AFC North Notes: Bengals, Browns, Steelers

Bengals

• According to the Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr., Bengals DE Sam Hubbard left Sunday’s game in a walking boot.
• Bengals HC Zac Taylor says WR A.J. Green won’t play next Monday against the Steelers and won’t practice this week, per ESPN’s Ben Baby. Taylor adds he still doesn’t have a timeline for Green’s return. 

Browns

The Browns made waves this offseason with the talent they assembled to a roster that already seemed on the ascent. However, three games in and Cleveland’s season has been anything but smooth, as a Sunday night loss to the Rams dropped the Browns to 1-2. Browns WR Odell Beckham, the biggest of a number of blockbuster additions this offseason, says the team is still trying to find its identity.

“I don’t want to give an excuse that we’re a young team and we’re fresh and new together, but we’re still trying to find ourselves and find our identity,’’ Beckham said via Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “This Rams team has been together. They know what plays, when you do this, that. It’s just what they’ve done. They didn’t get to the Super Bowl by luck. We’re going to put it all together. We’re just finding the pieces right now, and I feel like once we discover exactly who we are and this team and everyone knows exactly who we are, we’ll be able to close games like that.”

• Browns HC Freddie Kitchens drew some heat for his playcalling against the Rams. However, the first-year head coach says he doesn’t plan to surrender playcalling duties to OC Todd Monken: “That’s not even being considered.” (Cabot)
• Browns OT Chris Hubbard says he has a slight crack in his foot but doesn’t need surgery and is week-to-week: “I’m going to be back, though, soon.” (Scott Petrak)

Steelers

In their first game playing without QB Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers defense did all they could to ensure a win, forcing five turnovers against the unbeaten 49ers. However, the offense under QB Mason Rudolph could only turn those five turnovers into a pair of field goals, leading to an eventual 24-20 loss that dropped Pittsburgh to 0-3. 

“We just came out slow,” Rudolph said via Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “I’m more to blame than anyone.”