AFC Notes: Bengals, Browns, Ravens, Steelers

Bengals

• The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. notes Bengals second-round WR Tee Higgins is on pace to possibly break A.J. Green‘s record for rookie receiving yards. 
• Dehner writes the Bengals ideally need to see more from young LBs Germaine Pratt, Logan Wilson and Akeem Davis-Gaither during the second half of the season as they plan for the offseason. 
• The Bengals also need to figure out if they have two starters at guard between Michael Jordan, Quinton Spain and Xavier Su’a-Filo.

Browns

• Per BrownsZone.com’s Scott Petrak, Browns HC Kevin Stefanski had no update on CB Greedy Williams, who has yet to play this year with a nerve injury in his shoulder. 
• Browns QB Baker Mayfield said the week off did wonders for his injured ribs: “It’s amazing what just not getting hit on one Sunday does for you.” (Nate Ulrich)
• Browns WR Odell Beckham successfully underwent ACL surgery on Tuesday and is expected to be ready for the 2021 season. (Mary Kay Cabot)
• Browns RB Nick Chubb said his knee was just “a little loose” after his MCL injury a few weeks ago, adding it was nothing compared to the knee injury he suffered at Georgia: “A little hiccup.” (Petrak)

Ravens

Last year the Ravens caught the NFL off-guard with how completely they embraced an option-based attack spearheaded by dynamic QB Lamar Jackson. Baltimore and OC Greg Roman had opponents on their heels for most of the year, but with an offseason to plan and adjust, the dynamic has been flipped in 2020. 

“They’re calling out our plays, stuff like that,” Jackson said on the Rich Eisen Show via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. “They know what we’re doing. Sometimes stuff won’t go our way if they’re beating us to the punch.”

• Per the Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec, Ravens HC John Harbaugh said RB Mark Ingram is getting closer to a return and could play this week against the Patriots: “Yes and yes.” 
• Ingram practiced Wednesday. 

Steelers

Before testing positive for COVID-19 on Monday from a test taken Sunday morning, Steelers TE Vance McDonald missed practice with an illness on Friday. But because McDonald tested negative until this week, he was able to travel on the team plane and play in the game Sunday while possibly exposing others to the virus. Steelers HC Mike Tomlin, however, said Pittsburgh followed all the guidelines from the NFL. 

“You know, those aren’t decisions that are made by us,” Tomlin said via TribLive.com’s Chris Adamski. “It’s really cut and dry. It’s all in the procedural policy of COVID established in New York by the NFL. As long as he is negative and not showing signs of COVID, he’s able to travel, and [McDonald] was and we did.”