh Steelers Answer When Opportunity Knocks in LA?
Sunday might constitute their best, last chance to finally get the offense in gear. Failing that, it might start to get really ugly for coordinator Matt Canada.
The Pittsburgh Penguins’ Mantra: If You’re driving Over a Cliff, Drive Faster
Kyle Dubas is steering into the skid that helped get him hired in the first place.
Najee Harris Urges The Steelers To Deal With Their Inconvenient Truth
Harris suggests that it's the players, not Matt Canada, who have gotten the Steelers into the mess they are in and it's the players who must get them out of it.
The Pirates’ Strong Finish Encouraging If Not Worth Celebrating
The season destined to end on Sunday wasn’t a 100-loss debacle. They’ll have to aim higher moving forward, but they’ve at least taken baby steps over a low bar and in the right direction for a change.
Pittsburgh Penguins' Remake Is Only a Step in the Right Direction
Who they became at their core last season was a much bigger issue than how the roster was configured or who was calling the shots in the front office.
For a Change, The Pressure is On The Steelers' Kenny Pickett
After a miserable opener against San Francisco, Monday night looms as a revelation regarding the second-year QB’s ability to rise to the occasion.
Change in Kenny Pickett May Be Enough to Change Steelers’ Narrative
He’s been developing ever since he was thrown into the fire as a rookie last October. But with that development clearly accelerated this preseason, it’s time to re-think what might be possible.
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ Great Expectations Don’t Guarantee a Happy Ending
There seem to be more reasons to be excited about Mike Tomlin’s team than there have been in quite a while. But there are also concerns and unknowns that may yet get in the way of another chance at the Super Bowl.
Atlanta's Ballpark Has What PNC Park Lacks – A Winning Tradition and Atmosphere
As great as the Buccos keep insisting PNC Park is, it isn’t all that different from most other stadiums. But what happens once the ball gets pitched in places such as Atlanta is another matter entirely.
Returning to Latrobe: “That’s What Makes Pittsburgh Different”
Former players’ annual pilgrimage back to Saint Vincent College is a part of Steelers’ lore and Steelers’ culture. And it’s one of the things that defines the organization in the eyes of former safety Ryan Clark.
For a Change This August, The Pirates Are Still Worth Watching
They won’t win a pennant, probably won’t even finish with a winning record. But what they’ll put on display the rest of the way has a chance to resonate sooner rather than later.
The Son of Steeler Is On The Rise at Saint Vincent College
Rookie cornerback Joey Porter Jr. has the physical skill set and the pedigree. And the early indications at training camp are he’s starting to get it, as encouraging a development as any so far for the Steelers.
The Steelers are Mike Tomlin’s Team, When the Offensive is Good (And Bad)
It’ll be the head coach, and not offensive coordinator Matt Canada, who sets the tone and determines the direction in which Kenny Pickett and Co. are permitted to head this season.
Pens Don't Need Erik Karlsson To Keep Making Progress
They’re on the right track in the initial stages of the Kyle Dubas roster remake. Making a big splash just to make one won’t necessarily make the Pens better now or later.
How The Perception of Pirates Has Changed with First Draft Pick
Their motives have been as questionable in recent seasons as their ability to win games. But the drafting of Paul Skenes has confirmed a long-overdue seismic shift in approach.
The Penguins' New Hockey Operations Boss Has Already Mastered a Balancing Act
Getting better in the present may be more difficult than even Kyle Dubas has acknowledged. But the future, too, is looming, as Dubas is apparently well aware.
Stan a Man Who, Like it or Not, Earned Every Eulogy and Then Some
Stan Savran's passing has inspired an outpouring of passionate reaction that he’d have thought was excessive. But when you do it as well as Stan did it for as long as Stan did it, recognition of a job well done and a life well lived is as inevitable as it is well-deserved.
For Love of the Game: The Pirates Are Worth Watching Again
The Pirates aren’t yet resurrected, far from it. But their return to relevance has made baseball fun again at PNC Park, and for now that’s more than enough.
Why The Spotlight Shines So Brightly On Steelers’ Rookies During OTAs
Specific roles have yet to be determined. But there’s reason to suspect this year’s draft class will be counted upon heavily sooner rather than later.
Why Kyle Dubas Faces An Uphill Battle in Joining the Penguins
He has a lot of work to do, as will the eventual new GM. Both will need to realize the gravity of the challenge they’re facing first and foremost to have any hope of eventually getting the job done.
Despite The Steelers' Great Offseason, It's a Long Way From Football in Shorts to the Super Bowl
Things are going so swimmingly even the guy Kenny Pickett replaced is firmly in Pickett’s corner.
There Are Very Good Reasons The Steelers Are Collecting Cornerbacks
We’ll begin to find out next week if they’ve come up with somebody better or merely somebody else.
About This Blog
Mike Prisuta is a veteran of Pittsburgh sports reporting since 1985.
Mike can be heard Monday through Friday talking sports with Randy Baumann and the DVE Morning Show.
His favorite sport is whatever’s in season.
Follow him on Twitter @DVEMike
