AFC Notes: Broncos, Steelers, Texans, Titans

Broncos

• Mike Klis reports that the Broncos appear to have gotten lucky with DE Jared Crick‘s back injury, as it doesn’t seem as serious as the team initially feared. Klis adds that Crick is still expected to miss week or two.

Steelers

According to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Steelers plan to start rookie T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree at outside linebacker with veteran James Harrison serving as a “relief pitcher.”

“We have two guys who are first-rounders, we drafted them for this,” outside linebackers coach Joey Porter said. “Now you have to turn them loose and let them play. . . .

“Now it’ll be 48 [Dupree] and 90 [Watt], and they’ll just play until they’re tired. And when they get tired, somebody will come and relieve them. But it won’t be, ‘This is your series and this is the next one’s series.’ We don’t have to do that. . . . It’s like when [LaMarr] Woodley and Harrison were in their heyday, there was no reason to pull them off. When me and [Jason] Gildon were out here, there was no reason to pull us off.”

Texans

Texans QB Tom Savage explained that he views the team as being his and isn’t going to allow anyone to take it from him.

“My mindset is that this is my team. And I’m not going to let anyone take it,” Savage said, via Sarah Barshop of ESPN. “Now, I can’t control what happens. I can only control what I can do. And I said it before. It’s a pretty simple equation I think a lot of people overthink, especially in this league. If you go there and you win and you play well, they can’t pull you. And if you go out there and you lose and the offense doesn’t look good, they can pull you. So the goal is to go out there and play well and win games. And that’s all you can really control.”

Titans

• The Tennessee Titans announced that they’ve signed long snapper Ryan DiSalvo to a contract.
• This move comes after Titans LS Beau Brinkley suffered a groin injury during Saturday’s preseason opener against the Jets.