First Call: Bucs linebacker offers opinion on Steelers quarterbacks; Gerrit Cole, Clay Holmes keep Yankees alive

One of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers gives his opinions on the Mitch Trubisky versus Kenny Pickett debate.

A Carolina Panthers player gets kicked off the sideline. We look at the next opponent for the Pittsburgh Penguins. And Gerrit Cole keeps the Yankees alive in the American League Divisional Series.

All that in Monday’s “First Call.”

Different take

Steelers fans saw a big difference in the offense when Kenny Pickett initially replaced Mitch Trubisky against the New York Jets. The rookie from Pitt came in and quickly led two scoring drives — with some help from the defense.

Despite throwing for 327 yards against the Bills, the Steelers didn’t score a touchdown in Buffalo last week. On Sunday against Tampa Bay, Pickett had just 67 yards passing midway through the third quarter with 13 points on the board before leaving Sunday’s 20-18 win with a concussion.

Trubisky replaced Pickett and went 9 of 12 for 144 yards and a touchdown drive.

After the game, Tampa Bay linebacker Shaquil Barrett said that he didn’t see much difference between the quarterbacks.

“I think it was pretty much the same. I think (Trubisky) might’ve been getting to his reads quicker and getting the ball down the field a little quicker. I think they are pretty similar quarterbacks, and I think him being more of a veteran helped him out a lot,” Barrett said.

Stylistically, that’s not exactly a groundbreaking quote. Trubisky and Pickett are both mobile QBs with decent arms that can get out of the pocket and throw on the run. But Barrett’s assessment about Trubisky making faster reads and getting the ball down field more has been counter to what many thought when Pickett first got on the field.

That’s certainly not an evaluation Pickett sycophants in the fanbase and fanboys in the Pittsburgh media will like to read.

One thing is clear, Trubisky played a lot more aggressively and instinctively Sunday than he did when he was a starter. Maybe because he knew that there was no one staring over his shoulder that could take his job yesterday.

Raging Robbie

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Robbie Anderson was sent off the field Sunday by interim head coach Steve Wilks during the team’s 24-10 defeat in Los Angeles.

Anderson got into a heated argument wide receivers coach Joe Dailey as the Panthers were losing to the Rams.

Panthers coaching staff asked Robbie Anderson to leave the game after getting into a heated discussion with Panthers' WR coach

(via @CBSSports)pic.twitter.com/ePFgPqXpWj

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 16, 2022

Eventually Wilks kicked him off the sideline.

The Panthers are going to have to cut Robbie Anderson. pic.twitter.com/vQqu5SWt80

— Joe Person (@josephperson) October 16, 2022

Before the game, a league source told ESPN the Panthers may have an interest in trading Anderson. ESPN.com’s David Newton reports that any team that trades for Anderson “would take on his $575,000 salary for the rest of the year, while the Panthers — who restructured his contract in March — would take a $20 million dead-cap hit, spread across this year and next.”

Anderson didn’t have a catch Sunday. He entered Sunday’s game with just 13 catches for 206 yards.

More Steelers news

• Feats of Strength: Trio of much maligned Steelers comes up huge as Steelers stun Buccaneers
• Devin Bush delivers timely play on late 2-point try to help seal Steelers’ win
• Steelers QB Kenny Pickett suffers concussion, leaves 1st career home start

Monday in Montreal

The Penguins take their 2-0 record on the road to Montreal on Monday.

The Canadiens started the season with a 4-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. But they have lost two in a row since then.

Montreal was shutout in Detroit on Friday 3-0. Then they dropped a 3-1 decision in Washington on Saturday.

Following up your own shot > pic.twitter.com/gD0Km5IKb3

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) October 16, 2022

Sam Montembeault lost that game in goal for Montreal. Jake Allen split the other two. Cole Caufield has scored two of the Canadiens’ five goals.

Through two games, the Penguins have 12 goals. That’s the most in the NHL.

Gerrit gets Game 4

Former Pirates pitcher Gerrit Cole won Game 4 of the American League Divisional Series for the New York Yankees 4-2 in Cleveland.

Cole pitched seven innings. He allowed six hits, a walk and two earned runs. He added eight strikeouts, including two batters in his final inning, and left with a 4-2 lead.

Cole @GerritCole45 pic.twitter.com/RRWKVgWDKw

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) October 17, 2022

Another former Pirate, Clay Holmes, came on in relief and pitched the eighth without allowing a run.

The fifth and deciding game is Monday night in the Bronx. The winner gets the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series.