AFC Notes: Bengals, Ravens, Steelers

Bengals

Bengals QB Joe Burrow said he already has a “good rapport” with first-round WR Ja’Marr Chase after being college teammates and expects the receiver to bring “explosiveness to our offense” given his catching, size, and ability to break tackles. 

“Obviously me and Ja’Marr have a good rapport, [are] good friends, teammates,” Burrow said, via the team’s official Youtube. “I think he’s going to bring an explosiveness to our offense. He’s tough to tackle. You get the ball in his hands, and he’s a big, strong receiver that corners are going to have a tough time tackling him. And then he can take the top off a defense. So we have some great receivers, great weapons that are at our disposal and we’ve got to utilize them properly.”

• Per the Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr., Burrow made it a point to be a participant in OTAs even though his rehab from last season’s significant knee injury isn’t finished: “We have a lot of new faces on this team that need to see me there and see me working. It was really important for me to be there.”
• It appeared to really make an impact, as Bengals S Jessie Bates explained: “I think I got a little excited from him just doing high knees. We’ve seen him being able to move. I think we all see the reports of the idea he’s gonna play Week 1. But it’s kind of exciting to see it with your own eyes and kind of have an inside scoop on it, rather than everybody else guessing.”
• Cincinnati was of course careful not to take any risks with their franchise quarterback. Bengals HC Zac Taylor had RB Joe Mixon run routes as a receiver not as any kind of schematic tweak but just to keep him out of the backfield with Burrow: “I think you guys can all share my feelings on that. Anytime you see a ball roll back there or anybody standing within 10 feet, I was usually yelling at them to get away. It’s probably overly cautious, but that’s just the way we’re going to start this thing. He’s only taking snaps from an empty backfield right now.”
• Burrow added he feels like the rehab work he has done has added more power to his throws and that appeared to be the case on the field: “I feel like I have a lot more velocity.”

Ravens

• According to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, 80 Ravens showed up to OTAs on Tuesday, and four more are expected to join in Phase 2.
• Ravens WR Marquise Brown is confident that the receivers will be more productive this season: “I let the outside be the outside. We’re the Ravens. If it’s the scheme, if it’s the players, that’s on us. We’re going to get it right. That’s why we’re out here right now, to get it right. Whatever it is, we’re going to address it and get it right.” (Ravens’ official Youtube)

Steelers

• Steelers DL Cameron Heyward said with the extra game, the team has to properly load manage: “We’re playing a 17th game, let’s not beat our bodies up … let’s have a ramp-up period where guys are learning.” (Brooke Pryor)
• Heyward reiterated his support for Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger: “He went 11-0 to start the season. How many other QBs can say that?… I know Ben puts in work. I know how much he cares about this team.” (Aditi Kinkhabwala)