AFC Notes: Bengals, Ravens, Steelers

Bengals

• Bengals OC Brian Callahan made NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero‘s annual list of first-time head coaching candidates under the age of 45. 

Ravens

• Ravens ST coordinator Chris Horton made NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero‘s annual list of first-time head coaching candidates under the age of 45. 
• Ravens HC John Harbaugh said “it’s possible” second-round OLB David Ojabo (Achilles) will make his NFL debut in Week 11: “He’s looking better and better out there, but again – and I put him in the same category with Charlie [Kolar] – they had nothing really stacked up until like two weeks ago.” (Jamison Hensley)
• Harbaugh adds fourth-round TE Charlie Kolar could also play in Sunday’s game after recovering from sports hernia surgery: “So, they both look really good. I think they could both play, and if we have an opportunity to put them out there, we will.” (Hensley)

Steelers

Regarding the Steelers ranking No. 28 in red-zone efficiency, first-round QB Kenny Pickett admits the game speeds up near the endzone and he’s seen some improvement in that area. 

“There’s less grass, right, so there are tighter windows (to throw),” Pickett said, via Joe Rutter of TribuneLive. “The timing, everything is faster. I’ve got to meet the guys at certain spots with the ball so they can get there on time. The game definitely changes when you get down there. The call changes, the system really changes. It’s something we can get better at. We definitely had improvement, but we’re not where we want to be.”

Steelers WR Diontae Johnson added that they must be consistent in the red zone. 

“At times we’ve shown we can score in the red zone, but it’s got to be consistent,”  Johnson said. “When we get down there, we have to punch it in regardless. You do all that stuff to get down there, and you don’t get in and it bothers you.”

Pickett thinks his decision-making will continue to improve and that he’s “nowhere where I need or want to be.” 

“It’s going to continue to get better,” Pickett said. “I’m nowhere where I need or want to be. It’s a day at a time. There are things we liked that I’ve done that I can continue to improve on. There are things I can get a lot better at. It’s knowing what those things are and finding that out and going and attacking it.”