AFC Notes: Bengals, Browns, Ravens, Steelers

Bengals

• Bengals HC Zac Taylor said his team getting the win was exactly what they needed moving forward: “It wasn’t sexy, but man, it’s what we needed.” (Ben Baby)
• Taylor is proud of CB Eli Apple and pointed out that he is “playing really well right now.” (Kelsey Conway)
• Bengals QB Joe Burrow credited Taylor for the playcalling on his touchdown pass to WR Tyler Boyd: “That’s a great call by Zac. That is a play we have repped in practice all week. Credit to him. He saw what they were doing to us when we got on the ball and kind of hurried up. That’s a credit to him. Great call.” (Paul Dehner)
• Taylor said this was a statement win for the defense: “Our defense played their tails off today. They really sent a message to the league that we got a hell of a defense.” (Dehner)

Browns

• According to Aaron Wilson, the Browns worked out CB Jameson Houston, DE Romeo McKnight, DB Chris Miller and LB Tegray Scales.
• Browns activated G Wyatt Teller from the COVID-19 list. (NFLTR)
• Browns placed DE Jadeveon Clowney on the COVID19 list.
• Browns elevated OL Alex Taylor elevated to their active roster. 
• Browns activated S John Johnson from the COVID-19 list. (NFLTR)
• Browns elevated CB Brian Allen, G Hjalte Froholdt, DE Joe Jackson, RB John Kelly, CB Herb Miller, S Jovante Moffatt and S Tedric Thompson to their active roster.

Ravens

• Ravens HC John Harbaugh said he expects QB Lamar Jackson to return next week, but if he can’t, the team has faith in QB Tyler Huntley to lead the offense. (Jonas Shaffer)
• On Monday, Harbaugh said Jackson is improving: “We’ll see how the ankle responds. It’s getting better.” (Jamison Hensley)
• Ravens TE Mark Andrews defended Harbaugh’s decision to go for two at the end of the game: “That was ‘the’ decision. Anyone who second-guesses that is wrong.” (Hensley)
• Huntley earned the respect of Packers DB Adrian Amos: “I always like to say the backups in the NFL will embarrass you if you don’t come to play, because everybody is a professional.” (Ryan Wood)
• Harbaugh feels going for two gave the team a better chance to win over opting for OT: “We just gotta try to win the game right there. I think our chances of winning right there were a little higher than they were in overtime, maybe, if you calculate it out. Felt good about, felt we had a good play. They made a really good play. Gotta give that safety a lot of credit for getting out there and tipping that ball.” (PFT)

Steelers

Steelers HC Mike Tomlin said that turnovers were the key to the team picking up a win over the Titans.

“Turnovers leveled the playing field in the second half and provided a short field for us,” Tomlin said, via The Athletic. “That was the catalyst for us to go ahead and secure victory.”

Steelers CB Joe Haden had a game-saving play, stopping WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine one yard short on fourth down.

“I had my heels on the first-down marker,’’ Haden explained. “If he threw it to him, I knew if I tackled him backwards instead of forward, he wouldn’t get the first down.”

Steelers DL Cameron Heyward said Haden’s leadership is infectious and is an integral part of not on the defense, but the team as a whole.

“It’s not just his playmaking, it’s the presence that he brings,” Heyward said. “He’s got leadership skills, great experience, smiles in the face of adversity. That’s contagious.”