First Call: Steelers get top pick in 2nd round; Watt brothers honor J.J.; Bengals mock NFL’s coin-flip idea
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Monday’s “First Call” sees the Steelers’ draft fortunes improve. Derek and T.J. Watt reach out from Pittsburgh to support their retiring big brother in Arizona.
We have AFC playoff odds. The Cincinnati Bengals make fun of the NFL’s coin-flip idea.
And Jets coach Robert Saleh apologizes to (almost) everybody for his team’s late-season flameout.
Brotherly bond
Three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt played his last game Sunday. The Arizona Cardinals defensive linemen did so with two sacks against the San Francisco 49ers.
Another one for @JJWatt
: #AZvsSF on FOX
: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/nAdEbT6Bnn pic.twitter.com/JQKN70bEY9— NFL (@NFL) January 8, 2023
Between the playoffs and the regular season, Watt is retiring with 120.5 sacks over his 12-year career. He ended up with 12.5 this season.
Watt’s two brothers on the Steelers — Derek and T.J. — let their older brother know he was top of mind before their game against the Browns.
The Watt Brothers pic.twitter.com/FUNKBfTztx
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) January 8, 2023
On the day at Acrisure Stadium, Derek Watt had a touchdown and T.J. had half a sack.
Heads or tails?
The Cincinnati Bengals were none too pleased about the NFL flirting with the idea of flipping a coin to decide the home-field advantage in a potential playoff game between themselves and the Baltimore Ravens.
The Bengals rendered that issue moot by beating the Ravens 27-16 on Sunday. Along the way, Bengals running back Joe Mixon mocked the league’s decision by flipping a coin during an end zone celebration after a touchdown.
Mixon really had a coin in his glove #BudLightCelly | @budlight pic.twitter.com/eg8evfvtsT
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) January 8, 2023
The Bengals will now host the Ravens in the wild-card round next weekend — without the need for a coin flip. Cincinnati, the AFC North champions for a second consecutive year, enter the playoffs as the third seed. The Ravens are the sixth seed.
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Place your bets
In terms of the AFC playoff matchups, the Ravens are 5.5-point underdogs, according to BetRivers. BetOnline.ag projects a spread of 8.5 points if Lamar Jackson is ruled out at quarterback for Baltimore.
BetRivers has the wild-card Los Angeles Chargers as 2.5-point favorites in Jacksonville against the AFC South Champion Jaguars.
The number on the Buffalo Bills-Miami Dolphins game is a sliding scale. BetOnline.ag has Miami as just a seven-point underdog if Tua Tagovailoa starts at quarterback. If Teddy Bridgewater starts, the line grows to 10 points. If Skylar Thompson starts, the Bills are projected as 14-point favorites.
One team’s misfortune …
The Steelers will be picking first overall in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. That’s because the Chicago Bears ended up with the worst record in the league at 3-14.
The Steelers own the Bears’ second-round pick because of the Chase Claypool trade. The 3-13-1 Houston Texans managed to win a wild game 32-31 over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 18. Since the Bears lost 29-13 to the Minnesota Vikings, that meant they leapfrogged the Texans on the draft board.
Houston won their game thanks to Hail Mary from David Mills to Jordan Aikins.
ON 4TH AND 20… @HOUSTONTEXANS TOUCHDOWN! pic.twitter.com/POhLDaLMuL
— NFL (@NFL) January 8, 2023
Those two then hooked up on a two-point conversion to earn the victory.
TWO-POINT CONVERSION IS GOOD. The Texans take the lead with 50 seconds left!
: #HOUvsIND on CBS
: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/6GfQl62RJ4 pic.twitter.com/SJ5c50zmJW— NFL (@NFL) January 8, 2023
Claypool had just 14 receptions for 140 yards in seven games after leaving the Steelers for the Windy City. The Steelers hold the 17th selection in the first round.
Too little, too late
After his team’s ugly 11-6 loss to the Miami Dolphins to end the season, Jets head coach Robert Saleh issued an apology.
To … everybody?
“I say sorry to everybody,” Saleh said via ESPN.com. “All the players, all the coaches, all the fans, because I know it’s been a long, long ride of not being in the playoffs and I know it was right in our fingertips and we’re not going.”
Saleh also named Jets chairman Woody Johnson, vice chairman Christopher Johnson and other top executives. His team ended the year on a six-game losing streak.
Apparently, though, Saleh didn’t name the Steelers. His Jets needed to beat the Dolphins if the Steelers were going to make the playoffs.