AFC Notes: Bengals, Browns, Steelers

Bengals

Bengals OL coach Frank Pollack believes that OT La’El Collins will continue to improve as the season goes on due to him getting his feet under him.

“Really, it’s just him getting his camp legs out of him and now he’s getting his season legs,” Pollack said, via Bengals Wire. “He missed all of training camp. You can’t do that. I don’t care who you are. I don’t want to knock other sports but man, football you put pads on and you’ve got grown-ass men running into you. That takes getting your body calloused and keeping your feet and moving your feet. And so, I think his feet, he’s just getting more comfortable and having his feet underneath him with all the contact. And he’s just getting his hands (in position). He punched way better this last game with independent punching and when he does that, they’re devastating. He’s just got to continue to progress and keep his feet at the top of the rush, and that’s what he’s been doing every week. He’s been getting better in that regard.”

Browns

Browns DC Joe Woods said that he expected their defense to be “further along” at this point of the season and they must clean things up “in a hurry.”

“I thought there would be more things we could do at this point,” Woods said, via Mary Kay Cabot. “Not that more means better, but we do have some young guys in there playing for us at all three levels of the defense, and they’re learning too. I thought we’d be further along obviously. There are a lot of things we are trying to clean up, and we just have to clean them up in a hurry.”

Woods added that the regression of their defense is “hard to explain” after having a productive offseason program and training camp. 

“It’s really hard to explain,” Woods said. “We had a really good offseason. We had a really good training camp. Just with our walkthroughs, just did a lot more. To me, it was the best we ever did since I’ve been here, but it didn’t translate into the regular season. To me, when that happens, then you have to look at what you’re asking them to do and pull things back until you get things corrected. Once you get them corrected, then you start adding on things that you feel will help you versus a particular team. It’s a little surprising to me just the issues we’re having.”

Regarding S John Johnson III telling teammates to go the “extra mile” this week, Woods thinks that Johnson is providing leadership to the younger players on their roster.

“That’s just players learning how to be a professional,” Woods said. “We have young guys. It’s just not what you do in the building, it is what you do when you go home. I am sure that is what he was referring to.”

Steelers 

• Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth, QB Kenny Pickett, and CB Levi Wallace have cleared the league’s concussion protocol. (Burt Lauten)