AFC Notes: Derrick Henry, Lamar Jackson, Mike Tomlin, Bengals, Ravens, Steelers

Bengals

• Charlie Clifford reports that Bengals senior defense assistant Mark Duffner and defensive quality control coach Louie Cioffi also will not return to the team next season. 

• Bengals LB Akeem Davis-Gaither was fined $14,956 for Unnecessary Roughness (hip-drop tackle), and LB Germaine Pratt was fined $22,511 for Unnecessary Roughness (use of the helmet) in Week 18.

Ravens

Ravens RB Derrick Henry rushed for 186 yards and two touchdowns in a big Wild Card win over the Steelers, drawing praise from QB Lamar Jackson.

“It looks like a movie clip,” Jackson said of Henry’s running, via NFL.com. “Do you watch the movie Cars? … You know when Lightning McQueen is just flying and flashing past, and it’s like [whooshing sound]. That’s how Derrick looked when he was running past all those guys. It looked like a movie. I’m not going to lie to you, but I’d rather be watching it than be on the other side of the ball; I know that.”

“I believe it’s self-explanatory,” Jackson said when asked about Henry’s impact. “He is just a work horse. That guy is just that guy. I don’t know. I can’t find the words to say, man. I believe everyone sees it. I can just hand the ball off, [and he gets] 10 yards, 20 yards, 30 yards, and I’m just chilling. Now, when they’re attacking him, I go, and it’s like I’m fresh. It’s just making my job a lot easier. We just piggyback off each other.”

Henry remains humble and is already looking forward to the team’s next game against the Bills, keeping his goal of winning a Super Bowl at the forefront of his mind. 

“We’re not going to get too ahead of ourselves and go off the walls about how great we are,” Henry noted. “We’re going to stay level-headed, enjoy this one, watch the film, see where we can get better at and then move onto the next one. It was a great win today; everybody did a great job. Like I said, [we’ll] enjoy this one and get ready for next week.”

Steelers

Steelers HC Mike Tomlin called the loss against Baltimore “disappointing” as the team had no answer for the Ravens rushing combination of QB Lamar Jackson and RB Derrick Henry.

“Not in combination with our ineffectiveness on offense,” Tomlin said, via NFL.com. “I just think when you’re on the grass like that, particularly against a group and a unit like with a guy like ( Lamar Jackson ), it could look the way it looked. We just weren’t good enough, to be quite honest with you.”

Steelers QB Russell Wilson still felt that he had one of his best career years in his first season with Pittsburgh and hopes that he will still be with the team next season.

“It’s been one of the best years for me, personally, to be a Pittsburgh Steeler,” Wilson commented after the loss. “Obviously, I hope I’m here.”

“I know that in the past that we’ve played well in the beginning of the season and then we just s— the bed in the end,” Steelers S DeShon Elliott said after the loss. “Same s— happened this year; close the season out on a five-game losing streak, including the playoffs. We got to figure out what’s the problem. We got to figure how out to get better. We got to figure out how to get past that point. We got to figure out how to finish strong in seasons to go into the playoffs hot, ready to play playoff football.”

• Steelers WR George Pickens was fined $22,511 for Unnecessary Roughness (facemask) in Week 18.