First Call: Steelers LB Devin Bush sends curious tweet; Ravens RB grumbles about carries after playoff loss; Pens need a win

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Devin Bush sent an eyebrow-raising tweet over the weekend. A Baltimore Ravens running back is unhappy with his role in his team’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Penguins have a Monday game against a struggling opponent they need to beat. And we share an honor for Robert Morris hockey coach Derek Schooley.

All that in Monday’s “First Call.”

A tweet for Tomlin?

Steelers linebacker Devin Bush posted a quizzical tweet Saturday night.

Playing for a former NFL player…????

— Devin Bush ll (@_Dbush11) January 15, 2023

Was that a shot at Steelers coach Mike Tomlin? He never played in the league. Neither did defensive assistant Brian Flores. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin played in the World League, not the NFL. But inside linebackers coach Jerry Olsavsky spent 10 years in the NFL, eight with the Steelers.

Bush — a pending free agent — sent that tweet during the Jacksonville Jaguars comeback win against the Los Angeles Chargers. Perhaps he was referencing Doug Pederson of the Jags, who was an NFL quarterback for 10 years.

Hey, I’m not known as a defender of Tomlin. Especially these days. But if that back-handed shot was at Tomlin specifically, it was unwarranted.

Tomlin has been a head coach in Pittsburgh 16 years. He’s been to two Super Bowls and won one in that role. The expiration date on “he never played at the level” has long since passed.

Squawking Raven

The Baltimore Ravens have been eliminated in the AFC playoffs. They lost to the Cincinnati Bengals 24-17 on Sunday night.

The pivotal play was a strip of Baltimore quarterback Tyler Huntley at the goal line by Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson and a 98-yard fumble return for a touchdown.

Sam Hubbard takes the fumble 98 yards for the TD ‼️

????: #BALvsCIN on NBC
????: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/hNJJJGqxGF pic.twitter.com/PoVImXrfpz

— NFL (@NFL) January 16, 2023

After the game, Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins was upset that he didn’t get a carry in that goal line sequence.

“He should have never been in that situation. I don’t get a single carry. I believe I would have put it in the end zone, again,” Dobbins said after the game. The former Ohio State Buckeye said that he should’ve gotten more carries throughout the game.

More Dobbins: “I’m a guy who feels like if I’m on the field all the time, I can help this team win, and I wasn’t. It’s the playoffs. Why am I not out there? Twelve carries? It's the playoffs.”

— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) January 16, 2023

Dobbins had 62 yards on 13 carries, an average of 4.8 yards per carry. He also had four receptions for 43 yards. He wasn’t given the ball at all on that nine-play scoring drive. He also added that if Lamar Jackson had been at quarterback, the Ravens would’ve won the game.

Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins said he feels like he should have “been the guy” and feels like he’s being held back

“If we had Lamar, we would have won, too,” Dobbins added.

— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) January 16, 2023

Cincinnati plays in Buffalo next weekend.

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Still hurts

Seeing the Miami Dolphins compete well over the Super Wild Card Weekend has to agitate Steelers fans. Miami squeezed into the postseason ahead of the Steelers as the last seed in the AFC. And they took the heavily favored Buffalo Bills to the wire Sunday, losing 34-31.

The Dolphins got into the playoffs largely by way of a late field goal over the New York Jets in Week 18. It was set up by a horse collar penalty on New York’s Quincy Williams for a tackle on Jaylen Waddle.

@ShannonSharpe Is this a horse collar or no?

pic.twitter.com/nPnqGJJUxs

— Nick DeRose (@TheNickDeRose) January 8, 2023

Many Steelers fans didn’t think that little contact with the name plate rose to the level of needing a flag or the direction of that contact led to Waddle being pulled down from behind. But the on-field officials disagreed.

Apparently so does the league office. Because, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Williams was fined for that tackle.

Lastly, the NFL fined #Jets LB Quincy Williams $14,111 for unnecessary roughness — a controversial horse collar penalty in last week’s loss to the #Dolphins, who qualified for the playoffs with the win.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 14, 2023

One complaint Jets and Steelers fans had is that Waddle was getting spun down anyway, and there was no yanking directly down to the turf by the back of the jersey. Others have said that Williams brought down Waddle by his shoulder pad more than the nameplate.

Dining on duck?

The Penguins definitely need a win. They have lost eight of their last 10 games. That means they have won just twice since Dec. 22.

The Anaheim Ducks are in town Monday night. They should be the perfect remedy. They have lost five of their last seven games, including three in a row by a combined score of 19-5.

The Ducks are in last place of the Pacific Division with 28 points. Only the Chicago Blackhawks have a lower point total.

Anaheim has been particularly putrid on the road, with a 4-14-3 record. Only the Blackhawks and Columbus Blue Jackets have fewer road victories with three apiece.

It’s been a struggle for Whitehall’s John Gibson in goal. He is 7-19-3 with a 4.14 goals against average and a save percentage of .894. The Ducks have allowed 179 goals, 10 more than anyone else in the NHL.

Meanwhile, the club has only scored 100 goals. Only Chicago has fewer with 94.

Long-distance dedication

The Robert Morris hockey programs held their second celebrity game at the UPMC Lemieux Sports complex in Cranberry on Sunday afternoon.

Thank you @PghCHF Incredible night of hockey at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
Congrats to Coach @derekschooley on his tireless efforts to return RMUMHockey and RMUWHockey to the ice. Great skating with and seeing so many special Pittsburgh Hockey People. pic.twitter.com/UzO6tHmfFw

— Ross Guidotti (@RossGuidotti) January 16, 2023

Before the game, men’s head coach Derek Schooley was recognized for his induction into the St. Louis Amateur Hockey Hall of Fame. A native of St. Louis, Schooley ended up playing junior hockey in Omaha and college hockey at Western Michigan.

He coached the RMU men’s team from its inception in 2004 until the teams were disbanded after the 2021 season. The men’s and women’s teams are set to return next fall for the 2023-24 season. The celebrity game was part of fundraising efforts to aid the programs during their relaunch.