First Call: Steely McBeam shunned, case for Cam Heyward, NFL playoff bubble talk, typical Torts and Tom Wilson
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Thursday’s “First Call” looks at the prospect of an NFL playoff bubble. Some stats to back up Cameron Heyward’s call for a contract extension. Bad news for Steely McBeam. And a pair of Penguins fan favorites do what they do best.
NFL playoff bubble?
The NFL won’t be played in a bubble setting like the NBA and NHL.
Well, at least to start the season. But according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the possibility is being considered for the playoffs, if necessary.
Saints’ HC Sean Payton recommended using a postseason bubble on a recent competition committee call, and the NFL isn’t ruling it out. “All options are on the table,” said NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 19, 2020
According to ProFootballTalk, NFL executive V.P. of football operations Troy Vincent said the league may even go so far as to consider “a city-by-city, team-by-team” bubble. He indicated that something that “brings all members of a football operation into a hotel for the balance of the season has to be a possible alternative to pulling the plug on the season.”
That falls in line with another PFT story that says commissioner Roger Goodell is putting together an “outside advisory committee” to consult on matters related to covid-19. The post says the committee will consist of “former general managers, former coaches, and former players.”
The goal of the group will be to help Goodell sort through potential game, week, team and league coronavirus cancellation/scheduling procedures. It’ll also aid the league office in deciding how to potentially restructure the playoffs if need be.
Sorry Steely
The NFL has decided that mascots and cheerleaders will not be allowed on the field in 2020.
The Steelers won’t be impacted by the loss of cheerleaders, but what becomes of Steely McBeam? Steely isn’t all that prominent on the field or in the seating bowl during the actual games anyway.
But now he can’t even get a field pass?! Sorry Steely. It’s been a good run.
Well, it’s been … a run. Or at least a slow trot.
You may also notice a change during game broadcasts, via the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Other groups now prohibited from field access in 2020, according to the updated game day protocols, include network sideline reporters and pregame TV reporters.
So … see you guys from the stands on Sunday mornings.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 19, 2020
I wonder what this means for local radio broadcasts, though? For the Steelers on WDVE last year, Craig Wolfley had been moved into the booth after his knee surgery. Missi Matthews was patrolling the sidelines. So we’ll see what happens this year.
Also get ready for some pumped-in crowd noise, too.
Sources: NFL is now considering a league-wide policy that would enable fan sound to be heard in stadiums.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 19, 2020
Please insert your Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts jokes in the comments section below.
Case for Cam
Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward wants a new contract. But he sounded pessimistic about getting one when he spoke to the media on Monday.
Pro Football Focus is certainly making a good argument on his behalf. The stats-based website rates Heyward as the “sixth-best interior lineman in the league” going into 2020. And it graded Heyward’s 2019 season as the second best in football at the position behind only Aaron Donald.
“Consistently an excellent player, he had a career year for Pittsburgh when they needed to lean on him more than usual with his running mate Stephon Tuitt going down hurt,” writes Sam Monson. “Heyward ended up with the best PFF grade of his career (91.5) and had 60 total pressures as well as dominating against the run.”
The pandemic-related revenue loss is playing havoc with the Steelers salary-cap situation. One thing I’d suggest is that the Steelers bend their rule of negotiating contracts mid-season for players. Normally they disallow that. If a contract isn’t done by the time the season starts, negotiations stop.
For Heyward, if it is determined that revenue won’t be as restricted as originally thought during the season, I’d look at an extension with him at that time.
This could happen, if the NFL ends up playing Saturday games in the place of college football.
Praise for Parsons
Speaking of Pro Football Focus, congratulations to Penn State’s Micah Parsons.
The linebacker is so good, he’s been named a preseason All-American for a season that he won’t play.
Parsons has already said that he will be entering the NFL Draft. And the Big Ten has already announced it won’t be playing football in 2020.
But that didn’t stop Parsons from making PFF’s All-American team.
“Parsons was the most valuable off-ball linebacker of the 2019 season,” writes Anthony Treash. “He does everything at the position at an elite level. Parsons’ run-defense, in particular, was incredible in his sophomore campaign, as he had a 94.8 grade in that facet.”
The site’s Mike Renner called Parsons “the best prospect at the position since (Carolina Panther) Luke Kuechly.”
In a recent “Breakfast With Benz” podcast, DraftWire’s Luke Easterling suggested Parsons could still be drafted in the NFL’s top-5 selections even if he doesn’t play a down of football this year.
The more things change …
The Penguins haven’t been around in the playoffs long enough the last two years to battle the Washington Capitals or the Columbus Blue Jackets.
So we haven’t had to deal with two of Pittsburgh’s favorite sports villains: Caps forward Tom Wilson and Columbus coach John Tortorella.
That doesn’t mean we can’t engage from afar, though.
Neither bubble, nor pandemic can make a leopard change its spots. Torts is still Torts. And Wilson is still a goon.
After the Blue Jackets were eliminated Wednesday by the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, Tortorella kept his postgame comments short.
John Tortorella keeps things brief in his postgame presser.#CBJ pic.twitter.com/OUbsJpDksW
— FOX Sports Columbus (@FOXSportsCbus) August 19, 2020
Odd. Because Torts is usually renowned for being big on the “touchy, feely moral-victory” stuff.
Hey, at least he told everyone to “stay safe.” Maybe he is getting soft as time goes by.
As for Wilson, he applied one of his typical dirty checks from behind on the Islanders’ Scott Mayfield Tuesday.
Watch it again. Pretend Mayfield wears Black and Gold for a moment. It’ll look very familiar.
Go to the bar and order a Tom Wilson. When the bartender asks you that it is, just say “whatever the cheapest shot is”
— Cas (@Neb2922) August 19, 2020
Sure. I’ll have one of those. But Governor Wolf says I can only order one if I have food in front of me and no more than 24 other people are in the bar at the same time.