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Steelers passed the eye test for the first time in a while in a dominant win over Miami

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Steelers passed the eye test for the first time in a while in a dominant win over Miami


PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t play a particularly aesthetically pleasing brand of football. It’s been that way for a while.

The offense can lack explosion for long stretches. The defense can get pushed around with alarming ease against quality opponents. The coaching decisions sometimes randomly flip-flop between aggressive and overly cautious.

The Steelers almost need a specific set of circumstances to succeed. They need to run the ball. They need to take it away. They need to avoid mistakes. It’s a formula as old as the game itself, and at times in recent years, it has felt more stale than steady.

Yet occasionally, there are stretches when Pittsburgh finds a way to thread the needle well enough that what is old feels new again.

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One of those stretches arrived late in the first half of what became a 28-15 dismantling of Miami on Monday night that kept the Steelers (8-6) one game ahead of Baltimore for the top spot in the AFC North.

Four offensive drives, all of them at least 60 yards in length, produced touchdowns that turned a 3-0 deficit into a 25-point lead, their biggest advantage at any point in a game since 2020.

While 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers was channeling his prime at wintry Acrisure Stadium by completing 23 of 27 passes for 224 yards and two scores, a defense playing without superstar outside linebacker T.J. Watt overwhelmed Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa during a third quarter in which Miami ran six plays and lost 20 yards in the process.

Though the Dolphins managed a pair of meaningless touchdowns late to make the final score more respectable, the outcome was never in doubt in the second half and offered tangible proof that Pittsburgh’s hope of playing its best football in December wasn’t just an empty promise.

Stringing together performances like the one the Steelers enjoyed on Monday night has been a challenge — and what has made the Steelers so confounding for much of the last decade.

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Yet for the first time in a while, Pittsburgh looked like a first-place team capable of doing more than squeaking into the playoffs before meekly exiting. As rocky as it was during a 2-5 stretch in which their comfortable AFC North lead vanished, they’ll take it.

“We hold ourselves to a higher standard here,” longtime defensive captain Cam Heyward said. “You know, when you play for a team like this that’s had a lot of success, and, you know, we’re not responsible for that, those guys before (did that). We are trying to grasp what they did. The expectations are high, and we like it that way.”

What’s working

Finding experienced players looking for an opportunity midseason and having them make an impact.

The list of what Rodgers described as “cast-offs” includes wide receivers Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Adam Thielen and cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., all of whom made plays that contributed to perhaps Pittsburgh’s most complete performance since beating Minnesota in Ireland at the end of September.

Valdes-Scantling caught his first touchdown pass from Rodgers since 2021 when they were both in Green Bay. Samuel collected his first pick since 2023 and Thielen had his first reception and added a perfect kick-out block that opened up a lane for a Jonnu Smith touchdown run.

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What needs help

The weather wasn’t conducive to a hot start and it took the offense a while to get going. While Pittsburgh did eventually score touchdowns on four straight possessions for the first time since 2018, the Steelers have been slow to warm up for most of the season, something they’ll likely need to avoid on Sunday in Detroit if they want to keep pace with the Lions.

Stock up

Tight ends Jonnu Smith and Pat Freiermuth had virtually disappeared from the offense entirely in recent weeks as Darnell Washington took on an increasingly larger role in the passing game.

That changed against Miami. Smith had three touches for 26 yards, including the second rushing touchdown of his nine-year career on a cleverly designed pitch early in the fourth quarter that put the game out of reach.

Freiermuth had more yards receiving (45) than he had in the previous four games combined, nimbly adjusting his routes against Miami’s zone.

Stock down

The “Fire Tomlin!” chants that popped up in the waning stages of a blowout loss at home to Buffalo on Nov. 30. Winning two straight and looking pretty good in the process will do that.

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For all of the vitriol aimed at the NFL’s longest-tenured head coach by a portion of the fan base, the Steelers are where they have always been during Tomlin’s 19-year run: in the mix as Christmas approaches.

Even Ben Roethlisberger, who suggested recently it might be time for the team to “clean house,” said on Monday night before being inducted into the club’s Hall of Honor that he’d be fine if Tomlin coached in Pittsburgh for 10 more years.

Injuries

Watt’s status remains uncertain as he recovers from surgery to repair a partially collapsed lung suffered following a dry-needling treatment last week. … Veteran LG Isaac Seumalo sustained a triceps injury in the second half against Miami. … OLB Nick Herbig left late with a hamstring injury. It’s unclear whether it’s an aggravation of the hamstring injury that forced him to miss the season opener. … LT Andrus Peat remains in the concussion protocol. … CB James Pierre could return from a calf injury that forced him to sit out on Monday night.

Key number

23 — Consecutive home wins on Monday night for the Steelers.

Next steps

Try to keep it going in Detroit, no easy task against an explosive Lions team that will be playing with its season on the line.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl



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Pittsburg, PA

St. Mary’s Colgan Softball Dominates Riverton in Run-Rule Victory – Pittsburg Today

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St. Mary’s Colgan Softball Dominates Riverton in Run-Rule Victory – Pittsburg Today


A fractured, cubist depiction of the St. Mary’s Colgan softball team’s dominant victory over Riverton, capturing the energy and intensity of the game through bold, geometric shapes and colors.Pittsburg Today

The St. Mary’s Colgan softball team secured a decisive 10-0 victory over Riverton in five innings at Pittsburg State Softball Field. Pitcher Bella Ascanio struck out 9 batters, while the Lady Panthers’ offense exploded for 6 runs in the first inning, 1 in the second, and 3 more in the fourth to end the game early via the run rule.

Why it matters

This win continues St. Mary’s Colgan’s strong start to the season and showcases the team’s dominant pitching and hitting abilities. Riverton struggled to get anything going offensively against the Lady Panthers’ stifling defense.

The details

Bella Ascanio was dominant in the circle for St. Mary’s Colgan, striking out 9 Riverton batters. The Lady Panthers’ offense got going early, scoring 6 runs in the first inning, 1 in the second, and 3 more in the fourth to end the game via the 10-run rule after 5 innings. Kynlee King recorded a hit for Riverton, but the Lady Rams were unable to sustain any offensive momentum against the Lady Panthers.

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  • The game took place on April 13, 2026 at Pittsburg State Softball Field.

The players

Bella Ascanio

The starting pitcher for St. Mary’s Colgan, who struck out 9 batters in the game.

Kynlee King

A player for the Riverton Lady Rams who recorded a hit in the game.

Kara Osborn

A player for St. Mary’s Colgan who drove in the first run of the game with a hit to the outfield.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

The takeaway

St. Mary’s Colgan demonstrated its dominance on both sides of the ball, with Bella Ascanio’s overpowering pitching performance and the Lady Panthers’ explosive offense leading to a decisive run-rule victory over Riverton. This win should give the team confidence as they continue their season.

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Man sues Pittsburgh police, alleges violation of constitutional rights

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Man sues Pittsburgh police, alleges violation of constitutional rights


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Two Pittsburgh police officers are being sued in federal court over allegations that they misidentified and arrested an Allegheny County man on assault charges without probable cause and violated his constitutional rights.

In a lawsuit filed against Officers Brian Shelton and Joseph Giles, 22-year-old Chiyeh Green alleged that he was wrongfully held in jail for six days despite an ankle monitor from past charges showing he was at home during the time of the assault police accused him of committing, according to an April 9 report by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

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Here’s what we know.

What led up to Pittsburgh officers arresting Green?

On July 20, 2025, an assault on Sydney Street on Pittsburgh’s South Side was livestreamed on Facebook, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported. The video showed a victim, who is not named, being assaulted by a man and a woman, according to the lawsuit.

During the investigation, officers spoke to the woman, who the victim knew, and were given the name of the man, the suit said. Police were told that the man was the father of the women’s children, with the victim showing Shelton a Facebook profile for “Sly Green.”

How did Pittsburgh officers identify Green?

The Facebook profile the victim pulled up for Shelton showed a Black man, who Shelton wrote “matched” the perpetrator in the video, the lawsuit said.

While with the victim, Shelton received a call from a Pittsburgh detective, who told him that Giles had learned of the video and identified Green as the attacker.

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When was Green arrested?

Green was charged on July 24, 2025, with Shelton and several officers arresting him at his home five miles from where the assault took place, the lawsuit said.

His probation officer was also present at the home and told police that Green was on house arrest with an ankle monitor.

How long was Green held in jail?

Green was held at the Allegheny County Jail for six days. The charges were dismissed at a bond hearing on July 30, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported.

“Mr. Green was falsely accused of a crime he clearly did not commit,” said Amanda Shields, one of Green’s attorneys. “We look forward to seeking justice.”

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Lawsuit: ‘Only identifiable similarity’ between Green and perpetrator ‘is their race and/or skin color’

The lawsuit alleged that the video of the assault “clearly depicts a different individual who does not resemble” Green committing the act.

“The only identifiable similarity between the male perpetrator depicted in the video evidence and the plaintiff (Green) is their race and/or skin color,” the lawsuit said.

In his affidavit of probable cause, Shelton didn’t include that Green was on probation and wearing an ankle monitor during the incident, according to the lawsuit.

“Shelton conducted a constitutionally deficient investigation by willfully and/or with reckless disregard ignoring exculpatory evidence as well as reasonably discoverable exculpatory evidence,” the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit includes claims of emotional trauma and suffering, economic damages, malicious prosecution, false arrest, false imprisonment, equal protections violations and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

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Eliza Durham, public information officer for the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, told USA TODAY Network the department can’t comment on pending litigation.

Finch Walker is the education reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at fwalker@floridatoday.com. X: @_finchwalker. Instagram: @finchwalker_.





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March of Dimes hosts 56th annual March for Babies in Pittsburgh

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March of Dimes hosts 56th annual March for Babies in Pittsburgh


For the 56th consecutive year, the March of Dimes’ March for Babies returned to Pittsburgh, this time at Highmark Stadium. 

Thousands gathered to make a difference for families and make a powerful reminder of just how strong they can be. The event raises critical funds to provide research, programs, education, and advocacy so moms and babies get the best possible start to life.

One of the people at the walk was Amanda Dunn and her family, who have returned for almost two decades because of their daughter.

“We walk for Erin. She was born at 24 weeks, and she weighed 1 pound, 12 ounces. So, she started our walk with March of Dimes,” said Dunn, this year’s John Bricker Legacy Award Winner.

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For 19 years, they have been involved with the March of Dimes, helping raise funds and creating awareness. On Sunday, she didn’t walk alone but rather with her family and was joined by thousands walking for the nonprofit.

“They helped us a lot with the research and the development of how far it’s come. I don’t know if Erin would have survived,” said Dunn.

March for Babies is the nation’s largest charitable walk, and a critical one. It spotlights the urgent maternal and infant health crisis in the United States.

“The fight for the health of newborn babies and mothers is important. The ability to bring everyone here is awesome,” said Mark Twerdok, Chair of Walk for Babies.

The walk has been going for 56 years strong and is only growing. This year’s goal is to raise $1 million, and on Sunday, they were over $650,000. It all goes into education, research, hospitals, programs, and more.

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“It’s touching. A lot of the returning families have been affected by the mission, and you see the thousands of people here today, really all here to support each other,” said Twerdok.

At the end of the day, this event helps give more first steps, more first birthdays, and more futures.

“Babies and mothers, and that means something to you. We’d love the support. It’s a great cause, a wonderful charity. We’ve been blessed to be a part of it for 19 years,” said Dunn.

If you want to get involved or help donate, you can do so at this link.

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