AFC Notes: Bengals, Browns, Ravens

Bengals

Bengals OC Brian Callahan thinks their efficiency on screen plays has made a big improvement this year. 

“It’s really been something I think has come along for us this year,” Callahan said, via Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. “We’ve had positive gains, efficient plays on our screens.”

Callahan said Joe Mixon‘s productivity on screens in Week 13’s game against the Jaguars made them want to call the play more often. 

“When they hit like that, you always come back and say we should call more of those earlier,” Callahan said.

Bengals HC Zac Taylor points out how a 28-yard screen play to Mixon against Jacksonville came after QB Jake Browning made a check at the line of scrimmage after spotting a heavy blitz. 

“That got him out of position and everyone just kind of fit up there,” Taylor said. “And so sometimes you watch teams that maybe have a great screen idea, a great screen look, and it just doesn’t work out for him. But I think when you prepare the right way, and your guys understand it, the luck tends to go in your favor more times than not.”

• Bengals HC Zac Taylor says CB Cam Taylor-Britt will return against the Chiefs after his stint on injured reserve. (Jay Morrison)

Browns

• Browns OC Alex Van Pelt is confident veteran QB Joe Flacco will be “much improved” in his second start given he hasn’t been in their system for a long time, via Scott Petrak. 

Ravens

Ravens K Justin Tucker lost his highest field-goal percentage to Falcons K Younghoe Koo for the time, but said statistics and records are never something that is on his mind when he is kicking on Sundays.

“In a given moment, when I’m on the field preparing to send a ball through the uprights, I can tell you that’s the last thing that I’m worried about,” Tucker said, via Jamison Hensley of ESPN. “That’s like the furthest thing from my mind. All I’m focused on is making that kick in that moment in time, for what it’s worth, gathering all the data that I need to, applying what I’ve learned over the years in that given moment to do my best to put the ball through the uprights.”

“When it’s all said and done [and] when I’m done playing — hopefully a very, very long time from now — then I’ll hopefully be able to look back and I’ll have a couple of cool stats that other people can rattle off when they’re talking about me,” Tucker added. “But it’s not like I’m hanging my hat on being the most accurate kicker in NFL history while I’m still currently playing. I’m in the middle of the journey along with my teammates, and yeah, I could care less about that right now. I’m just doing what I can to make kicks.”

• Ian Rapoport notes Ravens QB Lamar Jackson did not attend Thursday’s practice due to an illness.