First Call: Myles Garrett, Browns family member snipe back at Steelers’ crowd; Steelers underdogs vs. Eagles
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Monday’s “First Call” has some complaints from Cleveland after the Browns lost to the Steelers on Sunday. The Steelers are underdogs in Philadelphia this week. The Chiefs pulled another rabbit out of the hat on “Sunday Night Football.”
This time, an ex-Steeler was involved.
We also recap the weekend that was for the Robert Morris hockey teams.
Garrett’s gripe
In the late stages of the Steelers beating the Cleveland Browns, 27-14, Pittsburgh fans started chanting “Cleveland (stinks).”
Browns defensive lineman Myles Garrett was asked if he heard the chants and if he’ll hold onto that for a long time.
“Oh, yeah,” Garrett said in a postgame press conference. “We’ll see them again next year. So (the) end result is (we’ll see if) they have that same energy when we come to their house next year.”
Garrett didn’t have much energy throughout the early stages of the game. He only had one tackle on the stat sheet prior to picking up a fourth-quarter sack and a fumble recovery while the Steelers were up by 13 points.
By the way, the Browns haven’t had a regular season win in Pittsburgh since 2003. So it appears that Pittsburgh’s energy has been just fine when hosting the Browns for most of the last two decades.
Also, the wife of Cleveland guard Wyatt Teller, Carly, complained that Steelers fans were too mean to her and the other Browns’ wives and girlfriends.
The fans in Pittsburgh today were so blatantly disrespectful to me and the Browns girls. I’ve never felt so attacked by people who I literally did nothing to. Very sad/embarrassing behavior.
— Carly Teller (@carlyteller) December 8, 2024
Right. Because I’m sure friends and family members of the Steelers are so often treated like royalty whenever they visit Cleveland.
Early underdogs
The Steelers are opening as 4½-point underdogs in the battle of the Keystone State in Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon. That’s according to ESPN BET.
Even though the Steelers are 10-3, I’m surprised the spread isn’t larger. After all, the hometown Eagles are 11-2, and the Steelers haven’t won in the City of Brotherly Love since 1965.
That was two stadiums ago in Philly. That game was played in Franklin Field, six years before Veterans Stadium opened. The Steelers lost three times there during the regular season, and have fallen three times at Lincoln Financial Field.
Philadelphia is currently atop the NFC East by three games and is tied with the Minnesota Vikings for the second-best record in the NFC, a game behind the Detroit Lions (12-1). They almost lost to 3-10 Carolina Sunday, as Xavier Legette made a diving attempt at a reception that carried him into the end zone with less than a minute to go.
It would’ve given the Panthers a 23-22 lead with an extra point, but Legette couldn’t hold onto the ball through the contact on the ground.
Oh my goodness…. incomplete.
????: FOX pic.twitter.com/jiFzpyWSIE
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 8, 2024
Philly ended up winning 22-16. Penn State product Saquon Barkley had 124 rushing yards on 20 carries. He has an NFL-best 1,623 yards on the ground this season.
Related:
• Madden Monday: Steelers’ victory over Browns ‘was a necessary evil of a game’
• Feats of Strength: Steelers use 2nd-half adjustments, crucial turnovers in revenge-game win over Cleveland
• 5 things we learned in Steelers’ win over the Browns: NT Keeanu Benton has ‘ball skills’
The ‘Wright’ stuff
Former Steeler Matthew Wright authored the latest chapter of Kansas City Chiefs drama. The placekicker has been filling in for an injured Harrison Butker.
During “Sunday Night Football” against the Los Angeles Chargers (8-5), Wright lined up for a potentially game-winning field goal with one second left on the clock. It was a chip shot from just 31 yards away, but he bonked it off of the left upright.
However, as has been the case all year from K.C., things worked out just fine. The ball ricocheted through the goalposts and Kansas City (12-1) won the game 19-17. The kick also locked up the AFC West.
As NBC play-by-play man Mike Tirico said, it was “A doink for the division.”
A DOINK FOR THE DIVISION! IT'S GOOD! @CHIEFS WIN! pic.twitter.com/RtsINqo05m
— NFL (@NFL) December 9, 2024
That’s nine straight divisional crowns for the Chiefs. Ten of their 12 wins have been by one-score margins this season.
Tiger Tails
The Robert Morris men’s hockey team split a two-game series in Rochester this weekend. They won Friday night’s game against RIT, 7-3, then lost 4-3 in overtime Saturday.
Croix Kochendorfer played both games in goal, making 28 saves on Friday and 23 on Saturday. Tanner Klimpke had six points during the weekend. Walter Zacher put up three points in the opener. Cam Garvey had a goal in both games, as did Mitch Deelstra.
Three point night for Klimpke ???????? pic.twitter.com/1eQrfoiGtx
— RMU Men’s Hockey (@RMUMHockey) December 7, 2024
Coach Derek Schooley’s team has a weekend series at Canisius next week.
As for the women’s team, they dropped a pair of 4-1 results in Syracuse. They are at Long Island University next weekend.