(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Steelers’ Aaron Rodgers, from left, Mike Tomlin and Cameron Heyward walk off the field after Pittsburgh won an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The NFL is not designed to work like this. If anything, the league is designed to prevent what the Pittsburgh Steelers have done for the past 22 years and counting.

In a league that considers parity one of its pillars, particularly in the salary cap era, the Steelers are an outlier.

Seasons come, seasons go, and Pittsburgh finds a way to make sure the number in the wins column is never smaller than the number in the loss column.

When the Steelers improved to 9-6 after an equal parts thrilling and bizarre 29-24 victory over the Lions, they assured themselves of an NFL record 22nd straight season at .500 or better, breaking the mark of 21 they shared with the Dallas Cowboys, who pulled off the feat from 1965-85.

Dallas’ run came in a far different era, a time when teams had far greater control over player movement. The Cowboys put their run together by drafting and developing future Hall of Famers, then making sure they never left.

Today’s NFL teams don’t have that luxury. And while the Steelers have had their own share of players who have donned — or, as in the case of former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and current outside linebacker TJ Watt, will likely don — gold jackets in Canton, Ohio, they’ve also managed to stay relevant and competitive year in, year out with a rotating cast of characters around them.

Their ability to find players others either “cast off,” as Aaron Rodgers described them and turn them into contributors in meaningful moments was on full display in Detroit.

Dylan Cook, a former quarterback turned offensive lineman who began the season on the fourth string, protected Rodgers’ blind side and helped open up enough holes for the Steelers to run for 230 yards.

To Cook’s right was Andrus Peat, a three-time Pro Bowler for New Orleans who was unemployed in August before the Steelers called. Peat was a backup all season until left tackle Broderick Jones and then left guard Isaac Seumalo went down with injuries.

Scotty Miller, who won a ring with Tom Brady in Tampa Bay but has spent the past two years in Pittsburgh bouncing back and forth off the practice squad, caught his second, third and fourth passes of the season during a pivotal second-half drive, including a fourth down conversion.

The list goes on and on. Pittsburgh’s late-season scrambling to find healthy bodies because of injuries is hardly unique. The way the club consistently finds a way to remain relevant is.

The Steelers have played 355 regular-season games since their run of .500 seasons or better began in 2004. They’ve been in playoff contention in all but two of them.

Two.

The three-time defending AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs, by comparison, will play three meaningless games this season alone.

No, the “Steeler Way” is not perfect. Their competence — which hasn’t always correlated to excellence — means they’re often picking in the middle-to-late portions of the first round, where it’s not as easy to identify (let alone develop) the franchise quarterback they still so desperately need.

Should Pittsburgh manage to win the AFC North, it will carry a six-game playoff losing streak into the first round. If that skid hits seven straight, the relentless chorus of fans and alumni calling for Tomlin’s job — a chorus that has gone quiet over the past three weeks — will be in full throat once again.

That’s just how it goes, and should the Steelers experience another mid-January pratfall, the conversation about why they keep coming up short will be difficult.

Still, it beats the alternative: sifting through the wreckage of a season in which they were never in the playoff conversation at all, something the Steelers have avoided better than any club in modern NFL history.

“It’s this time of year man, that’s (why) I love it,” Tomlin said. “If you’re a competitor, you run to this stuff. I think we’ve got a collection of competitors.”

What’s working

Not getting caught up in who is RB1. At this point, does it matter?

Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell seem to be feeding off each other. The duo has combined for 557 yards of total offense during Pittsburgh’s three-game winning streak and Gainwell’s “wait what?” 45-yard touchdown reception late in the first half on Sunday may be the best (or at least the most improbable) catch in the league this season.

What needs help

The defense when it’s time to close out an opponent.

The Steelers have allowed an NFL-high 157 fourth-quarter points this season. And while some of those have been scored in garbage time, it’s also indicative of a team that’s let three halftime leads morph into losses.

Stock up

Maybe Jonnu Smith’s true calling was as a running back. An afterthought in the passing game for most of the past two months, the tight end ran twice for 20 yards in Detroit a week after scoring the second rushing touchdown of his career on a toss play. Smith has nearly as many yards rushing over the past six weeks (38) as he has yards receiving (39).

Stock down

The details around wide receiver DK Metcalf’s altercation with an unidentified fan that ended with Metcalf taking a swipe at a man wearing Detroit Lions gear remain unclear. Whatever it is, it’s not the best look for a two-time Pro Bowler who leans into his competitiveness, perhaps a little too much on this occasion.

Injuries

WR Calvin Austin III tweaked his hamstring on Sunday and did not return. … CB Brandin Echols sustained a groin injury. … LB T.J. Watt missed his second straight game and has yet to practice since having surgery to repair a partially collapsed lung.

Key number

1 — number of regular-season victories Tomlin needs to tie Hall of Famer Chuck Noll (193) for the most in franchise history.

Next steps

Try to lock up their first division title since 2020 when they visit Cleveland next weekend.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Tampa Bay Rays Brandon Lowe follows through on a solo home run against the Baltimore Orioles in the third inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Gail Burton, File)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A small-market team in a division dotted with big-market clubs. A pitching staff bursting with potential. A manager with a modest resume as a player but an innate feel for the vibes within a clubhouse.

Yeah, Brandon Lowe has been here before.

The two-time All-Star second baseman was a fixture on Tampa Bay clubs that consistently punched above their weight in the AL East. He doesn’t see why the same can’t happen in Pittsburgh, which acquired Lowe, outfielder Jake Mangum and left-handed pitcher Mason Montgomery last week as part of a three-team trade that sent Pirates starting pitcher Mike Burrows to Houston and a pair of prospects to Tampa Bay.

While there’s a chance Montgomery and Mangum can be contributors in 2026, the focal piece of the unusually aggressive move by the Pirates is the left-handed Lowe, who hit 31 home runs last season and now finds himself playing half his games at PNC Park, where the nearest edge of the 21-foot-high Roberto Clemente Wall sits just 320 feet from home plate with the banks of the Allegheny River about another 100 feet away.

“The dimensions of the ballpark play into where my power alleys lie,” Lowe said. “Something about seeing a ball going flying into the river seems very, very exciting.”

So is the idea that the Pirates are ready to contend for the first time in a decade.

“I feel like there’s a real opportunity there for a deep push and some playoff baseball in Pittsburgh,” Lowe said. “The pitching staff is legit. The hitters, they have some extremely talented guys that play in the field and I’m excited to kind of come and help in any way that I can.”

Lowe spent eight years with the Rays, who made the postseason every year from 2019-23, including a run to the 2020 World Series. Tampa Bay won 96 games or more three times during that span despite playing in the same division as the far-deeper-pocketed New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.

While Lowe allowed there is something to be said for having an advantage in financial resources, in his experience it’s far from the sole determining factor for success.

“Payroll isn’t everything,” Lowe said. “The big names do get paid and obviously you know what you’re getting (with) some of those guys but those big names start somewhere.”

Like say, Tampa Bay, which has found a way to stay competitive despite having Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, among others, head elsewhere when they became too expensive.

Now it’s Lowe’s turn to make that transition. He has one year remaining on his current contract and is scheduled to make $11.5 million in 2026. When the Pirates have acquired players during general manager Ben Cherington’s tenure, a significant chunk of them have controllable years left.

That’s not the case with Lowe, yet the Pirates showed a bit of uncharacteristic urgency by taking somewhat of a small gamble that Lowe can help elevate an offense that ranked near the bottom of the majors in nearly every significant statistical category last season. That lack of production is the biggest reason why Pittsburgh finished at 71-91 despite having a pitching staff anchored by Cy Young winner Paul Skenes.

The window of opportunity to capitalize with Skenes still playing for a modest salary is already closing. Next season will be the seventh since Cherington was hired and patience — externally anyway — is starting to run out.

Cherington said over the weekend “there’s a lot more out there for us” in terms of adding to the lineup before the club reports to spring training in mid-February. Maybe, but Lowe’s arrival gives Pittsburgh something it’s lacked for most of the last decade: a proven veteran bat who can put the ball over the fence with regularity.

The Pirates have had just one player hit more than 30 homers in a season since 2014, and Josh Bell’s 39 home runs in 2019 came during a tumultuous year in which the club cratered during the second half, leading to sweeping leadership changes.

That group that took over — led by Cherington — now finds itself deep into the “prove it” phase of its tenure. The rotation anchored by Skenes and Mitch Keller could be excellent. After leaning heavily on inexperienced young players or hitters deep into their 30s in an effort to stitch something together, Lowe’s arrival signals a shift in mindset.

While he will start the season as the everyday second baseman, the Pirates may have to get creative to make sure manager Don Kelly writes down the names of the best nine hitters on the lineup card. That means Lowe may find time in the outfield or at designated hitter. He’s fine with either if it comes to that.

“One thing I was taught in Tampa is if you can play anywhere, it keeps you in the lineup,” he said. “That was the biggest thing (and) I want to be in the lineup for as many games as possible.”

(File Photo of Congressman Chris Deluzio speaking to three ladies)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Washington, D.C.) According to a release in Washington D.C. on Saturday from Congressman Chris Deluzio’s office, last week, Congressmen Deluzio (PA-17) and Dan Goldman (NY-10) introduced the Honest Oversight of Ticketed Dining and Onsite Grub (HOTDOG) Act to direct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to conduct a nationwide study of concession pricing practices at sports venues. The HOTDOG Act would direct the FTC to evaluate the pricing practices at professional sports stadiums which were constructed or operated with public subsidy funds.   

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby plays during an NHL hockey game Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A family-owned, Chicago-based investment company has reached a “definitive agreement” to purchase a controlling interest in the Pittsburgh Penguins from Fenway Sports Group.

The Penguins announced Friday that Hoffmann Family of Companies and FSG have come to terms on a sale that would signal Hoffmann’s initial foray into major professional sports. Any purchase would need to be approved by the NHL’s Board of Governors, though that is often merely a formality.

The financial details of the agreement were not released, though the Penguins were valued at around $1.7 billion recently by Forbes.

“Hockey has always been a meaningful part of our family’s story, which makes this an incredibly special opportunity,” Geoff Hoffmann, CEO of Hoffmann Family of Companies, said in a statement. “We’ve long admired the Pittsburgh Penguins — not just for their championship legacy and history, but for the culture, passion, and loyalty that define the organization.

The sale, if completed, would end FSG’s brief run as stewards of the five-time Stanley Cup-winning franchise. FSG, which owns Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox and Liverpool of the Premier League, agreed to purchase the Penguins from Ron Burkle and Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux in late 2021.

The terms of that sale were not announced, though the team was valued at around $845 million by Sportico at that time.

The Hoffmann Family, a private equity enterprise of more than 125 global brands that counts the ECHL’s Florida Everblades among the many entities it runs, will pay considerably more than that to become the team’s third owner in a half-decade.

The Penguins said FSG will remain a minority shareholder for a period of time to continue its support in key business areas, including sponsorship sales and regional sports network management, as part of a phased transition.

“From our earliest conversations, (the Hoffmanns) love of the sport and their commitment to doing things the right way made it clear they would be thoughtful stewards of the franchise, which is why we chose to seriously consider their interest,” FSG CEO Sam Kennedy said in a statement. “We plan to work closely with them to ensure a smooth transition and to carry forward the momentum that’s been built.”

The sale comes with the Penguins in a bit of a transitional period as the era defined by stars Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang nears its end. The trio — who are playing their 20th season as teammates — have guided the club to three Stanley Cups (2009, 2016 and 2017), though Pittsburgh has not reached the playoffs since 2022 and hasn’t won a postseason series since 2018.

The Penguins are in the midst of an overhaul orchestrated by general manager Kyle Dubas. They parted ways with two-time Stanley Cup-winning coach Mike Sullivan last spring and are off to a better-than-expected start under first-year coach Dan Muse, though they are currently riding a seven-game losing streak.

Attendance has dipped since the club’s 633-game sellout streak ended in October 2021. The Penguins are currently playing to about 88% capacity this season at PPG Paints Arena, the third-lowest percentage in the league.

What’s unclear is where Lemieux might fit in. The franchise icon’s role during FSG’s tenure was nebulous, though he has been around more frequently of late as Crosby neared Lemieux’s franchise points record.

Crosby has 1,722 career points entering Saturday night’s game in Montreal, one shy of Lemieux’s total of 1,723.

Lemieux, who led the team to a pair of Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992, remains beloved in Pittsburgh, where a statue of him sits outside one of the gates at PPG Paints Arena, which was built during his tenure as one of the club’s majority owners.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Tampa Bay Rays Brandon Lowe follows through on a solo home run against the Baltimore Orioles in the third inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Gail Burton, File)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The offense-starved Pittsburgh Pirates finally made an aggressive offseason move, acquiring two-time All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe from the Tampa Bay Rays as part of a three-team trade that also includes the Houston Astros.

The Rays are sending Lowe, left-hander Mason Montgomery and outfielder Jake Mangum to Pittsburgh, who in turn are dealing right-hander Mike Burrows to Houston. The Astros are sending outfielder Jacob Melton and right-hander Anderson Brito to Tampa Bay.

The 31-year-old Lowe, an All-Star in 2019 and 2025, gives the Pirates a veteran bat for a lineup in desperate need of some pop to support a promising young pitching staff led by National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes.

The left-handed Lowe hit .256 with 31 home runs and 83 RBIs for Tampa Bay and now heads to PNC Park, where the 21-foot-high Clemente Wall in right field could be a tantalizing target.

The move is an unusually aggressive one for the Pirates, who have been reticent to acquire much in the way of salary in recent years. Lowe is scheduled to make $11.5 million in 2026 and can become a free agent after the World Series.

Pittsburgh was thought to be pursuing slugger Kyle Schwarber, who opted to stay in Philadelphia. The Pirates did trade for outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia, who hit 18 homers in Triple-A in the Red Sox organization last year.

Lowe, however, is the kind of splashy move that provides actual proof that the team is committed — in 2026, at least — to upgrading an offense that was at or near the bottom of the majors in nearly every major category, including runs and home runs.

The 26-year-old Burrows went 2-4 with a 3.94 ERA for the Pirates last season, but he may have found himself the odd man out in a starting rotation projected to include Skenes, Bubba Chandler and Mitch Keller, among others.

The left-handed Montgomery will have a chance to carve out a spot in a Pittsburgh bullpen that includes closer Dennis Santana and veteran left-hander Gregory Soto. Montgomery went 1-3 with a 5.67 ERA in 57 games last season for the Rays.

The 29-year-old Mangum hit .296 and stole 27 bases in 118 games for Tampa Bay during his rookie season last year.

Melton, 24, hit just .157 during his debut with Houston last season but batted a solid .286 while playing for Triple-A Sugar Land before his call-up. The 21-year-old Brito had a sub-4.00 ERA while playing in the low minors last year.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Steelers’ DK Metcalf sits on the bench during the second half of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Rey Del Rio)

DETROIT (AP) — Steelers receiver DK Metcalf swiped at a fan leaning over the railing in the front row at Ford Field during the second quarter of Pittsburgh’s 29-24 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

Metcalf and the fan, wearing a black-and-blue shirt and a blue wig, were speaking to each other before the two-time Pro Bowler threw a right hand toward the man’s face. Metcalf did not appear to make much, if any contact.

“I heard about it, but I hadn’t seen it,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “I hadn’t had an opportunity to talk to DK.”

Although there wasn’t a penalty flag thrown on the field, the league will review the incident and Metcalf could face discipline.

He finished with four receptions for 42 yards.

The 28-year-old Metcalf is in his first season with the Steelers after spending six seasons with Seattle.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby skates to his bench after scoring a goal that tied him with former Penguins player Mario Lemieux for the team’s all-time points leader, during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Montréal Canadiens in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — As far as Sidney Crosby is concerned, Mario Lemieux is still No. 1 in his book.

But after Sunday night, Lemieux is now officially No. 2.

Crosby broke Lemieux’s franchise scoring record with a goal and an assist in the first period of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 4-3 shootout win against the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday night.

“I don’t think you can put a stat line or a number on what he means to this team and to hockey, so yeah, in my mind, he’s still No. 1,” Crosby said.

Crosby, who began the night one point behind Lemieux, now has 645 goals and 1,079 assists for 1,724 points in 1,387 games. It also moved him past Lemieux for the eighth-most points in NHL history.

Crosby tipped Erik Karlsson’s point shot at 7:58 of the first period for a goal to tie the record. He then broke the mark with 7:20 left in the period when his shot on a power play hit Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell tapped the rebound behind Jakub Dobes.

Crosby, Rust and Rakell embraced behind the net after the goal and the Penguins spilled over the bench to congratulate their captain. Later in the period, a 30-second video message recorded by Lemieux congratulating Crosby on the accomplishment was played.

“I knew when we played together in 2005 that you were going to be a very special player and accomplish a lot of great things in your career,” Lemieux said in the message. “Here we are 20 years later, you’re now one of the best to ever play the game.”

A hush fell over the arena as fans intently listened to Lemieux’s message.

“Seeing the crowd go quiet when Mario’s message come on, that was pretty special,” Crosby said. “If you don’t understand the impact he’s had here and you were here tonight, I think you understand it a little bit better given how quiet it got.”

Lemieux, the Hall of Famer, who also owned the franchise following his second retirement, became the Penguins’ all-time points leader, surpassing then-assistant coach Rick Kehoe on Jan. 20, 1989, when Crosby was 17 months old. Lemieux, who was in the lineup when Crosby recorded his first NHL point, finished his career with 1,723 points in 915 games.

“I have so much appreciation for having the opportunity to play with him, live with him and learn from him,” said Crosby, who lived with Lemieux and his family early in his career. “You grow up watching him, you never expect you’re going to make it to the NHL let alone play with him. He was a big part of helping me out and a huge influence on me.”

Crosby, the No. 1 overall pick in 2005, is the seventh outright all-time points leader in 58 years of the franchise’s history and the ninth active player to lead a franchise in points. Crosby previously broke Lemieux’s record for most assists in franchise history last Dec. 29 against the New York Islanders. Crosby is 45 goals behind Lemieux’s franchise record of 690.

Crosby is now third on the NHL’s all-time points list with a single franchise, behind only Steve Yzerman (1,755) and Gordie Howe (1,809), both with Detroit.

Crosby also passed Phil Esposito (449) for sole possession of the ninth-most even-strength goals in NHL history. He also tied Adam Oates for the eighth-most assists in NHL history in the first period. Crosby, who has 20 goals this season, achieved his 18th 20-goal season. Only six players in NHL history have more.

The biggest number on Sunday was Lemieux’ franchise scoring record.

“Having an opportunity to play on the same line and connect on a few goals … those are things that I’ll always remember,” Crosby said. “The impact he’s had on me, this team and hockey in general is pretty amazing.”