AFC Notes: Garrett Wilson, Jets, Raiders, Steelers

Jets

Jets WR Garrett Wilson shot down rumors of him being at odds with QB Aaron Rodgers, saying there is “no truth” to any speculation of the two having a bad relationship. 

“Yeah, I’ve seen some of that,” Wilson said, via Rich Cimini of ESPN. “Yeah, I mean, there’s no truth to that. At the end of the day, I don’t speak on things like that because social media is not real.”

Wilson said he’s not paying attention to outside noise and is just looking to finish this season “the right way.”

“This is my first time addressing it,” Wilson said. “That stuff is just words for people trying to figure out a way to divide us more than they’ve already tried, like the record isn’t enough. Obviously, we’ve got a lot going on here, especially this season, trying to dig ourselves out of this hole. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to. But my feet are where my feet are at, and I’m going to try and finish this thing the right way.”

Raiders

• ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano write that most sources they talk to expect the Raiders to fire HC Antonio Pierce at the end of the season. 

Steelers

Steelers DT Cameron Heyward reflected on their 44-38 win over the Bengals going into their Week 18 matchup, saying they need to force Cincinnati into difficult situations. 

“He was on a heater when he played us. It’s not like they didn’t score 30 points,” Heyward said, via Teresa Varley of the team’s site. “I have a lot of respect for what they do on offense. They’re able to get up and down the field. He’s feeding those two beasts, (Tee) Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase. We have to force him into situations where they’ve got to take risks so we can get turnovers, get sacks. But it’s a full-time job covering those guys.”

Pittsburgh has lost three consecutive games and is looking to get back on track. Heyward just wants to see them play with “good technique” going into the postseason. 

“For me, and I think for a lot of guys in here, hopefully the whole team, it’s about just playing good ball,” Heyward said. “We’ve got to get back on good footing, play with good technique. We control what we can control. I think going forward, ball just needs to be played the right way. It doesn’t matter what happens outside of our stadium. We understand we’re in the playoffs. So just focus on what we’ve got to focus on.”