With a day to step back and examine the situation, Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton realizes he overreacted to J.J. Watt's playful "Red Ryder BB gun" jab after Monday night's Texans victory.
Dalton acknowledged Wednesday that his over-the-top comments referencing children and the integrity of the game were unwarranted.
"What I did wrong was I responded to what somebody said. I never heard his interview, so I don't know the context in which it was said, I don't know what was said before, I don't know what he said after," Dalton explained. "On my part, I shouldn't have reacted without hearing what he said ... But I've got no ill will towards J.J."
Dalton has yet to watch Watt's postgame interview with ESPN's Lisa Salters and has no plans to do so because he's "moving on."
While that might be the case, you can bet defenses around the league have taken note of his thin skin in the heat of the moment.
"Now the rest of the league knows they can get in Andy Dalton's head," former Seahawks fullback and current NFL Media analyst Michael Robinson said on Wednesday's edition of the R&B Podcast.
It's a fair point to raise about a player who has struggled with pressure throughout his five-year career, not just in the pocket but also in prime time and postseason games.
Dalton will move on to deflecting questions about the quarterback he replaced in Cincinnati. Cardinals players, in the meantime, are likely sharpening their tongues while the coaches devise schemes to bring the backfield heat for Sunday night's titanic clash in Arizona.
