AFC Notes: Bengals, Browns, Ravens

Bengals

Bengals CB Eli Apple has been one of the most pleasant surprises of the season for Cincinnati, as the former first-round bust has revitalized his career and seized a starting job with the Bengals. 

“I’ll say I’m definitely having the most fun,” Apple said via ESPN’s Ben Baby. “I’ve been the most healthy. I’ve been the most happy that I’ve been, I feel like, in a long time.”

Apple acknowledged he probably didn’t have the maturity to succeed his first few years, starting with the Giants, being traded to the Saints and signing for a year with Carolina. 

“I’ll have a good moment and then something else would happen, it would be a bad moment,” Apple said. “I wouldn’t be able to bounce back the way I need to.”

• Bengals’ WR Ja’Marr Chase broke the team’s record for receiving yards in a single game on Sunday, surpassing the 265-yard record set by WR Chad Johnson. He is now just short of the team record for receiving yards in a single season. (Ben Baby)
• Chase also set the single-season record for most receiving yards by a rookie, passing Vikings’ WR Justin Jefferson‘s record from last season.

Browns

• Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot points out that Browns WR Jarvis Landry has one more year left on his deal with a cap hit of $16.5 million, all but $1.5 million of which goes away if he’s cut. Some kind of restructure or pay cut isn’t out of the question but Cabot thinks Landry ultimately is done in Cleveland. 
• She adds she expects the Browns to overhaul their receiving corps this offseason. 
• Cabot notes the Browns continue to maintain that while the harness QB Baker Mayfield has had to wear on his left shoulder has hampered him, it’s not to the point that he can’t play and be effective. 
• Browns LB Mack Wilson did not travel with the team to Pittsburgh as he is dealing with a personal matter. (Nate Ulrich)

Ravens

• Ravens TE Mark Andrews broke the team’s single-season record for receiving yards in Week 17 against the Rams. (Jeff Zrebiec)
• Ravens HC John Harbaugh said that G Bradley Bozeman was sick and it was too late to make a roster move by the time the team realized he would be unable to play. (Zrebiec)