First Call: Baltimore media jabs fallen Ben Roethlisberger, Big Ben on Antonio Brown, Ravens injury news

A Baltimore television station is ramping up the trash talk for Sunday’s Steelers-Ravens game. And Ben Roethlisberger is in the crosshairs.

Big Ben also talks about that big signing in Tampa Bay. We’ve got Baltimore injury news, too.

And the latest on a familiar face potentially quarterbacking the Dallas Cowboys.

All that in Friday’s “First Call.”

Big Ben’s Baltimore billboard

The CBS affiliate in Baltimore is welcoming Ben Roethlisberger back to the Steelers-Ravens rivalry after a one-year hiatus.

WJZ Television is broadcasting the game. They are cranking up the hype machine by renting out billboard space in Maryland with this shot of Roethlisberger getting planted during a previous contest against the Ravens.

And the station is giving a hearty welcome back to Big Ben after he missed both of last year’s games because of surgery to repair his elbow.

@Steelers This needs to go on the bulletin board! #Motivation pic.twitter.com/NqhfqVqJ0p

— SteelerChickPGH (@SteelerChickPGH) October 29, 2020

The Ravens won the first game in Pittsburgh 26-23 (OT). They won the second game in Baltimore 28-10.

The station is also running five-second promo spots with that same image of a fallen Roethlisberger and the messages “Welcome Back Ben” and “Don’t forget to fall back,” in reference to this weekend’s time change.

The last time Roethlisberger faced the Ravens? The Steelers won in Baltimore in Week 9 26-14 in 2018.

Why is the station poking the bear with Roethlisberger?

“It’s the best rivalry in the NFL,” a WJZ station executive told me Thursday.

No argument from me. So maybe KDKA should respond by running promos of Ryan Clark splattering Willis McGahee in the 2008 AFC Championship game.

You know, in the name of the rivalry and all.

Ingram in question

It looks like the Ravens top running back is still in doubt for the Steelers game Sunday.

Mark Ingram once again couldn’t practice on Thursday. He was a question mark for this contest going into the bye last weekend because of an ankle injury.

Ravens injury report for Thursday

DID NOT PRACTICE
RB Mark Ingram (ankle)
CB Jimmy Smith (Achilles)
NT Brandon Williams (NIR)

LIMITED
DB Anthony Levine (abdomen)

FULL
CB Marlon Humphrey (illness)
G Tyre Phillips (hand)
DE Derek Wolfe (concussion/neck)

— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) October 29, 2020

Jimmy Smith and Brandon Williams are both important players on defense as well.

If Ingram can’t play, expect more of J.K. Dobbins. The rookie from Ohio State was a Steelers fan favorite over draft weekend. But the Steelers ended up making a fine choice in Chase Claypool instead.

Dobbins has been good when called upon. But he has barely played since Ingram, Gus Edwards and quarterback Lamar Jackson handle most of the rushing duties for the Ravens. Dobbins is averaging 6.2 yards per rush, with two touchdowns. He’s only had 25 attempts.

As for Ingram, he’s averaging 4.5 yards per carry on 50 attempts for 225 yards and two scores.

Back to Big Ben

Before we get too far away from Ben Roethlisberger, he was asked for his reaction to Antonio Brown signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Steelers quarterback was on WDVE radio Thursday morning, and he was asked for his thoughts on Mr. Big Chest returning to the NFL.

“I don’t have any,” Roethlisberger said. “I don’t have time to worry about other teams. Other players. I’ve got to focus on us, really. (The Ravens) take enough of my focus.”

That’s a good enough answer for now. Let’s see how long Big Ben gets away with that one if it’s the Bucs versus the Steelers in the Super Bowl in Tampa in four months.

Yes. I’m allowing myself to entertain that thought in my own head.

I really am. You should, too. It’s a lot of fun.

DiNucci in ‘Big D’

After the Steelers face Baltimore, their next opponent is the Dallas Cowboys.

It’s possible Ben DiNucci may be the starting quarterback in Dallas. After starring at Pine-Richland High School, DiNucci enrolled at Pitt, and eventually transferred to Jame Madison.

DiNucci could be making his first NFL start Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles because the Cowboys lost Dak Prescott to a broken ankle two games ago and Andy Dalton to a concussion last week.

“For me, this is an opportunity of a lifetime,” DiNucci said via ESPN.com. “I think, as a rookie seventh-rounder coming in, you see Dak and you see Andy at the top of the depth chart, it’s, ‘Hey, there’s no chance that I’m going to be on the field this year.’ But, hey, this is 2020. What else do you expect? Here we are. Week 8 of my rookie year I’ve got a chance to go out there on Sunday Night Football and do what I love to do. I couldn’t be happier or more excited.”

ESPN.com’s Todd Archer reports that DiNucci took all the first team reps in practice on Wednesday and Thursday.