North Shore Drive podcast - Pittsburgh Steelers, Pirates, Penguins and more

On their weekly Penn State football podcast, host Adam Bittner and Post-Gazette/Daily Collegian insider Joel Haas analyze the job coach James Franklin has done to put the Nittany Lions in contention for a College Football Playoff spot. Does he deserve more credit despite his lack of big wins? Would Penn State be out of the CFP discussion had it slipped up against an inferior team as the Alabama Crimson Tide the the Georgia Bulldogs have this season? And is recent domination of the Washington Huskies and Purdue Boilermakers an example of his message getting through to plays effectively?

Our duo ponders those questions and more. Can Penn State really be a national championship threat running it's offense through tight end Tyler Warren? Could freshman Luke Reynolds be the next dominant Penn State TE after Warren? Has OC Andy Kotelnicki shown too much of what backup QB Beau Pribula can do when he spells Drew Allar in meaningful moments? Which potential SEC foe does Penn State match up best against in the playoff? And who should Lions fans root for in this week's big game between Indiana and Ohio State?

On the Wednesday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Edgar Snyder & Associates, host Christopher Carter welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo to preview the team's NFL Week 12 showdown with the AFC North division rival Cleveland Browns. How can QB Russell Wilson and his offensive line be more effective in the red zone? How can OC Arthur Smith get playmakers including George Pickens, Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren better touches close to the opposing goal line? And what role do turnovers play in those struggles for coach Mike Tomlin's team?

Our duo tackles those questions, ponders in the impact Browns RB Nick Chubb might have on this game amid his healthy return and weighs the potential for this to be a trap game despite its primetime setting.

On his daily First 10 podcast, Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey reacts to the Penguins' latest loss, a 3-2 defeat in overtime against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Is the Fenway Sports Group ownership hurting the team with its loyalty to coach Mike Sullivan? Would a coaching change be in the best interests of all involved? Is there any other way to get players including Erik Karlsson and Tristan Jarry back on track? Jason tackles those questions, then ponders extensive change in Cleveland ahead of the Steelers' NFL Week 12 matchup with the Browns and the potential use of Justin Fields in place of Russell Wilson in red zone situations.

Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise reacts to the day in Pittsburgh sports news. Should the Steelers be using Justin Fields more in the red zone after his personal package of plays debuted in NFL Week 11 against the Ravens? Or should OC Arthur Smith stick with Russell Wilson in those situations? How much longer can Smith and coach Mike Tomlin stick with Broderick Jones? And how much of a threat is the Browns' Jameis Winston this week as he fills in for the injured Deshaun Watson?

Paul tackles those questions, react to Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes winning the NL rookie of the year award and ponders his chances in Cy Young voting against finalists Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves and Zack Wheeler of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Post-Gazette Steelers insiders Brian Batko and Ray Fittipaldo report from practice ahead of the team's NFL Week 12 matchup with the Cleveland Browns. How does OC Arthur Smith plan to fix the red zone issues that manifested again in the win over the Ravens last week? Could we see more of Justin Fields when the threat of his running ability could help? Could we see him and Russell Wilson on the field at the same time? Could we even see Fields transition into a slash role like Kordell Stewart?

Our duo tackles those topics and others. Among them: How can Smith get Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington more involved in the red zone? And how involved will Ben Skowronek become in this offense?

On his weekly Chipped Ham & Football podcast, Post-Gazette Steelers insider welcomes former Pitt and Cleveland Browns offensive lineman Jason Pinkston to break down the rivals' NFL Week 12 matchup. Do T.J. Watt, Nick Herbig, Preston Smith and the Steelers' pass rush have the potential for a huge night with the Browns navigating injuries to key linemen including Dawand Jones and Jedrick Wills? Can every-down players respect the success a kicker like Chris Boswell is having this season? And what are Pinkston's memories of going up against Steelers legends including Troy Polamalu and James Harrison in this rivalry? Our duo tackles those topics and more.

On his daily First 10 podcast, Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey reacts to news that Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes has won National League rookie of the year honors. Jason explains why he feels Skenes was deserving over the San Diego Padres' Jackson Merrill; how he expects Skenes to fair in NL Cy Young award voting against the Atlanta Braves' Chris Sale and the Philadelphia Phillies' Zack Wheeler; and why the pressure is now on Pirates GM Ben Cherington to surround Skenes with better talent.

Then later, Jason explains why he feels the Steelers are equipped to win multiple different ways ahead of their NFL Week 12 matchup with the Cleveland Browns.

On their weekly Pitt football mailbag video, Post-Gazette insiders Christopher Carter and Stephen Thompson answer reader questions. Among them: Could coach Pat Narduzzi be on the hot seat if the Panthers' losing skid continues through the end of the season? Is his apparent criticism of OC Kade Bell warranted? And should young offensive linemen get some chances to play before the end of the regular season?

Our duo tackles those topics, then transitions to basketball. Is coach Jeff Capel missing out on too many recruits amid names including Derek Dixon, Amari Evans and Meleek Thomas committing elsewhere in recent weeks? And how many wins do Jaland Lowe, Ishmael Leggett and Co. need to get from their upcoming stretch of five games against power-conference opponents?

Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise reacts to the day in Pittsburgh sports. Can the Steelers stay focused to beat the Cleveland Browns with a short week to prepare for the NFL Week 12 matchup on Thursday night? Or could there be a hangover from the emotional win over the Ravens? What did we learn about T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, Minkah Fitzpatrick and the Steelers defense after it dominated Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry on Sunday? And what should we make of the offensive line struggles in front of QB Russell Wilson, particularly from Broderick Jones?

Paul touches those topics and offers additional thoughts on the Penguins' busy weekend, Pitt football's frustrating loss to Clemson and Penn State's College Football Playoff resume, which has drawn scrutiny over the past week.

On the Monday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by Edgar Snyder & Associates, host Christopher Carter welcomes Post-Gazette Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo to react to the team's NFL Week 11 victory against the Baltimore Ravens. How much credit do coach Mike Tomlin and DC Teryl Austin deserve for their gameplan to stop Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry? Why did the defense led by T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward and Minkah Fitzpatrick execute so well? And how can names like Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson and Nick Herbig build on forcing important turnovers?

Our duo tackles those questions and more. Including: Was the offense's performance underrated? From Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren playing well in the running game to Russell Wilson making big throws to Darnell Washington and others late? And can the Steelers contend with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs or Josh Allen and the Bills for the No. 1 seed in the AFC?