First Call: George Pickens addresses contract status in Dallas; ex-Steelers, Colts coach thinks Indy 'could put up 40 points'

Friday’s “First Call” has an update on contract talks surrounding George Pickens in Dallas. One analyst with Pittsburgh and Indianapolis ties sees little hope for the Steelers’ defense Sunday.

We also have odds on all the local college football games, the upcoming local college hockey schedule, and a preview of the Penguins’ next opponent.

Time to pay Pickens?

George Pickens had a nice start to his first season in Dallas. He leads the team with 685 receiving yards to go along with six touchdowns.

But Pickens is on an expiring contract. There has been no indication that a deal will be struck between now and the end of the season.

Pickens was asked about that this week. Via The Athletic, the former Steeler is keeping the ball in Dallas’ court.

Cowboys WR George Pickens on if he'd like to get a new contract done now or wait until the offseason: "That's kinda up to what (Jerry Jones) wants to do. All I can do is perform at my best."

Pickens said there have not been any discussions yet. pic.twitter.com/XJJY2hi5Eo

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) October 30, 2025

There has always been a sense that negotiations between the two sides would wait until after the year ended. Some have worried that Pickens’ future may be impacted by the fact that he has the same agent that Micah Parsons does. Negotiations between Jerry Jones and David Mulugheta went south this offseason, and Parsons was traded to Green Bay.

But Jones is on record as saying that won’t be a factor from his end.

Ring up the scoreboard

NBC analyst Tony Dungy played in Pittsburgh and was Chuck Noll’s defensive coordinator for four years in the 1980s. He also won Super Bowl XLI with the Indianapolis Colts.

But Dungy’s prediction for Sunday’s game between the franchises is pretty definitive. On the “Football Night in America” podcast, Dungy said he expects the Colts’ offense to explode.

“They could put up 40 points in this game. It would not surprise me at all,” Dungy said.

“They can run the football. They are hitting deep passes. They’ve got a misdirection game. All the things that Pittsburgh has struggled with.”

The Steelers come into Sunday’s game with the NFL’s 30th-ranked defense, allowing 386 yards per contest. The Colts’ offense is No. 1 in the NFL at 385 yards per game.

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• Steelers DC Teryl Austin explains defensive play-call process, dealing with fan criticism

Pursuit of profit

Somehow, at most sports books, the Steelers have remained roughly a field-goal underdog against the Colts . Based on how they have played so far this year, the fact that the game is played at Acrisure Stadium shouldn’t count for that much.

But, hey, get on the Colts while you can if that’s the case.

Meanwhile, at ESPNBet, the Pitt Panthers are sizable favorites on the road at Stanford. The 6-2 Panthers are giving 14½ points to the 3-5 Cardinal. The teams have met four times in the past, just once since World War II. They’ve split the four contests, with Stanford winning most recently at the Sun Bowl in 2018, 14-13.

Penn State is a 19½ point underdog at No. 1 Ohio State. Kickoff is at noon Saturday in Columbus. At one point, some thought this game might decide the regular-season Big Ten crown. The Buckeyes have lived up to the billing at 7-0. But the Nittany Lions are limping in at 3-4, now under interim coach Terry Smith, thanks to the dismissal of James Franklin.

As for West Virginia, the Mountaineers are at No. 22 Houston at noon. WVU is a 12½ point underdog. They last met in 2023, with the Cougars winning in Morgantown, 41-39.

At the FCS level, 2-6 Robert Morris is at 3-5 Stonehill at 1 p.m. Duquesne is idle. The Dukes visit Long Island University next week.

Riding high

The Penguins (8-2-2) are taking an eight-game point streak into Canada this weekend.

After a 4-1 win in Minnesota on Thursday night, the Pens are slated to visit Winnipeg (8-3) on Saturday afternoon (3 p.m. ET). The Jets are hot too. They have won eight of 11 to open the season.

The club’s most recent win was a 6-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night.

Kyle Connor had a goal and two assists. Gabriel Vilardi scored twice and assisted on another goal.

VILARDI BURIES IT!

2-1 Jets! pic.twitter.com/BqXzovhAuN

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) October 31, 2025

Vilardi has points in four straight games. Mark Scheifele, who also had a three-point night, leads the team with nine goals and 18 points. That’s only one point behind Jack Eichel for the NHL lead.

The Pens dropped 6-3 and 4-1 results to the Jets last year.

Raise the curtain

In local college hockey this weekend, the Robert Morris men’s team (0-3-1) makes its home debut against Niagara on Friday night. It’ll be the first Atlantic Hockey game of the season for the Colonials.

RMU opened its season playing Michigan (currently No. 2 in the country) and Notre Dame over the past two weekends. They lost the first three games, then tied the Fighting Irish, 1-1, on Saturday night. Derek Schooley’s club ended up winning the shootout.

Now they get a Purple Eagles team that is 3-2 heading into AHA play. The teams will rematch at Niagara on Saturday night.

As for the RMU women (5-5), they play Penn State at 3 p.m. Friday and again at 5 p.m. Saturday. The Nittany Lions come in at 10-0, sixth in the country.

The fourth-ranked Penn State men’s team played Thursday night in Columbus and beat 17th-rated Ohio State, 3-2. Pittsburgh’s Dane Dowiak scored a clutch goal.

Dane Dowiak knots it for @PennStateMHKY ????

????: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/w2ZcwDNLPc

— Big Ten Hockey (@B1GHockey) October 31, 2025

The victory improves PSU’s record to 8-1-0. The teams rematch Friday night at Value City Arena.

LISTEN: CBS PxP man Ian Eagle joins Tim Benz to preview Steelers-Colts.