AFC Notes: Bengals, Ravens, Steelers

Bengals

• Bengals’ HC Zac Taylor said it was a “sloppy” game for the team and they didn’t deserve to win. (Kelsey Conway)
• Taylor criticized the offensive line and said there were communication issues as well: “The protection overall was not good enough.” (Ben Baby)
• Bengals’ QB Joe Burrow said he dislocated his pinkie when he was sacked on the first drive of the game. (Baby)
• Burrow insisted he won’t be missing any time due to the injury: “It’s just something I am going to have to deal with. I am not going to miss any games because of it. Unless it somehow gets worse which I can’t imagine it is going to, I am going to play next week.” (Paul Dehner Jr.)

Ravens

• The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec mentioned playing against Pittsburgh was a big reason why OT Alejandro Villanueva signed with the Ravens.
• Former Ravens OLB Matt Judon didn’t want to leave Baltimore and gave the team a chance to counter or match the Patriots’ four-year, $56 million offer. However, the Ravens declined, saying they needed to allocate resources elsewhere. (Jason La Canfora) 
• Baltimore did a lower-cost extension with Tyus Bowser, drafted Odafe Oweh in the first round and signed veteran OLB Justin Houston to a cheap deal late in the summer. 

Steelers

• NFL Media’s Tom Peliserro notes Steelers GM Kevin Colbert could leave the organization after the 2022 NFL Draft.
• CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora notes the Steelers have struggled with what to do with LB Devin Bush this season. He has not played well in any phase of the game coming off of a torn ACL in 2020.
• La Canfora says the Steelers have tried benching Bush and taking away communication responsibilities to try and allow him to play more freely. So far it hasn’t paid off.  
• ESPN’s Brooke Pryor writes that Steelers QB Mason Rudolph is expected to compete for a role with the team in 2022. She adds the future for former first-round pick and current third-string QB Dwayne Haskins is less clear. 
• Currently, the Steelers are projected to have the No. 13 pick by ESPN and Pryor thinks Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett, the local kid, would be a compelling option, although they might need to move up for him. 
• Pryor notes that while the Steelers prefer to draft and develop, making a splash with a veteran quarterback could be attractive because it would help them avoid a rebuild. 
• In free agency, Saints QB Jameis Winston is on an expiring deal and is young enough to be viable long-term. However, Pryor points out the Steelers had a chance to sign Winston in 2020 and passed.