CINCINNATI, Nov. 18 (UPI) — A ‘Christmas Story’ reference from Houston’s J.J. Watt didn’t have Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton in the holiday spirit, following the Bengals Monday Night Football loss.
After the Texans’ win, Watt told ESPN’s Lisa Salters: “Our goal was to come out here and make the Red Rifle look like a Red Ryder BB Gun, and I think we did that. He is a great player, and they are a great team, but our coaches put together a great game plan, we executed the game plan, everybody did their job.”
Dalton originally said he was disappointed in Watt’s response.
But Dalton is going back on his word that Watt is “a good player, but for him to be one of the best in this league and to show that integrity, it shows what he’s about, and that’s disappointing.”
On Wednesday, Dalton told the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Jim Owczarski that he was wrong to respond in the manner he did.
“What I did wrong was I responded to what somebody said that he said,” Dalton told the Enquirer. “I never even heard his interview. So I don’t know the context in which it was said, I don’t what he said before, I don’t know what he said after. On my part, I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did without hearing what he said and actually hearing what he said. I’m responding to what an interviewer tells me he said. From that standpoint, my reaction wasn’t warranted.”
Dalton also said he has not seen Watt’s interview and that the two players are on good terms.
“I don’t care,” Dalton told the Enquirer. “But, I’ve got no ill will towards J.J. There is no feud between me and J.J. We lost the game. he said what he said and we’re moving on. That’s in the past now.”
Dalton was 22-for-38 with 197 yards passing in the 10-6 loss that ended the Bengals’ [8-1] perfect season hopes.
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