January 5, 2023 3:45 am
PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett has been announced as the recipient of this year’s Joe Greene Great Performance Award, given annually by the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America to the team’s standout rookie player. Kenny Pickett took over as the team’s starter in Week 5 and has grown more and more comfortable within Matt Canada’s attack. Over the course of the campaign, he’s completed 232 of his 360 passes for 2,209 yards, six scores, and nine picks. In each of the last two weeks — against Las Vegas and Baltimore — Pickett has orchestrated late drives that were capped by exhilarating go-ahead touchdown passes, keeping the Steelers in the postseason conversation.
January 5, 2023 3:48 am
The NFL is still considering various options following the suspension of the Bills-Bengals game, including possibly eliminating the bye week before the Super Bowl. The Bills-Patriots game set for Sunday and the rest of the Week 18 games remain on schedule. The pivotal Bills-Bengals game was suspended Monday night after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest while making a tackle in the first quarter. A marketing representative for his family says Hamlin’s recovery is moving in “a positive direction” two days after the 24-year-old player had to be resuscitated on the field. NFL executive Jeff Miller said there has been no decision on whether to resume the Bills-Bengals game at a later date. A decision will be made in the coming days.
January 5, 2023 3:50 am
Joe Thomas, Darrelle Revis and Dwight Freeney are finalists in their first year of eligibility for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2023. The 15 modern-day players who will be considered later this month by the selection committee include returning finalists DeMarcus Ware, Patrick Willis, Zach Thomas and Andre Johnson. Six other returning finalists were announced with Jared Allen, Willie Anderson, Ronde Barber, Devin Hester, Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne getting back to this stage. Defensive backs Albert Lewis and Darren Woodson made it to this stage for the first time after previously being eliminated in the semifinal stage.
January 5, 2023 3:49 am
BOSTON (AP) – Rafael Devers has agreed to an 11-year contract worth $331 million to stay with the Boston Red Sox. That’s according to a person with knowledge of the agreement who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the deal. Locking up Devers was an important move for the Red Sox and their uneasy fans after All-Star shortstop Xander Bogaerts, slugger J.D. Martinez and pitcher Nathan Eovaldi departed in free agency. The 26-year-old third baseman is a two-time All-Star. The deal was reached one day after Devers agreed to a one-year, $17.5 million contract to avoid arbitration.
January 4, 2023 3:57 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Blake Hinson scored 16 points, Jamarius Burton added 15 and Pittsburgh rallied past No. 11 Virginia 68-65. The Panthers used a 14-0 second-half run to get back in it and then took charge late to keep Cavaliers coach Tony Bennett at 326 career wins at Virginia, still tied with Terry Holland for the most in program history. A layup by Federiko Federiko with 59 seconds left put the Panthers up 62-60. Pitt forced the Cavaliers into a shot-clock violation on their ensuing possession. Six straight made free throws in the final seconds pushed the Panthers to their best start in ACC play since the 2013-14 season.
January 4, 2023 3:58 am
The NFL has informed the Bills and Bengals their suspended game will not be resumed this week while the Week 18 schedule remains unchanged. The NFL has made no decision regarding the possible resumption of the pivotal Bills-Bengals game at a later date. The game was suspended Monday night in the first quarter when Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest. The 24-year-old Hamlin remained in critical condition a day after the Bills said his heart stopped after making a tackle in the opening quarter of a game against the Bengals. Medical staff restored his heartbeat during frantic moments on the field before he was loaded into an ambulance. Players from both teams were crying and praying during an emotional scene on the field.
January 3, 2023 3:50 am
CINCINNATI (AP) – Buffalo defensive back and former Central Catholic and Pitt player Damar Hamlin was in critical condition early Tuesday after the Bills say he suffered a cardiac arrest on the field after making a tackle hours earlier, leading to the indefinite postponement of Buffalo’s pivotal Monday night showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bills said in a statement: “Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals. His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment. He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition.” The 24 year old is a native of McKees Rocks.
January 3, 2023 3:51 am
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) – No. 9 Penn State rallied past No. 7 Utah 35-21 in the 109th edition of the Rose Bowl. Nicholas Singleton broke a tiebreaking 87-yard touchdown run and KeAndre Lambert-Smith had the longest touchdown reception in Rose Bowl history on an 88-yard pass from Sean Clifford. Clifford passed for 279 yards and two touchdowns in an impressive farewell to Penn State, and Singleton rushed for 120 yards and two more scores on a day of spectacular big plays by the Nittany Lions. Two-time Pac-12 champion Utah couldn’t rally with quarterback Cameron Rising sidelined by a second-half injury.
January 3, 2023 3:55 am
BOSTON (AP) — Jake DeBrusk scored his second goal of the third period with just over two minutes remaining and the NHL-leading Boston Bruins rallied for a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Winter Classic on Monday at Fenway Park. Linus Ullmark made 26 saves for Boston, which is 8-0-3 in its last 11 games. Because the Bruins were the “home” team, they improved their home record to 19-0-3 this season. Kasperi Kapanen scored for the Penguins, and Casey DeSmith made 19 saves in relief of Tristan Jarry, who left with an apparent injury late in the first period. Playing on an unseasonably warm day with temperatures in the upper 40s (4 Celsius) early in the game, the Bruins won for the fourth time in the NHL’s 14th annual showcase event that was held at the home of the MLB’s Boston Red Sox in front of a sellout crowd 39,243. Playing with the stadium lights illuminating the ice, DeBrusk swooped in and banged home the rebound of Taylor Hall’s backhand shot with 2:24 left. DeBrusk collected a pass from Brad Marchand at the side of the net seconds after a power play expired, spun in front and slipped it behind DeSmith to tie it at the 7:46 mark of the period.
January 2, 2023 3:04 am
BALTIMORE (AP) — Kenny Pickett threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Najee Harris with 56 seconds remaining, giving the Pittsburgh Steelers a 16-13 victory over the Baltimore Ravens and improbably keeping their playoff hopes alive for another week. It was the first touchdown allowed by Baltimore at home in four games, and the Steelers needed it to avoid elimination. Just like they needed Miami to lose to New England earlier in the day, which also happened. Pittsburgh can now make the playoffs by beating Cleveland next weekend — if Miami and New England both lose. The Ravens’ chances of winning the AFC North took a hit.
