First Call: Bengals health updates before Steelers matchup; Pat McAfee jabs Bill Cowher; Matt Murray to start vs. Penguins

In Tuesday’s “First Call,” the Pittsburgh Steelers will be keeping an eye on health updates coming out of Cincinnati in advance of Sunday’s showdown against the Bengals.

The Ravens are getting healthy. Pat McAfee is defending the Jeff Saturday hire — and returning shots at Bill Cowher for criticizing it. Matt Murray will start for Toronto against the Penguins.

And a local basketball legend gets a well-deserved honor.

How are they healing

Based on what we are hearing from Cincinnati, it feels like Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is a long shot to play Sunday against the Steelers. But some other Bengals players are likely to return from injury.

Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer said that Chase is still on crutches.

FWIW, Ja’Marr Chase is still walking with crutches. Will try and get an update from Zac Taylor on a potential timeline for his return today. #Bengals

— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) November 14, 2022

And when she asked Bengals head coach Zac Taylor for an update, he didn’t have one. But Taylor did say he was “optimistic about (defensive lineman) D.J. Reader being able to play this weekend.” He is still “day-to-day.”

Ex-Steelers defensive back Mike Hilton insists he’ll be on the field.

Mike Hilton just told me his going to play on Sunday after missing the Bengals last game before the bye with a pinky injury. Hilton said after the loss to Browns he noticed the pain and got surgery the next day. #Bengals

— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) November 14, 2022

As for Chase, he is nursing a hip ailment. He had 10 catches for 129 yards and a touchdown in Week 1 against the Steelers.

How ’bout the birds?

Meanwhile, like the Bengals, the AFC North-leading Ravens (6-3) are coming off a bye. They host the Carolina Panthers (3-7) on Sunday.

Head coach John Harbaugh said most of his injured players — including star tight end Mark Andrews — have “a really good chance” of playing.

John Harbaugh said TE Mark Andrews, like many of the Ravens injured players, has a “really good chance” of playing Sunday against the Panthers pic.twitter.com/4m9AQE14uL

— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) November 14, 2022

Andrews leads the Ravens in receptions (42), receiving yards (488) and receiving touchdowns (5).

Baltimore has won three games in a row. The only game remaining on their schedule against a team currently above .500 is in Cincinnati for Week 18.

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McAfee makes his point

Former Colts punter and Plum native Pat McAfee is defending his team’s hire of Jeff Saturday — even in the face of scathing criticism from the likes of former Steelers coach Bill Cowher.

Cowher said that McAfee’s former Colts teammate shouldn’t have gotten the job and that “it’s a disgrace to the coaching profession.”

It’s obvious McAfee disagreed when he promoted Saturday’s appearance on his Monday show, by taking a little jab at Cowher — harkening back to Cowher (treacherously, mind you) sounding the Carolina Hurricanes goal siren, when they were playing the Penguins in the 2009 playoffs.

Had a great game plan..the boys bought in.

Had to make some difficult in game decisions..had a 30 yr old play caller who never called plays in a game before because he was pretty much the only 1 that knew the plays

On the road…against a Super Bowl chompion coach

Jeff Won pic.twitter.com/fAwGrumQo9

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 14, 2022

McAfee wasn’t done there.

???????? BREAKING

Undefeated NFL Coach, @SaturdayJeff, will be joining the show tomorrow.

Will be a very solid conversation I assume.

Be a friend, tell a friend. pic.twitter.com/oXt2iZZ4EB

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 14, 2022

Here’s how Saturday summed up his first game Sunday, a 25-20 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

How was your first week as a Head Coach?

"It's just a matter of process & those guys executed it to perfection yesterday" ~@SaturdayJeff#PMSOverreactionMonday pic.twitter.com/9K1OlqncsO

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 14, 2022

The Colts host the Steelers on Nov. 28.

Welcome back, Matt

Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Matt Murray is slated to play against the Penguins on Tuesday night. Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe made that clear Monday.

Keefe said plan is for Murray to play tomorrow #Leafs

— Terry Koshan ???????? (@koshtorontosun) November 14, 2022

Murray has played in just one game this season thanks to an adductor injury. He has never played in Pittsburgh as an opposing player.

He did play against the Pens once in Ottawa, stopping 42 of 43 shots. But the Pens won 2-0 behind a 26-save shutout from Casey DeSmith. Jeff Carter scored, and Bryan Rust added an empty-net goal.

Three cheers for Cash

McKeesport Area High School alum Swin Cash received an honor from her college alma mater Monday. Her number 32 jersey was retired at UConn before Monday’s game against No. 5 Texas.

Thank you @SwinCash!
FOREVER 32 ????????#BleedBlue | @UConnWBB pic.twitter.com/zAveIZ3XEk

— UConn Huskies (@UConnHuskies) November 15, 2022

Cash is the third former Husky to receive the honor at Gampel Pavilion. Ray Allen and Rebecca Lobo are the other two. She had a standout career with the Huskies winning the 2000 and 2002 national titles.

In ‘02, she was the NCAA Tournament’s most outstanding player. Cash won two Olympics gold medals (‘04, ‘12) for Team USA and three WNBA rings (‘03, ‘06, ‘10) as well.

Cash was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020. She made the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in April ‘22. The third-ranked Huskies went on to win the game 83-76.