First Call: ESPN projections for Steelers' playoff chances; ex-Steeler already trade bait?

Monday’s “First Call” pins a percentage on the Steelers’ playoff chances. A former Steeler may be on the way out with his new team. The Pirates are about to battle one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball, and Robert Morris’ hockey teams are officially back at practice for their return seasons.

Momentum or math?

The Steelers are coming off a 3-0 preseason. But ESPN.com’s NFL Power Index ranking only gives the franchise a 34.4% chance of making the playoffs. That’s 20th among NFL teams and 10th in the AFC.

Only seven teams make the playoffs in each conference. The club’s projected win total is 8.5 victories.

For context, the reigning AFC North champion Cincinnati Bengals were given a 76.4% chance of qualifying for the postseason again, second best among AFC teams (behind the Kansas City Chiefs) and fourth overall. The Baltimore Ravens are at 54.8% (fifth among AFC teams, ninth overall), and the Cleveland Browns are ninth in the AFC and 18th overall at 38.5%.

If you find finishing behind the Browns offensive, wait until you hear that the Steelers were also behind the Atlanta Falcons (40.6%) and the Carolina Panthers (34.9%) and just in front of the Chicago Bears (34.2%).

However, those projections might say more about how weak the NFC is than they do about the perception of the Steelers.

In terms of postseason advancement, ESPN.com FPI has the Steelers at 15.3% to make the divisional round, 5.9% to get to the AFC Championship Game, 2.2% to make the Super Bowl and 0.9 % to win the Super Bowl.

The Steelers’ chances of winning the AFC North were placed at 12.2%.

Bush a bust again?

It doesn’t sound like former Steeler Devin Bush is exactly wowing his new employers in Seattle.

The fifth-year linebacker might be trade bait for the Seahawks, according to Gregg Bell of the News Tribune in Tacoma.

“If Bush’s contract he signed as a free agent this spring didn’t guarantee he gets $2.99 million from the Seahawks this season, he could be cut,” Bell posted Sunday. “They may be trying to trade him now that (Jordyn) Brooks is back from his torn ACL to start with (Bobby) Wagner. Bush playing the first three quarters and getting a concussion covering a punt in the final preseason game, when all other veteran regulars were in sweatpants on the sidelines, was a signal he’s lost value. His concussion complicates trying to trade him. If he stays, they are paying a lot for what appears to be a part-time linebacker and special-teams player.”

Bush washed out after four years in Pittsburgh. He was a first-round bust after being drafted 10th overall out of Michigan in 2019. When the Steelers declined his fifth-year option, Bush signed with Seattle in March. It was a one-year, $3.5 million contract.

Meanwhile, another former Steelers linebacker has been made available. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers waved Hamilcar Rashed on Sunday.

Bucs have waived outside linebacker Hamilcar Rashed, who was caught up in perhaps the team's best positional depth. Could end up back on practice squad, where he was at end of last season for Tampa Bay.

— Greg Auman (@gregauman) August 27, 2023

Last season, Rashed was claimed off waivers by the Steelers in mid-August. He was waived on Aug. 30 and eventually signed to the practice squad a day later. The Oregon State product was released in mid-November and signed to the Tampa Bay practice squad Dec. 14. Rashed signed a reserve/future contract with them in January.

Related

• Projecting the Steelers' 53-man roster in advance of Tuesday's final cuts
• Madden Monday: 'There's just not anything to dislike' about Kenny Pickett's preseason for Steelers
• Tim Benz: 'We played Wiffle ball almost every day ... When you were pitching, you were Teke'

Royally bad

After a 3-4 homestand against the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs last week, the Pirates (58-73, .443) are heading on the road to play the Kansas City Royals Monday through Wednesday.

If not for the historically bad Oakland A’s (38-93, .290), K.C. (41-91, .311) would be the worst team in Major League Baseball. The team’s run differential is minus-181. Again, only Oakland’s is worse (minus-302).

Not only are the Royals rotten overall, but they are playing badly right now. They have lost 10 of their past 12. They just lost two of three to the aforementioned, equally awful A’s. And they just got outscored 25-9 during a three-game series sweep in Seattle.

The franchise hasn’t won a series since the first three games of the month against the New York Mets.

Then again, the Pirates lost two of three at home against Oakland earlier this year, so don’t expect much.

Officially back on the ice

The long wait for Robert Morris hockey is over. The men’s and women’s teams are finally getting back on the ice and practicing this week.

In May 2021, both clubs were eliminated from the RMU athletics budget despite years of consistent success. The teams were able to gain reinstatement after a fundraising campaign, but they had to miss both the 2021-22 and ‘22-23 seasons. Now both teams are set to return to competition this fall.

Men’s head coach Derek Schooley never left his position after the teams were terminated two years ago. So he’s back to coach his 18th season of Colonials hockey. His first practice is Monday morning.

Logan Bittle, who was an assistant under Paul Colontino when the teams were scuttled in 2021, is now in charge of the women’s team. Their first official practice as a group is Tuesday.

Some holdovers from the previous teams skated together in joint practice sessions during the spring.