First Call: Diontae Johnson joins AFC playoff team; Steelers-K.C. injury updates; odds on potential Steelers playoff seeds

Tuesday’s “First Call” has health updates on the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs. Diontae Johnson has another new home with a team that is AFC playoff-bound.

There is some data to track about the Steelers’ potential playoff seeding.

Also, things are looking really bleak for the New York Rangers — and the Penguins can relate to their latest pain.

Of Chief concern

The Steelers are keeping an eye on lots of injuries heading into Wednesday’s Christmas Day game against the Kansas City Chiefs. The team is hopeful that the likes of George Pickens (hamstring), Larry Ogunjobi (groin), Donte Jackson (back), and DeShon Elliott (hamstring) will be able to suit up.

Joey Porter Jr. (knee), Justin Fields (abdomen) and Ben Skowronek (hip) may be longer shots.

On the Kansas City side, there are plenty of players to monitor as well. All-Pro defensive lineman Chris Jones (calf), tackle D.J. Humphries (hamstring) and defensive back Chamarri Conner (concussion) were all non-participants at practice Monday. Tackle Jawaan Taylor (knee) was limited.

Here's Monday's injury report for the Chiefs and Steelers. pic.twitter.com/nVaooDdoVK

— Matt McMullen (@KCChiefs_Matt) December 23, 2024

As far as quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ ailing ankle, the former NFL MVP played through the injury during a win over the Houston Texans last week. He seems to think the ailment is improving.

“I think I’ll be in a better place ankle-wise,” Mahomes said via ESPN.com. “The body is going to be sore with a short week, but I think the ankle should be in a better place. We’ll see in practice, but as far as how I felt after this game compared to the one before, I’m definitely in a lot better place.”

Mahomes went 28-41 for 260 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions. He was sacked just once and moved well, rushing for 33 yards and a touchdown.

D.J.’s Christmas Day

Diontae Johnson has another new home.

After the Steelers traded the wide receiver to Carolina this offseason, the Panthers moved him to Baltimore before Week 9 along with a sixth-round pick in exchange for a Ravens 2025 fifth-round pick.

However, Johnson barely played in Baltimore, catching just one pass in four games. At one point during a Week 13 game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Johnson refused to enter the game. So he was scratched for the club’s next game against the New York Giants and was waived on Dec. 20, a day before the team hosted the Steelers.

On Monday, Johnson was claimed by the Houston Texans, his third team this year. The Texans are in need of a wide receiver after Tank Dell was lost for the year with a dislocated kneecap and a torn ACL.

Fittingly, the Ravens visit Houston on Christmas Day. They play each other after the Steelers host the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Los Angeles Chargers were the only other team to put a waiver claim in for Johnson. Interestingly, they are coached by Jim Harbaugh, the brother of Ravens coach John Harbaugh.

I wonder how that conversation went.

Now, though, Johnson is a Texan. It’s quite possible that whoever finishes second in the AFC North race between the Steelers and Ravens will end up in Houston for a first-round AFC playoff showdown.

Meanwhile, also on Monday, the Ravens countered by claiming former Texans wideout and kick/punter returner Steven Sims. Tylan Wallace and former Steeler Desmond King have had ball security issues as punt returners this season. Sims, a one-time Steeler, last played against the Detroit Lions on Nov. 10.

More sports

• With defense in disarray, Steelers focus on fixing communication concerns against Chiefs
• Curiously not targeted often recently, Pat Freiermuth still major part of Steelers offense
• Steelers’ George Pickens ‘feeling good,’ hopes to play on Christmas vs. Chiefs

Destination unknown

We know the Steelers are in the playoffs. What we don’t know is what seed they are going to be. They can’t be the top seed in the AFC playoff tree. The best they can finish is in the No. 2 hole. They can finish anywhere else in the bracket as well, all the way down to the No. 7 seed.

According to Seth Walder of ESPN, though, both of those potential outcomes are equally as unlikely. He’s got both of those eventualities as a less than 2% probability.

What he deems to be the most likely outcome is being the No. 5 seed — i.e., the top wild-card team. As we discussed above, that would probably place the Steelers in Houston (or potentially Baltimore) during the opening round of the playoffs. Walder says that there is a 42% chance of that manifesting over these last two weeks of the regular season.

The next most likely scenario is that the Steelers (10-5) would win the AFC North over the Ravens (10-5) and become the No. 3 seed.

Basically, that line could be straddled by whether or not the Steelers beat the Chiefs on Wednesday. If the Steelers win that game and their next contest at home against Cincinnati, they’ll be the North champions regardless of what the Ravens do.

Here is how Walder broke down the Steelers’ chances.

Second seed: 1.7%

Third seed: 36.2%

Fourth seed: 9.2%

Fifth seed: 42.3%

Sixth seed: 9.3%

Seventh seed: 1.3%

We had an issue affecting the seeding forecasts I tweeted this morning.

Here are the updated projections.

(As some folks guessed: the error caused the forecast to overestimate Cincinnati's playoff chances -- sorry Bengals fans) pic.twitter.com/l2mg6aHjg2

— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) December 23, 2024

In order for the Steelers to be the No. 4 seed, the Steelers would have to win the division but finish behind the Texans (9-6). That seems unlikely, especially since the Ravens and Texans face each other Saturday.

In order to drop to the sixth seed, the Steelers would have to lose their last two games (to finish at 10-7), and either the Chargers or Denver Broncos would have to win their last two (to finish 11-6). If the Steelers should tie either/both of those clubs, they have a head-to-head tie-breaker over both organizations.

If both of those AFC West franchises should win their two remaining contests, and the Steelers should lose to both K.C. and Cincy, that’s how the Steelers would wind up in the No. 7 hole.

More of the same

The Penguins didn’t have much luck generating offense against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. They lost 3-0 in Newark and generated just 12 shots along the way.

Well, Jacob Markstron and the Devils put up exactly the same numbers Monday against the New York Rangers as he posted another 12-save shutout en route to a 5-0 win.

This advent calendar has a goal behind every door.#NJDevils | @Mikes_Amazing pic.twitter.com/iufRezToDe

— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) December 23, 2024

The Devils have won five of their past six games. They are atop the Metropolitan Division with 49 points. Conversely, the Rangers have lost 13 of 17 and are sitting at 33 points, tied for last in the Metro with the New York Islanders.

Rangers forward and Upper St. Clair native Vince Trocheck has seen enough.

Trocheck: “We gotta show more heart.” #NYR

— Arthur Staple (@StapeAthletic) December 23, 2024

The Rangers had a three-game win streak Nov. 14-19. They haven’t won consecutive games since.