AFC Notes: Browns, Ravens, Steelers

Browns

• Browns OC Alex Van Pelt confirmed OL Hjalte Froholdt will fill in for RG Wyatt Teller (calf) if he’s unable to play in Week 7: “Hjalte Froholdt will step in and play well if Wyatt Teller can’t go at right guard.” (Scott Petrak)
• Browns DC Joe Woods feels like their defense should be “further along” at this point of the season and there are a lot of things they need to clean up: “I thought we’d be further along. More we could do at this point… There’s a lot of things we have to clean up and we need to clean that up in a hurry.” (Chris Easterling)
• Woods doesn’t think that they must replace Grant Delpit at safety. (Chris Easterling)
• Browns QB Deshaun Watson was cited for speeding in Sandusky, Ohio, in June when he was pulled over after going 97 in a 70 MPH zone. He paid the $185 fine and closed out the case in July. (TMZ)

Ravens

Ravens QB Lamar Jackson said that the entire team is “pissed off” about their 3-3 start to the season. 

“We’re pissed off about losing — everyone is,” Jackson said, via ProFootballTalk. “Our fans are pissed off and all of us are pissed off, but at the same time, we can’t dwell on it. We’ve got to move on here and get focused on the Browns. And the young guys, they’re dialed in, as well. Everybody is focusing up. We’re just ready to go out there and put on a show, because we’re so mad — real talk.”

Jackson reflected on committing turnovers on the final two drives of Week 6’s loss to the Giants.

“Oh, man, it’s football,” Jackson said. “Like you said, I’m very competitive, and sometimes things don’t go as planned. Sometimes mistakes happen when you don’t need them to, when you don’t want them to; you’re going to have to live with them. But hopefully, it doesn’t happen again.”

As for their struggles in the red zone, Jackson said that they need to relax and focus on executing. 

“We’re the offense; [when] we get in the red zone, we should score points; not over-emphasize that like, ‘We’re in the red zone; we need to score!’” Jackson said. “We’ve just got to go out there and do us, because we’ve been doing it without thinking about scoring in the red zone or scoring from here — we just went out there and did it — and we need to get back to it.”

Steelers

• The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly says according to sources the halftime argument between Steelers WR Diontae Johnson and QB Mitch Trubisky was not a factor in Trubisky being benched in Week 4. 
• Johnson addressed the argument on Wednesday and said they’ve squashed it: “We’re fine. There’s no bad blood between us. Never was, never will be. We’re both passionate. It’s football. We’re not gonna let that get between us. We both trying to win games, and that’s what we’re gonna continue to do is win and play for one another.” (Brooke Pryor)