AFC Notes: Adonai Mitchell, Cam Ward, Colts, Texans, Titans

Colts

Colts WR Adonai Mitchell dropped the ball before crossing the goal line on a touchdown, along with committing a holding penalty on a potential 53-yard touchdown run from RB Jonathan Taylor. Mitchell expressed his disappointment after the game and vowed to be better going forward.

“It definitely stings,” Mitchell said, via ESPN’s Stephen Holder. “The ball was put in my hand to make a play for the team, and it was a matter of losing focus and just to play. That just can’t happen. Just unacceptable. I’ve just got to be better for the team and for the organization.”

Colts HC Shane Steichen still expressed confidence in the young receiver despite a rough game. 

“It’s hard to explain in that situation,” Steichen said. “But we have a lot of faith in [Mitchell]. This is a bump in the road for him.”

Texans

Texans OC Nick Caley is under the microscope after Houston’s 0-3 start, especially because the struggling Texans’ offense has been the primary culprit. Caley spent the last two years with the Rams but the seven years before that in New England have had a much bigger apparent influence on his scheme and philosophy. Don’t tell Caley that, however. 

โ€œAgain, this is our system,โ€ Caley said via KPRC’s Aaron Wilson. โ€œThis is not a copy-and-paste New England Patriots system. Okay, if thatโ€™s what youโ€™re alluding to. But, relative to the system, I think everything weโ€™ve done has been very intentional to be able to cater it around our players, to simplify the verbiage and we stripped everything down to the studs in the spring.

โ€œSo, I think the thing that this system does is allow our guys to be able to have enough bandwidth and flexibility to alter schemes to fit the guys that we have from week to week and thatโ€™s what it does. Whether itโ€™s, again, in the run game gap schemes, perimeter plays, zone, mid-zone, wide zone, we can activate those based on who weโ€™re facing and who we have available. I think from a language standpoint, weโ€™ve cleaned that up from the time we got here.โ€ 

  • The Texans worked out OTs Earl Bostick and Logan Brown this past week. (Aaron Wilson)
  • Per the Houston Texans PR, RB Nick Chubb became the sixth-active running back to surpass 7,000 career rushing yards in Week 4. 

Titans

Titans first-round QB Cam Ward believes QB coach Bo Hardegree taking over offensive play-calling duties will be a positive addition for the team.

โ€œI meet with him every day,โ€ Ward said, via PFT. โ€œHe knows where my mind is and how I feel space on the field. And I just think heโ€™s going to be a good addition for us.โ€

Ward respects the tough decision that HC Brian Callahan had to make and said that he believes it will help him maintain a high-level overview of the team.

โ€œI think the biggest thing is that coach [Callahan] just has so much to deal with,โ€ Ward said. โ€œAnd itโ€™s probably hard for him to give up play-calling โ€” heโ€™s one of the best play-callers out there. But he has a lot of important decision to make for us to win games. And I just think him giving that up to Bo right now, he thinks itโ€™s best for us, I think itโ€™s best for us as well. So, whatever coach agrees with, Iโ€™m gonna go with.

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