First Call: Odds on Brian Flores getting Broncos job; T.J. and Derek Watt react to J.J.'s retirement
Wednesday’s “First Call” has the odds on Pittsburgh Steelers assistant Brian Flores landing the Denver Broncos’ head coaching job.
A former Steelers rival is getting a coaching position in the college ranks. Steelers players T.J. and Derek Watt are reacting to their brother J.J.’s retirement.
We also preview the Penguins’ next opponent, and we give some perspective on the Pirates’ signing of Rich Hill.
Destination Denver?
Given the sketchy circumstances of his firing in Miami last offseason, most Steelers fans assumed that Brian Flores would remain as a defensive assistant on Mike Tomlin’s coaching staff for just one year.
The former Dolphins head coach was widely perceived to have gotten a raw deal in Miami, and the belief was that he’d be a hot name on the annual head coaching carousel this offseason.
The Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos have already fired their coaches. Steve Wilks has been getting good reviews for the job he has done on an interim basis in Charlotte. He replaced Matt Rhule on Oct. 10 when the team was 1-4. Carolina has gone 5-5 since then.
The Colts are only 1-5 under Jeff Saturday. And the Broncos just canned Nathaniel Hackett on Monday. The interim coach there will be Jerry Rosburg.
But the odds makers aren’t giving Flores much of a shot of getting that job in Colorado. Via BetOnine.ag, Flores is only getting 18/1 odds of being the next head coach in Denver. Ten other names are listed in front of Flores. Denver was one of the franchises noted in Flores’ lawsuit against the NFL back in January.
Former New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton is the favorite at 4/1. He’s followed by Dallas Cowboys’ defensive coordinator Dan Quinn at 5/1 and Dolphins assistant head coach, Jim Caldwell.
Ex-Steelers quarterback Byron Leftwich — the current offensive coordinator with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — is getting 16/1 odds.
Brotherly love
Three-time Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt announced his plans to retire via social media on Tuesday.
His younger brother, Steelers star linebacker T.J. Watt, replied to the news in GIF form.
https://t.co/alM0DjDzYr pic.twitter.com/zCQ8gAq2WS
— TJ Watt (@_TJWatt) December 27, 2022
Middle brother and Steelers fullback Derek Watt wasted no time stumping for Watt’s Hall of Fame candidacy.
Unbelievable career! Can’t wait for the Hall of Fame ceremony in 5yrs! #FirstBallot #ProudYoungerBrother https://t.co/Z64lHK8WkN
— Derek Watt (@DerekWatt34) December 27, 2022
In his second season with the Arizona Cardinals, Watt has 9.5 sacks. He had just one in an injury-shortened 2021. Watt has 111.5 career sacks, good for 26th all-time.
Give it a try
Speaking of Hall of Famers, former Baltimore Raven Ed Reed is following the path of another gold jacket defensive back. Just like Deion Sanders, Reed is jumping into the college head coaching ranks with very little experience.
Sanders did that at Jackson State in 2020, despite only coaching at the prep school level before that. He won two SWAC championships there and parlayed that job into the head coaching gig at Colorado this offseason.
Now Reed is taking over as the head coach at Bethune-Cookman. The Wildcats are also in the SWAC. They were 2-9 each of the past two seasons. The school made the announcement Tuesday that it had entered an agreement in principle with Reed to be its 16th head football coach.
Reed had been a defensive backs assistant on Rex Ryan’s staff in Buffalo in 2016. He was also the University of Miami’s football chief of staff from 2020-22. Reed was a Miami Hurricane from 1998-2001.
More sports
• Hundreds turn out for public viewing for Steelers legend Franco Harris
• Penguins routed by Islanders in miserable return from Christmas break
• Steelers coach Mike Tomlin focused on Ravens, not potential playoff scenarios
Just wingin’ it
After Tuesday’s 5-1 loss against the New York Islanders, the Penguins are back at PPG Paints Arena on Wednesday night against the Detroit Red Wings.
It’s the first meeting of the year between the teams. The Penguins were 2-0-1 against Detroit last year. The Red Wings won the first game between the franchises last year in a 3-2 shootout.
But the Pens slaughtered the Wings 11-2 on March 27 in Pittsburgh and again 7-2 in Detroit on April 23. Evgeni Malkin had five goals over those two games.
Detroit hasn’t played since a 7-4 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Dec. 21. They had a game in Ottawa canceled on Dec. 23 because of weather conditions.
Head coach Derek Lalonde’s team struggled heading into the Christmas break, losing seven of 10. They have 35 points, good for fourth in the Atlantic Division and 10th place in the Eastern Conference.
Well, that’s ‘Rich’
The Pirates signed 42-year-old free-agent pitcher Rich Hill on Tuesday. When he makes his debut for the Pirates this year, they will be the 12th team to employ him.
The lefty has been in the Major Leagues for 18 years. Hill pitched for the first time against the Pirates back on Aug. 6, 2006, at Wrigley Field.
Hill gave up just one earned run, while scattering five hits and two walks. He totaled nine strikeouts. Catcher Ronny Paulino had three hits and a homer off of Hill for the Buccos. Future Pirate Ronny Cedeno had two hits for the Cubs. Former Pirate Aramis Ramirez had three for Chicago as well. Ian Snell took the loss, allowing five earned runs in six innings pitched.
In five starts, Hill is 1-2 with an ERA of 4.20 at PNC Park. The building was four years old in his debut season of 2005. As a Los Angeles Dodger on Aug. 23 2017, Hill lost a no-hitter in the 10th inning at PNC Park when Josh Harrison hit a walk-off homer to win it 1-0 for the Pirates.
Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via X. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.
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