AFC Notes: Browns, Ravens, Roquan Smith, Steelers

Browns

• Browns DB coach/pass game coordinator Jeff Howard said they are still determining when CB Denzel Ward (concussion) can return and is considered day-to-day: “We’re working through that with Denzel. Just day-to-day with practice. Good to see him back working with the group.” (Chris Easterling)
• Cleveland ruled out LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (knee) and TE David Njoku (ankle) from Sunday’s game. (Adam Schefter)

Ravens

Ravens HC John Harbaugh had high praise of recently acquired LB Roquan Smith‘s performance in Week 9 and thinks he’s a player who improves others around him. 

“I think good players and great players make everybody around them better; would you agree with that? We have a number of guys on our defense who do that, and you add another guy like that into the mix. He’s a really good player, everybody knows it. What a great job he did to come in and learn the defense so quickly. He had no issues out there at all, as far as knowing what to do. Then all the sudden, he’s flying around, and he makes a couple plays and other guys kind of feed off of that just a little bit and your defense is that much better. When you have one guy playing well, it has an exponential effect kind of to everyone else. So, that’s kind of how it goes. I was looking forward to seeing how we looked out there with Roquan [Smith] out there, and I’m pretty fired up the way it looked,” said Harbaugh, via RavensWire. 

Steelers

Steelers DT Montravius Adams said that they are eager to have OLB T.J. Watt (pectoral, knee) back in the lineup given his presence alone changes the team. 

“I think it just brings us together, closer,” Adams said, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN. “T.J. brings something to the game that can’t be measured, you know what I mean? And that’s just his presence, even without his play. So with his play being back, sky’s the limit.”

Steelers CB Arthur Maulet added that Watt gives their defense extra motivation to improve. 

“T.J. doesn’t talk,” cornerback Arthur Maulet said. “He does everything by example. He plays balls to the wall, man. He makes plays all over the field. That’s enough motivation. Can’t let a guy down like that, a guy that’s giving us his all, doing everything the right way, studying film there before you’re there, doing everything the right way. So it’s just like, we gotta play for this guy.”

In the end, Watt said he is “optimistic” about playing in Week 10. 

• Steelers OLB T.J. Watt said he expects to be activated from injured reserve in time for Sunday’s game: “This has been a long-time coming. I feel very, very good about the week that I had. I’m exited to play. I’m exited to be back in Acrisure Stadium.” (Mike DeFabo)