First Call: Diontae Johnson may already be done in Baltimore; Chad Johnson wants to advise George Pickens

Tuesday’s “First Call” has an early preview of Sunday’s Steelers-Browns game. Diontae Johnson may be done in Baltimore before he ever gets going. Chad Johnson wants to mentor George Pickens.

And the Penguins have quite a challenge Tuesday night at PPG Paints Arena.

Diontae done?

Is Diontae Johnson already done in Baltimore?

The former Steelers receiver turned Carolina Panther was dealt to the Ravens mid-season. However, he has barely seen any action. The 28-year-old has just one catch and five targets in four games since arriving in Maryland at the trade deadline.

Now, head coach John Harbaugh can’t even say if Johnson is going to be with the team once it returns from this week’s upcoming bye.

“There are some moving parts there that we’re going to have to figure out and explore and see where we’re at. It’s the best I can do in fairness to everybody,” Harbaugh said.

John Harbaugh gave a cryptic answer when asked if WR Diontae Johnson will be on the team after the bye.

"We'll just work it out and see where we're at over the next few days." pic.twitter.com/ZRXXWm18mM

— Sarah Ellison (@sgellison) December 2, 2024

Much like with Mike Williams in Pittsburgh, it’s unclear why the Ravens bothered to acquire Johnson if they have used him so infrequently.

Johnson didn’t even see action after starting receiver Rashod Bateman got hurt during Baltimore’s loss to Philadelphia last week.

Underdog Dawg Pound

Despite beating the Steelers two weeks ago, the Cleveland Browns are coming to Pittsburgh as six-point underdogs this weekend. That’s according to ESPNBet. Their game against the Steelers this Sunday at Acrisure Stadium has an over-under point total of 42½ right now.

That feels low after the teams combined to put up 76 points last week. Pittsburgh beat Cincinnati, 44-38. The Browns lost on Monday Night Football to the Denver Broncos, 41-32.

During the game in Denver, Cleveland quarterback Jameis Winston threw for a career-high 497 yards in addition to four touchdown passes. But he also tossed three interceptions. Two were returned for touchdowns.

PICK SIX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

????: ESPN pic.twitter.com/k1UhkLh75X

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 3, 2024

Winston’s yardage total reset the Browns’ single-game franchise record. It was previously at 457, set by Josh McCown in a 33-30 overtime win in Baltimore in 2015.

Related:

• 'Like winning 2 games in 1': Steelers' victory over Bengals may mean even more than you think
• Tim Benz: MLB 'Golden At-Bat' idea takes gold medal for stupidity
• Madden Monday: Steelers’ win in Cincinnati doesn't outweigh remaining hurdles

‘Ochocinco’ and ‘Catorce’?

I know what you are thinking. Steelers receiver George Pickens needs someone to advise him so he can better manage his emotions. Who should he turn to?

Well, Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, of course!

That’s right. The former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver — renowned for his pregame trash-talk and in-game touchdown celebrations — says he is going to reach out to Pickens to advise him about how to best channel his emotions on the field. Johnson was always renowned for his showmanship. Generally, though, he pulled it off in an entertaining, non-malicious way. He says he is going to call Pickens and have a chat after Pickens picked up two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in Cincinnati on Sunday.

“I’m gonna talk to him,” Johnson said on his “Nightcap” podcast with Shannon Sharpe. “Take some of that fun, some of that energy that you display, that you’re being penalized for and turn that into entertainment. It’s OK being the villain. Embrace being the villain, enjoy being the villain. But do it in a way that is organized chaos within the game of football.”

Or, here’s an idea — and hear me out.

Just avoid the chaos. How about that, Ocho? How about George avoids the trash talk and extracurricular stuff altogether because he doesn’t seem to understand where the line is?

By the end of your career, maybe you did. In year three, though, Pickens doesn’t.

Cup Cats

The Penguins have been playing better hockey of late. They have won three games in a row against Vancouver, Calgary and Boston. All three of those teams are currently in a playoff position.

Tonight, coach Mike Sullivan’s team is facing the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. Florida comes to PPG Paints Arena at 15-9-1. That’s good for 31 points, second-best in the Atlantic Division. The Panthers have also won three games in a row after dropping four straight. During that losing streak, the Panthers yielded 20 goals. But now they have scored 17 times over their last three games, including back-to-back 6-3 and 6-0 wins over the Carolina Hurricanes over the weekend.

Sam Reinhart comes in as the NHL’s goal-scoring leader with 18. He is tied for sixth in points with 34.

SAM REINHART WITH A NO DOUBTER pic.twitter.com/pA7K4JHeEV

— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) November 29, 2024

At 3.64 goals per game, the Panthers are the fifth-highest-scoring team in the NHL.

The team’s power play is eighth-best at 24.4%. The penalty kill is 10th-best at 80.8% and boasts an NHL-leading seven shorthanded goals.

The Penguins are at 10-12-4 for 24 points. That’s tied for last in the Metropolitan Division.