AFC Notes: Bengals, Browns, Ravens, Steelers

Bengals

They flew under the radar last season, but the Bengals defense was as big a part of the team’s unexpected run to the Super Bowl as all the stars on offense. Players like S Jessie Bates, S Vonn Bell, LB Logan Wilson, DT D.J. Reader, CB Chidobe Awuzie, CB Mike Hilton and DE Trey Hendrickson are all talented, but what really set the Bengals apart is how much freedom DC Lou Anarumo — who also did a lot in 2021 to change his reputation for the better — gave the group to disguise and shift based on what they were seeing on the field. 

“What we try to do is give them as much as they can handle knowing each team each year,” Anarumo said via the Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. “This group has demonstrated that they can handle a lot. It’s not really about how complicated we can make it. It’s about that game week, how that specific game plan can make the offense uncomfortable.”

“We have a smart group and a lot of guys that know ball and have a good feel,” Bell added. “It’s just the chemistry that we have. Lou trusts us with that. We can morph into a lot of different things. When you have guys that have a great football IQ and know the game with situations, you can do a lot of things behind that.”

Cincinnati added to that group even more with the selection of first-round S Daxton Hill, who played a versatile role in college that caught the Bengals’ attention. Down the road, he’s probably a replacement for Bates, but this year the Bengals have big plans for the rookie that they’re trying to keep under wraps. 

“We got a little show back there,” Bell said. “We are going to keep it quiet right now. We will let the season speak for itself. We got special talent in the room. We can’t wait to put it on film.”

Browns

• Browns WR Amari Cooper is confident that their offense will provide “fireworks” with the amount of talent they have: “Hopefully it’s going to be fireworks. We definitely have the talent on this side of the ball to be everything we want to be. I would just say ‘wait and see’. Why not? It’s right around the corner.” (92.3 The Fan)

Ravens

• Ravens RB Gus Edwards posted on Instagram that he is “very close” to returning from his torn ACL: “For everybody wondering about my recovery I’m doing great and I’m very close,” via Jonas Shaffer.
• Ravens QB Lamar Jackson said RB J.K. Dobbins‘ knee is getting better by the day but seemed notably not to expect him to play in Week 1: “Hopefully, he’ll be out in a couple of weeks.” (Jamison Hensley)

Steelers

• Steelers WR Diontae Johnson is discouraged with the recovery time of his shoulder injury: “It’s annoying. I tried to do everything I could (at practice Wednesday), what my arm will allow me to do. I’m doing everything I can literally to try to get back to the guys this Sunday. I’m taking it one day at a time. We gonna see where it goes.” (Mike Giardi)
• Steelers WR Chase Claypool said Johnson (shoulder) is “looking great” and that they have a lot of depth at the position: “Diontae is looking great. I think we’re deep with him, and we’re excited to have him throughout the week. We’re deep, so in case one of us does go down, we’ll be able to keep the ball rolling.” (Brooke Pryor)