First Call: Ex-Steeler shines at QB in Cleveland; Roquan Smith willing to stay in Chicago; Ravens extend preseason streak

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An ex-Steelers quarterback is on fire with his new team this preseason. The Roquan Smith dream seems to have died for Pittsburgh fans. The Ravens just can’t lose in August. And Pittsburgh has two champions in a pair of very unique sports.

All that in Monday’s “First Call.”

And the beat goes on

The uncanny Baltimore Ravens preseason winning streak continues. They won their 22nd preseason game in a row Sunday night, squeezing by the Arizona Cardinals, 24-17.

Isaiah Likely had eight catches and 100 yards for the Ravens.

Meanwhile, during Sunday night’s Ravens-Cardinals pregame show, Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer of reported that Baltimore has offered quarterback Lamar Jackson more money than the Cardinals have agreed to pay to quarterback Kyler Murray.

Murray’s new-money average on his five-year extension is $46.1 million. Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson’s deal pays out $46 million per year over five years, all of which is fully guaranteed.

Jackson has said he wants a new contract before the regular season begins.

Showing consistency

For the second time in as many preseason tries, former Steelers quarterback Josh Dobbs shined for the Cleveland Browns.

In Game 1 last week, Dobbs was 10 of 13 for 108 yards and a touchdown as the Browns beat the Jacksonville Jaguars, 24-13.

On Sunday, he was 14 of 20 for 141 yards through the air. Dobbs picked up 47 yards rushing and scored a touchdown with his feet as well.

He got 36 yards as his shirt was being torn apart.

The Eagles won the game 21-20, though. Another former Steeler, wide receiver Deon Cain, was a big reason why.

Cain totaled five catches for 66 yards for Philadelphia.

Oh, well

So much for the dream of the Steelers acquiring Bears star linebacker Roquan Smith in a trade.

According to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, it looks like Smith is going to shelve his contractual concerns and will play through this season for the Bears.

Also from Chicago, rookie safety Jaquan Brisker underwent surgery for a bum thumb. The club isn’t ruling the Gateway graduate out for Week 1.

Brisker was a first-team All-Big Ten last year at Penn Sttate.

More Sports

• Madden Monday: Steelers offensive line ‘might be worse’ than last year — and it may impact the QB thinking too
• Ben Cherington’s challenge: Build Pirates into a winner while sustaining strong farm system
• Stock up, stock down among Steelers after second preseason game

Mad Manoah

The New York Yankees won for just the third time in their last 12 games on Sunday. They beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 4-2.

Things got heated during the fifth inning. That’s when Yankees star slugger Aaron Judge got hit by a pitch from Toronto starter Alek Manoah.

The pitch didn’t appear intentional, especially based on Manoah’s reaction. But the two exchanged a glance, and Judge barked out some words as he made his way to first base. That’s when former Pirate Gerrit Cole came onto the field acting like he wanted to fight Manoah.

The benches started to empty. But that’s when Cole was restrained by Yankees coaches, and the situation died down.

After the game, Manoah insisted that he wasn’t trying to hit Judge. Then he called out Cole for acting like a fake tough guy.

“I told him, ‘I’m not trying to do that.’” Manoah said of Judge. “I think he understood that. And I think if Gerrit wants to do something, he can walk past the Audi sign next time.”

Manoah was referencing the luxury car brand logo sprayed on the grass by the dugout at Yankee Stadium.

As for Cole, he simply said he was having a short fuse kind of day and didn’t like the fact that Yankees hitters had been “dusted” quite a bit lately.

“It’s the heat of the moment. Nobody likes to get hit,” Judge said. “Everybody’s watching the game, everybody’s into it. No matter who gets hit, everybody’s going to take exception to it. Dugout had a couple of things to say and then you move on.”

The loss dropped Toronto to eight games back of the American League East-leading Yankees. The Jays are tied with the Tampa Bay Rays for second place.

Puca perfection

The Pittsburgh Pucas hurling team is a national champion.

They won the U.S. Gaelic Athletic Association (junior C) title in Chicago this weekend. They beat Portland, Maine, (39-16) on Friday, Naperville, Ill., on Saturday (25-7) and a team from Charlotte in the finals, 34-4, on Sunday.

The Pittsburgh Banshees (women’s Gaelic football) also won their tournament crown (junior B) in Chicago on Sunday.

They beat the Fog City Harps (San Francisco), 8:8-1:7, to claim the title.

Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via Twitter. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.

Categories:
MLB | NFL | Pirates/MLB | Sports | Steelers/NFL | Breakfast With Benz



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