Christmas Music ‘Round the Clock 2025 Schedule!

A special holiday tradition at Beaver County Radio is back for another year. 95.7 and 99.3 FM along with 1230 WBVP, 1460 WMBA, and beavercountyradio.com will play continuous Christmas Music featuring local church, school, artists and civic choirs from 12:00 PM Wednesday, December 24th through 6:00 AM, Saturday, December 27th. The program schedule is listed below.

Wednesday, December 24, 2025

12:00 PM to 1:00 PM – The Genevans kick off the non-stop Christmas music with selections of their holiday performances of recent years.

1:00 PM to 2:10 P.M – The Beaver Valley Choral Society presents their concert presentation “Carols by Candlelight” from 2024.

2:10 PM to 2:30 PM – Jackie Evancho sings selections from her 2010 Christmas EP O Holy Night.

2:30 PM to 3:00 PM – Selections from A Harp Noel, as performed by the Northwest PA Chapter of the American Harp Society.

3:00 PM to 3:30 PM – Local Christian music artist and New Brighton Graduate David DeMarco sings Christmas songs from his 2019 Christmas CD Believe.

3:30 PM to 4:00 PM – Grammy-Award winning singer and Beaver County native Vanessa Campagna sings a collection of classic Christmas tunes.

4:00 PM to 4:15 PM – The late, great B.E. Taylor puts his spin on the Christmas classics that made his voice a staple of the holiday season in Beaver County and Western Pennsylvania.

4:15 PM to 6:00 PM – The 2025 “A Holly Jolly Christmas” concert recorded live in Hopewell Township featuring Bailey Taylor, Rick Witkowski, Joe Munroe, Mary Ours, Hermie Granati, and more performing in the spirit of B.E. Taylor’s legendary Christmas shows.

6:00 PM to 8:35 PM The 7th Annual 2025 Beaver County Radio Live Christmas Show will be replayed, featuring Christmas tunes courtesy of Rocket Loves Blue, Better Think Twice, Carlina Ricca and Valentina Powell, The Honky Tonk Heroes, Joe Munroe, JD Merkel, Dawn Savage, Noah Haswell, and Deuces Wild!

8:35 PM to 11:45 PM – Local Light-Up Night returns once again to our Christmas playlist, featuring local artists playing all of your favorite holiday tunes in their rockin’ style!

8:35 pm: Valentina & Mickey Cherico
8:45 pm: Better Think Twice
9:19pm: The Allegheny High
9:27 pm: Frank Piscopo
9:50 pm: James Tobin
10:11 pm: Raggedy Anne
10:21 pm: Morgan Gruber
10:30 pm: Rudy Zetz & The Voices
10:47 pm: The Vacuum Tubes
10:52 pm: Donna Groom
11:03 pm: The Sidewinder Band
11:20pm: The “Speed Round”, featuring an hour of singles from a variety of singers and bands such as The Forty-Nineteens, Xenia Potter, Chip & The Charge-Ups, Ashley Marina, Yasmine Vine, and more!

11:45 PM to Midnight – The late, great B.E. Taylor puts his spin on the Christmas classics that made his voice a staple of the holiday season in Beaver County and Western Pennsylvania.

Thursday, December 25, 2025

Midnight to 12:30 AM – Pastor David Grove of The Church of the Redeemed of Beaver Valley holds a Christmas midnight mass.

12:30 A.M. to 1:17 A.M. – In A Manger Lowly” – A treasured recording from 1963 by of The Sisters of St. Joseph Chorus in Baden. It’s a yearly tradition on “Christmas Music Around the Clock”!

1:17 AM to 2:00 AM – A throwback performance of the New Brighton Area School District’s 2014 Christmas concert, featuring the Elementary Chorus, Jazz Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, and High School Choir.

2:00 AM to 8:00 AM – Christmas Potpourri— A variety of holiday classics, local contributions, and other oddities from the BCR archives.

8:00 AM to 9:00 AM – The Genevans 2024 Christmas Concert.

9:00 AM to 10:00 AM – A 2015 recording of Christmas songs from the St. Cecilia Chorus.

10:00 AM to 10:30 AM – The Big Beaver Falls Area School District present their choral Christmas concert featuring selections performed by the Middle School and High School choirs.

10:30 AM to 11:26 AM – The Beaver County Symphonic Wind Ensemble performs Christmas classics recorded live on December 14, 2011 at Penn State Beaver.

11:26 AM to 12:37 PM – The Beaver Valley Choral Society presents their concert presentation “Carols by Candlelight” from 2024.

12:37 PM to 1:00 PM – The annual appearance of The Border Brass with Tijuana Christmas.

1:00 PM to 1:17 PM – Jackie Evancho sings selections from her 2010 Christmas EP O Holy Night.

1:17 PM to 1:30 PM – The Eight Bells, a select men’s a cappella ensemble from Geneva College. These recordings originally aired on December 9, 2021 as part of “The Best of Beaver County” on WBVP, WMBA & 99.3 F.M.

1:30 PM to 2:30 PM – Local Christian music artist and New Brighton Graduate David DeMarco sings Christmas songs from his 2019 Christmas CD Believe.

2:30 PM to 3:30 PM – Grammy-Award winning singer and Beaver County native Vanessa Campagna sings a collection of classic Christmas tunes.

3:30 PM to 3:45PM – A selection of classics from the late legend B.E. Taylor

3:45 PM to 5:30 PM – The 2025 “A Holly Jolly Christmas” Concert recorded live in Hopewell featuring Bayley Taylor, Rick Witkowski, Joe Munroe, Mary Ours, Hermie Granati, and more!

5:30 PM to 8:05 PM – The 7th Annual 2025 Beaver County Radio Live Christmas Show will be replayed, featuring Christmas tunes courtesy of Rocket Loves Blue, Better Think Twice, Carlina Ricca and Valentina Powell, The Honky Tonk Heroes, Joe Munroe, JD Merkel, Dawn Savage, Noah Haswell, and Deuces Wild!

8:05 PM to  11:15 PM – Local Light-Up Night returns once again to our Christmas playlist, featuring local artists playing all of your favorite holiday tunes in their rockin’ style!

8:35 pm: Valentina & Mickey Cherico
8:45 pm: Better Think Twice
9:19pm: The Allegheny High
9:27 pm: Frank Piscopo
9:50 pm: James Tobin
10:11 pm: Raggedy Anne
10:21 pm: Morgan Gruber
10:30 pm: Rudy Zetz & The Voices
10:47 pm: The Vacuum Tubes
10:52 pm: Donna Groom
11:03 pm: The Sidewinder Band
11:20pm: The “Speed Round”, featuring an hour of singles from a variety of singers and bands such as The Forty-Nineteens, Xenia Potter, Chip & The Charge-Ups, Ashley Marina, Yasmine Vine, and more!

11:15 PM to Midnight – The late, great B.E. Taylor puts his spin on the Christmas classics that made his voice a staple of the holiday season in Beaver County and Western Pennsylvania.

Friday, December 26, 2025

12:00 AM to 12:30 AM – Christmas Potpourri— A variety of holiday classics, local contributions, and other oddities from the BCR archives.

12:30 A.M. to 1:17 A.M. – In A Manger Lowly” – A treasured recording from 1963 by of The Sisters of St. Joseph Chorus in Baden. It’s a yearly tradition on “Christmas Music Around the Clock”!

1:17 AM to 2:00 AM – A throwback performance of the New Brighton Area School District’s 2014 Christmas concert, featuring the Elementary Chorus, Jazz Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, and High School Choir.

2:00 AM to 8:00 AM – Christmas Potpourri— A variety of holiday classics, local contributions, and other oddities from the BCR archives.

8:00 AM to 9:00 AM – The Genevans 2024 Christmas Concert.

9:00 AM to 10:00 AM – A 2015 recording of Christmas songs from the St. Cecilia Chorus.

10:00 AM to 10:30 AM – The Big Beaver Falls Area School District present their choral Christmas concert featuring selections performed by the Middle School and High School choirs.

10:30 AM to 11:26 AM – The Beaver County Symphonic Wind Ensemble performs Christmas classics recorded live on December 14, 2011 at Penn State Beaver.

11:26 AM to 12:37 PM – The Beaver Valley Choral Society presents their concert presentation “Carols by Candlelight” from 2024.

12:37 PM to 1:00 PM – The annual appearance of The Border Brass with Tijuana Christmas.

1:00 PM to 1:17 PM – Jackie Evancho sings selections from her 2010 Christmas EP O Holy Night.

1:17 PM to 1:30 PM – The Eight Bells, a select men’s a cappella ensemble from Geneva College. These recordings originally aired on December 9, 2021 as part of “The Best of Beaver County” on WBVP, WMBA & 99.3 F.M.

1:30 PM to 2:30 PM – Local Christian music artist and New Brighton Graduate David DeMarco sings Christmas songs from his 2019 Christmas CD Believe.

2:30 PM to 3:30 PM – Grammy-Award winning singer and Beaver County native Vanessa Campagna sings a collection of classic Christmas tunes.

3:30 PM to 3:45PM – A selection of classics from the late legend B.E. Taylor

3:45 PM to 5:30 PM – The 2025 “A Holly Jolly Christmas” Concert recorded live in Hopewell featuring Bayley Taylor, Rick Witkowski, Joe Munroe, Mary Ours, Hermie Granati, and more!

5:30 PM to 8:05 PM – The 7th Annual 2025 Beaver County Radio Live Christmas Show will be replayed, featuring Christmas tunes courtesy of Rocket Loves Blue, Better Think Twice, Carlina Ricca and Valentina Powell, The Honky Tonk Heroes, Joe Munroe, JD Merkel, Dawn Savage, Noah Haswell, and Deuces Wild!

8:05 PM to  11:15 PM – Local Light-Up Night returns once again to our Christmas playlist, featuring local artists playing all of your favorite holiday tunes in their rockin’ style!

8:35 pm: Valentina & Mickey Cherico
8:45 pm: Better Think Twice
9:19pm: The Allegheny High
9:27 pm: Frank Piscopo
9:50 pm: James Tobin
10:11 pm: Raggedy Anne
10:21 pm: Morgan Gruber
10:30 pm: Rudy Zetz & The Voices
10:47 pm: The Vacuum Tubes
10:52 pm: Donna Groom
11:03 pm: The Sidewinder Band
11:20pm: The “Speed Round”, featuring an hour of singles from a variety of singers and bands such as The Forty-Nineteens, Xenia Potter, Chip & The Charge-Ups, Ashley Marina, Yasmine Vine, and more!

11:15 PM to Midnight – The late, great B.E. Taylor puts his spin on the Christmas classics that made his voice a staple of the holiday season in Beaver County and Western Pennsylvania.

Saturday, December 27, 2025

12:00 AM to 9:00 AM – Christmas Potpourri— A variety of holiday classics, local contributions, and other oddities from the BCR archives.

Return to regular programming at 9:00 AM

 

Non-Perishable food and snacks available Tuesday for student families at New Brighton School District

Story by Beaver County Radio News Staff. Published December 23, 2025 8:57 A.M.

(New Brighton, Pa) The New Brighton Area School District announced they were given approximately 50 bags of non-perishable food and snacks. The district is making them available to any student families that can use them. The bags are located in the District Administration Office, next to the Auditorium entrance. You must visit the District Administration Office Tuesday before 1:00 pm.

Steelers WR DK Metcalf suspended 2 games following altercation with fan in Detroit

Pittsburgh Steelers’ DK Metcalf walks off the field after an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The NFL has suspended Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf for two games following an in-game altercation between Metcalf and a fan during the team’s victory over Detroit.

The league ruled that Metcalf’s actions violated league policy, which specifies that “players may not enter the stands or otherwise confront fans at any time on game day and…if a player makes unnecessary physical contact with a fan in any way that constitutes unsportsmanlike conduct or presents crowd-control issues and/or risk of injury, he will be held accountable.”

Metcalf will be eligible to return to the Steelers’ active roster on Monday, Jan. 5, following the team’s games in Week 17 against the Cleveland Browns and Week 18 against the Baltimore Ravens.

Under the collective bargaining agreement, Metcalf may appeal the suspension. A prompt hearing will be held by the commissioner or his designee.

CBS-TV cameras caught Metcalf and Ryan Kennedy, a Lions fan wearing a blue wig and a blue and black shirt that aligned with Detroit’s colors, having an exchange along the rail in the second quarter of Pittsburgh’s 29-24 victory.

Kennedy leaned over the railing during the exchange, and the blue wig fell forward to cover his face. The interaction ended with Metcalf reaching toward Kelly’s head with his right arm, though he didn’t appear to make much, if any, contact.

Metcalf remained in the game, finishing with four catches for 42 yards. He was unavailable to reporters afterward and did not appear at his locker on Monday during the club’s 45-minute media availability. Metcalf has regularly spoken on Wednesdays during the season.

Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said Sunday that he “heard about” the exchange but didn’t see it and at that point hadn’t had an opportunity to discuss it with Metcalf.

Former NFL wide receiver Chad Ochocinco said during a podcast he co-hosts with Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe that Metcalf told him the fan used a racial slur and disparaged Metcalf’s mother.

A statement released to The Associated Press on Kennedy’s behalf by a Michigan law firm on Monday said Kennedy “categorically denies” using a slur or any other derogatory statement during the exchange.

The statement released by Shawn Head and Sean Murphy of Head Murphy Law Firm called the allegations “completely false.”

“At no point before, during or after the incident did Mr. Kennedy use racial slurs or hate speech of any kind,” the statement read. “The claims suggesting otherwise are untrue and not supported by video evidence, eyewitness accounts or any contemporaneous reporting.”

The statement said Kennedy would have no further comment because “this matter will now likely be the subject of formal legal proceedings.”

The statement added that Kennedy, who told The Detroit Free Press he is from Pinckney, Michigan, about an hour west of Ford Field, has been subjected to “harassment, threats and messages advocating violence” in the aftermath.

Kennedy told the newspaper that Metcalf ripped his shirt during the incident. Kennedy also told the Free Press that he was calling Metcalf by his given name, DeKaylin.

The incident is hardly the first between a professional athlete and a fan during a live sporting event.

The exchange between Metcalf and the fan came five months after Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Dennis Santana was suspended and fined by Major League Baseball following a confrontation with a fan at a game between the Pirates and the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park, which is a block down from Ford Field.

The most notorious incident between players and fans came in 2004 when several members of the Indiana Pacers — including guard Ron Artest (now known as Metta World Peace) — fought fans inside the now-demolished Palace in a game between the Pacers and the Detroit Pistons in what is known universally as “ The Malice at the Palace.”

Powerball jackpot soars to $1.7 billion after another night with no big winner

FILE – Powerball lottery tickets are displayed Oct. 4, 2023, in Surfside, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)

The Powerball jackpot has jumped to an eye-popping $1.7 billion, after the 46th drawing passed without a big winner.

The numbers drawn Monday night were 3, 18, 36, 41, 54 and the Powerball 7.

Since Sept. 6, there have been 46 straight drawings without a big winner.

The next drawing will be Christmas Eve on Wednesday, with the prize expected to be the 4th-largest in U.S. lottery history.

Powerball’s odds of 1 in 292.2 million are designed to generate big jackpots, with prizes growing as they roll over when no one wins. Lottery officials note that the odds are far better for the game’s many smaller prizes. There are three drawings each week.

The estimated $1.6 billion jackpot goes to a winner who opts to receive 30 payments over 29 years through an annuity. Winners almost always choose the game’s cash option, which for Monday night’s drawing would be an estimated $735.3 million.

Powerball tickets cost $2, and the game is offered in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Here’s what stores are open, and which ones are closed, on Christmas

FILE – A shopper heads into a Walmart store Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, in Englewood, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

From department stores to grocery stores, most retailers across the U.S. close early on Christmas Eve and shut their doors entirely on Christmas Day — while others opt to cut back hours. But there’s also a handful of businesses that will be open during the holiday.

Before you run out the door this Christmas — whether it’s to buy last-minute gifts or simply get out of the house — it’s wise to double-check operating hours, which can differ depending on their location. When in doubt, call ahead or look up more specific schedules online for stores in your neighborhood.

Here’s a rundown of major chains on Christmas Day this year.

IS WALMART OPEN ON CHRISTMAS?

Walmart will be closed on Christmas Day — and reopen at 6 a.m. on Dec. 26.

IS TARGET OPEN ON CHRISTMAS?

Target will be closed on Christmas and reopen at 7 a.m. on Dec. 26.

IS COSTCO OPEN ON CHRISTMAS?

All Costco warehouses in the U.S. are closed on Christmas Day.

IS CVS OPEN ON CHRISTMAS?

Many CVS locations will have modified hours on Christmas Day. Customers are encouraged to call ahead or double-check local hours online.

IS WALGREENS OPEN ON CHRISTMAS?

Walgreens stores will be open on Christmas Day but pharmacy hours may vary. All 24-hour locations will continue to remain open. You can double-check local hours here.

IS STARBUCKS OPEN ON CHRISTMAS?

Many Starbucks locations will be closed on Christmas, while some may have limited hours. It’s best to check ahead online.

IS MCDONALD’S OPEN ON CHRISTMAS?

Many McDonald’s locations in the U.S. are open on holidays like Christmas, but hours vary by location. Consumers can use the chain’s online store locator to confirm.

IS KROGER OPEN ON CHRISTMAS?

Kroger stores are closed on Christmas Day and will resume regular hours on Dec. 26.

IS ALBERTSONS OPEN ON CHRISTMAS?

Many Albertsons stores will be closed on Christmas — but there will also be locations that remain open with adjusted hours. Select pharmacies may also be closed or have different hours.

WHAT STORES ARE CLOSED ON CHRISTMAS?

Here’s some other grocery, convenience and retail stores that are closed on Christmas Day:

1. ALDI: Stores are closed.

2. Harris Teeter: Stores are closed.

3. Home Depot: Stores are closed.

4. IKEA: Stores are closed.

5. Jewel-Osco: Stores and pharmacies are closed.

6. Lowe’s: Stores are closed.

7. Macy’s: Stores are closed.

8. Meijer: Stores are closed.

9. Publix: Stores are closed.

10. Rite Aid: Stores are closed.

11. Sam’s Club: Stores are closed.

12. Sprouts Farmer’s Market: Stores are closed.

13. Trader Joe’s: Stores are closed.

14. Whole Foods: Stores are closed.

WHAT STORES ARE OPEN ON CHRISTMAS?

Here are some stores that are open on Christmas Day (or have select locations that are):

1. Safeway: Many stores are closed, but there will also be some locations open with adjusted hours.

2. Sheetz: Stores are open with regular hours (24/7).

3. 7-Eleven: Most stores are open 24/7 (including on Christmas), but some locations’ hours can vary.

Red Cross to give away Super Bowl tickets to lucky donor

The American Red Cross is urging donors to make an appointment to give blood or platelets now in the final days of the year and into 2026.

As a special thank-you to donors for helping address the need for blood during the critical post-holiday time, those who give between Jan. 1-25, 2026, will be automatically entered for a chance to win a trip for two to Super Bowl LX in the San Francisco Bay Area.

See RedCrossBlood.org/SuperBowl for details.

“HOTDOG” Act aims to improve affordability and transparency at sports venues

Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio. Published December 23, 2025 7:42 A.M.

(Washington, D. C.) Congressmen Chris Deluzio and Dan Goldman have introduced the Honest Oversight of Ticketed Dining and Onsite Grub (HOTDOG) Act.

Despite significant public investment into sports venues, the cost of many concessions is deemed too expensive for the typical American family. The average lowest price for a hot dog across MLB’s 30 ballparks in 2024 was nearly $6.

The HOTDOG Act would direct the FTC to examine the prices of comparable food and drinks inside and outside stadiums and other types of pricing policies with a goal of improving affordability and transparency.

“One of life’s great joys is a hot dog and a cold beer or pop watching the Black and Gold. But concessions at pro stadiums across the country have become a ripoff, with so many teams pricing out fans and families,” said Congressman Deluzio.

“Congressman Goldman and I are introducing the HOTDOG Act to require the Federal Trade Commission to find ways to stop this price gouging. People should be able to go enjoy a game and grab a bite or a drink without breaking the bank.”

According to the release, The HOTDOG Act would direct the FTC to evaluate pricing practices at professional sports stadiums that were constructed or are operated with public subsidy funds. The FTC would examine the prices of comparable food and drinks inside and outside stadiums; pricing practices such as dynamic pricing, service fees, and promotions; transparency of concession prices to consumers, and other types of pricing policies. The bill requires the FTC to issue a report to Congress detailing the results of the study and any recommendations for legislative, regulatory, or industry action to improve affordability and transparency. 

Police Identify Suspect in Aliquippa 7-Eleven Robbery

Story by Beaver County Radio News Staff. Published December 23, 2025 7:37 A.M.

(Aliquippa, Pa) A suspect in a robbery that happened at a 7-Eleven on Brodhead Road in Aliquippa has been identified.

According to WPXI-TV, Police have identified the suspect as 31 year old Nathan Jones of Brighton Township.

A warrant has been issued for Jones arrest as he faces charges of robbery, terrorist threats, theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.

Parity is one of the pillars of the NFL. The Steelers have spent a record 22 years defying it.

(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.

Newly acquired Pirates 2B Brandon Lowe thinks his new team can make a “deep push” in 2026

(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.”