AFC Notes: Browns, Ravens, Steelers

Browns

• Browns OC Alex Van Pelt thinks LT Jedrick Wills Jr. (ankle) will be fine for Week 4 and OL Chris Hubbard (triceps) will return and provide depth. (Nate Ulrich)
• Regarding the Browns listing WR Odell Beckham Jr. (shoulder) as limited on Wednesday, Beckham responded that he took “all the reps” in practice: “I wasn’t limited — not that I know of. I remember taking all the reps…” (Jake Trotter)

Ravens

• According to the Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec, Ravens QB Lamar Jackson was held out of practice on Wednesday due to general soreness.
• Ravens OC Greg Roman said Jackson is dealing with a back flare up and the team is taking a “wait-and-see” approach regarding his involvement in practice. (Zrebiec)
• Roman believes they are starting to “get a feel” for their group of running backs: “We’re just starting to get a feel for our backs.” (Jamison Hensley)
• Ravens DC Wink Martindale said CB Jimmy Smith will have an increased role going forward. (Zrebiec)
• Zrebiec notes that Smith’s role increasing may be due to CB DeShon Elliott dealing with a quad injury.

Steelers HC Mike Tomlin said first-round RB Najee Harris‘ big role as a receiver is not likely to continue. Harris got a staggering 19 targets in Sunday’s loss to the Bengals and went over 100 yards receiving. 

“It might not have anything to do with what’s going on downfield,” Tomlin said, via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. “It might have to do with the game circumstances or maybe what goes on up front. Nothing happens in a vacuum on a football field when you’re talking about 11 moving parts in each unit in planning and schematics.

“That was a function of the day. It won’t necessarily represent the functions of us moving forward, but it did transpire in that game, and he was a good resource to us, and it was productive. You don’t like to utilize it as much as we did.”

Harris added he wasn’t expecting to catch 14 passes on Sunday.

“The game plan was to win ultimately,” Harris said. “How we did it, I wouldn’t say was just to give me the ball. It just so happened that I caught a lot of checkdowns. That’s really what it was. There wasn’t a design pass for me, just checkdowns.”

• Regarding Steelers DE Stephon Tuitt‘s return from a knee injury, DC Keith Butler couldn’t provide a specific timeframe and is hopeful that he’ll be back: “Man, I hope so. I really do. I hope he’s close. I hope he gets back to us. What’s the time frame? I don’t know. He’s got some stuff there he’s got to overcome. I’m going to back him as much as I can.” (Brooke Pryor)
• Regarding Ben Roethlisberger admitting that he should’ve taken a shot at the end zone instead of a swing pass on 4th-and-10 in Week 3’s loss, OC Matt Canada said their call was to score a touchdown but the play fell apart: “We called a play, we had guys in the end zone. It just didn’t work. Bad play. Plays that don’t work are bad plays.” (Brooke Pryor)