More praise for Steelers receiver Chase Claypool. The Baltimore Ravens are already using their rescheduled bye week to their advantage in advance of next week’s matchup with the Steelers. And Patrick Mahomes is endorsing the Le’Veon Bell signing in Kansas City.
Plus, Tyler Glasnow is off to a bad start in the World Series. Not as bad as Mike McCarthy’s start in Dallas, though.
That’s all in Wednesday’s “First Call.”
As we were saying
One of the angles to the Steelers-Titans postponement that agitated Pittsburgh football fans is that the reshuffling of schedules meant the Baltimore Ravens would get a bye the week before they hosted the Steelers.
As they rest up, the Steelers defense is going to spend all week trying to tackle Derrick Henry and chasing around the rest of the Tennessee Titans high-scoring offense. It ranks second in the league at 32.8 points per game.
One of the players who will benefit from time off is Ravens running back Mark Ingram.
#Ravens RB Mark Ingram’s MRI showed a mid- to high-ankle sprain that isn’t considered severe, per source. They’re on a bye this week, and coach John Harbaugh said Monday that Ingram probably will be back Nov. 1 against Pittsburgh.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 20, 2020
Ingram has 225 yards on 50 attempts for a 4.5-yard average. He has scored two touchdowns. He only had 20 yards on five carries during last week’s game versus the Philadelphia Eagles.
The legend of Mapletron is growing
Each week at NFL.com, former NFL quarterback and analyst David Carr looks at all offensive players and ranks his top 15 for the year.
This week, he moved Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool onto the list at No. 14. The rookie currently ranks second in the NFL at 19.7 yards per catch, behind only Seattle’s DK Metcalf.
That’s great. Here’s the bad news. Tennessee quarterback Ryan Tannehill is 15th on Carr’s list. He’s third in the NFL when it comes to passer rating and fourth in QBR.
Lovin’ Le’Veon
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is on board with the acquisition of former Steeler Le’Veon Bell.
The running back signed a deal in K.C. for the rest of this year after being released by the New York Jets last week.
No one disputes the Jets misused and underutilized Bell after signing him to a $52.5 million contract before the 2019 season. But there are many who believe that Bell has lost a step as well.
Mahomes is not in that camp.
“They aren’t watching the all 22,” Mahomes told Sports Radio 610 in Kansas City. “You watch him — obviously with the Steelers but even with the Jets — he was still out there making plays happen.”
Mahomes insists Bell was a victim of circumstance in New York.
“They’re getting those loaded boxes and he’s getting guarded by some of the best defenders on the team because that’s how much of a weapon he is, and he’s still making plays happen. And obviously, coming here he’s gonna have better one-on-one matchups and he’s gonna be a hard guy for defenses to stop,” Mahomes continued.
Bell is supposed to make his Chiefs debut this week in Denver, provided he continues to test negative for covid-19.
Off to a bad start
Year 1 in Dallas for Greenfield native Mike McCarthy is starting poorly.
The Cowboys are now 2-4. And they just got humiliated 38-10 at home by the Arizona Cardinals on “Monday Night Football.”
#Cowboys players initially bought into keeping things internal. Now as they sit 2-4 the discontent is leaking out. On the coaching staff “totally unprepared. They don’t teach. They don’t have any sense of adjusting on the fly.” Another “they just aren’t good at their jobs”
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) October 20, 2020
McCarthy replied this way, via ProFootballTalk.com, “It’s important to handle things as men. I mean, if you do have something to say publicly, I think it’s important to say it to the individual, or particularly in a group dynamic setting, especially in the game of football, especially for the Dallas Cowboys.”
The Cowboys visit Washington, then the Philadelphia Eagles before hosting the Steelers on Nov. 8.
That didn’t go well
Former Pirates pitcher Tyler Glasnow got the Game 1 start for his Tampa Bay Rays against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He was a mess.
Glasnow only lasted 4 ⅓ innings. But he threw 112 pitches, walked six batters and yielded six runs. Including this homer run to Cody Bellinger.
The sweet swing of @Cody_Bellinger. #WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/kVyUwLVrDy
— MLB (@MLB) October 21, 2020
Glasnow absorbed the loss as the Dodgers took Game 1 by a final score of 8-3.
