AFC Notes: Bengals, Browns, Ravens, Steelers

Bengals

• ESPN’s Dan Graziano writes Bengals OC Brian Callahan is expected to draw interest for head coaching interviews in the upcoming coaching cycle. 
• Bengals HC Zac Taylor said RB Joe Mixon is still in the league’s concussion protocol. (Ben Baby)
• Bengals QB Joe Burrow expects WR Ja’Marr Chase (hip) to play in Week 12. (Baby)

Browns

• ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler don’t get the sense that Browns HC Kevin Stefanski‘s job is in much jeopardy but admit there’s still plenty of time for that to change down the stretch this season. 

Ravens

• Ravens HC John Harbaugh said LT Ronnie Stanley (ankle) is “day-to-day” and did not practice on Wednesday. (Jamison Hensley)
• Harbaugh mentioned QB Lamar Jackson is dealing with an “issue” following Week 11 but will play in Sunday’s game. He was listed as a non-participant in practice on Wednesday with a hip injury. (Hensley)

Steelers

Regarding the Steelers’ loss to the Bengals in Week 11, HC Mike Tomlin recalled that there were not a lot of surprises from either side. 

“When I look at the tape, there were some repeat concepts, but Cincinnati was in some repeat concepts,” Tomlin said, via Joe Rutter of TribuneLive. “That’s football. When it’s good-on-good, particularly in the latter part of the season, there are very little secrets. I don’t know that we were all that surprised by anything they did offensively. It comes down to execution, and that’s where I’d like to keep our focus.”

When asked about his lack of targets so far this year, WR Diontae Johnson didn’t want to elaborate on the situation and admitted that he must “deal with it.” 

“I don’t want to speak on that too much,” Johnson said. “A lot of that stuff is out of my control. I know it looks like I’m not involved, but it is what it is, and that’s the situation I’m in. I have to deal with it.”

Tomlin said that defenses are game-planning against Johnson and they must find ways to “open up opportunities” for him. 

“Let’s be frank,” Tomlin said. “Diontae is the known commodity within the group. People are going to have an agenda to minimize his impact on the game, particularly in significant moments: possession downs, red-zone football. When you’ve got a guy who has been a Pro Bowler — and, really, he’s the only one — and there is a young group, that is a component of it. How do you open up opportunities for a guy like that? Other guys make plays.”

• The Steelers hosted G Danny Isidora and OT Liam Ryan for visits on Tuesday. (Aaron Wilson)