Pitt football insiders Stephen Thompson and Abby Schnable react to Saturday's road win at Syracuse. Nick Lapi and Cam Lindsey stepped up with leading linebackers Kyle Louis and Rasheem Biles out. But the offensive line was the crux of Pitt's offensive issues (penalties, not great blocking, allowed 7 sacks). It was anything but pretty, but a key play from Kenny Johnson and three interceptions kept momentum flowing.

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On the Saturday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by FanDuel, host Adam Bittner welcomes Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise to sort through the level of blame coach Mike Tomlin deserves for the NFL Week 7 loss to the AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football.

Was the game plan flawed from the start? Where was the pressure from the pass rush and stars like T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, Nick Herbig, Keeanu Benton, Derick Harmon and others? Were the 3- and 4-man rushes frequently deployed simply not enough to disrupt Bengals QB Joe Flacco and star WRs Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, leading to problems in the secondary for Joey Porter Jr., Jalen Ramsey and others? And why haven't names like Benton, Payton Wilson and others developed as much as many fans had hoped under Tomlin?

Our duo tackles those questions, plus the performance of the tight ends. Who's the best player from the group of Darnell Washington, Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith right now? Are they enough for Aaron Rodgers to have success in the passing game beyond DK Metcalf most weeks? And should GM Omar Khan consider trading any of them for a second wide receiver who's an upgrade over Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson?

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Pirates insiders Jason Mackey and Colin Beazley begin their offseason analysis series by looking at the outfield. If Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds improve enough, will the issues in the outfield be addressed from within? If not, who should the Pirates go after in free agency? And how close is Esmerlyn Valdez to the big leagues?

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In his weekly YouTube appearance discussing Pitt football, Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise weighs in on the win against Florida State last week and what it says about the Panthers' chances in the ACC title race. Did the upset legitimize the upside coach Pat Narduzzi's team has? Or are the Seminoles under coach Mike Norvell too inconsistent to count as a significant landmark victory? Can Narduzzi win the games his team is favored in the rest of the way? Especially with a freshman at QB in Mason Heintschel? And how much flack does Narduzzi deserve for choosing Eli Holstein over Heintchel early on, considering the new NIL era that gives players with big deals a leg up? Our duo tackles those questions and more.

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In his weekly Penn State YouTube segment, Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise joins host Adam Bittner to react to the Nittany Lions' firing of coach James Franklin this week. Was the move by AD Pat Kraft too impulsive in hindsight? Did he deserve at least another year considering Penn State was in the Big Ten championship and College Football Playoff less than a year ago? What does Paul make of legacy candidates for the job including Nebraska's Matt Rhule and Cincinnati Bengals DC Al Golden, both of whom played for Joe Paterno in Happy Valley? And what should we make of Curt Cignetti's new deal at Indiana and his potential to take the Penn State job? Our duo tackles those questions and more.

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On the Friday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by FanDuel and Edgar Snyder & Associates, Post-Gazette Steelers insiders Christopher Carter and Brian Batko react to the team's NFL Week 7 loss to the AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football.

Why were Jalen Ramsey, Joey Porter Jr., Darius Slay Jr., DeShon Elliott and the Steelers' secondary so bad in many coverage against the Bengals' passing attack led by Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Joe Flacco? Were expectations that coach Mike Tomlin's secondary would thrive in one-on-one situations misplaced? Or is this still an area where DC Teryl Austin can generate success against less potent pass games? And where do Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt, Nick Herbig, Alex Highsmith, Keeanu Benton, Derrick Harmon and the pass rush fit into the situation?

Our duo tackles those questions and ponder whether this was a loss to panic over or just a bump in the road over the course of a long season. Especially considering the way Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, Jaylen Warren and the offense were able to generate points to keep the Steelers in the game.

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Post-Gazette Steelers insiders Gerry Dulac and Ray Fittipaldo recap the Steelers' NFL Week 7 loss against the AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football.

Why were the Bengals' Joe Flacco, Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase able to have so much success against Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay Jr., Joey Porter Jr., DeShon Elliott and the Steelers' vaunted secondary? How did Bengals RB Chase Brown pile up over 100 yards against a Steelers defensive front that includes Cam Heyward, Derrick Harmon, Keeanu Benton, Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson? And where does coach Mike Tomlin's defense stand moving forward?

Our duo tackles those questions plus and up-and-down night for Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, Jaylen Warren, Roman Wilson and the Steelers offense that piled up points but also committed some costly errors.

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Host Adam Bittner and Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise react LIVE to the Steelers' NFL Week 7 Thursday Night Football matchup with the AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium.

Were Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, Darnell Washington and others able to maintain their momentum in the passing game? How did Broderick Jones, Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier and the offensive line perform against the Bengals' pass rush? Were they able to clear running room for RBs Jaylen Warren, Kaleb Johnson and Kenneth Gainwell against a porous Bengals secondary?

On the defensive side, how well was the secondary led by Joey Porter Jr., Jalen Ramsey and DeShon Elliott able to contain star Bengals receivers Ja'Marr Case and Tee Higgins? And how effective was the pass rush led by T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, Nick Herbig, Alex Highsmith, Keeanu Benton and Derrick Harmon against Bengals QB Joe Flacco?

Our duo tackles those questions, plus the coaching performance of Mike Tomlin and coordinators Arthur Smith and Teryl Asutin.

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