AFC Notes: Jake Browning, Grant Delpit, George Pickens, Bengals, Browns, Steelers

Bengals

Cincinnati’s season looked like it was toast when QB Joe Burrow was lost for the season with a wrist injury and the Bengals lost backup QB Jake Browning‘s first start against the Steelers. Since then, the Bengals have rattled off two wins against fellow AFC wildcard contenders, Browning has thrown for 629 yards and scored five touchdowns and the Bengals are back in the playoff picture. 

“We’ve had a lot of adversity as a team,” Bengals RT Jonah Williams said via Geoff Hobson of the team’s website. “We’ve faced both sides of it. Both sides of momentum swings. It’s nothing to us. We know how to handle it. It’s one of the qualities of this team. Yeah, we’re not undefeated right now, but we know how to handle some uphill battles and how to overcome them and that’s what we were able to do today.”

Browns

Browns GM Andrew Berry issued a statement following DB Grant Delpit‘s extension and said they’re happy he will be a member of the team for the foreseeable future.

“When we began the season, our defensive staff set the goal of leading the NFL in three categories: Physical Toughness, Effort and — most importantly — Badassery,” Berry said, via PFT. “Grant’s competitive, high-energy, on-field personality is the perfect embodiment of these characteristics. To see Grant blossom into a disruptive, heat-seeking missile in the run game while maintaining the ability to match-up in man coverage has been particularly rewarding for our organization because of the adversity that defined his early career. We’ve seen his work ethic and mental toughness in full force as he battled back from an Achilles tear as a rookie, and he’s done nothing but make up for lost time since. We are happy that Grant will be a member of our team for the foreseeable future.”

• Browns HC Kevin Stefanski revealed that the X-rays on RB Jerome Ford‘s wrist and hand were negative. (Scott Petrak)
• Stefanski on the contract extension signed by Delpit: “Grant is a huge part of what we do. Physical, how he plays game fits who we are. Happy for him, happy for us. He’s young, he’s only going to get better.” (Petrak)
• Stefanski also told reporters not to worry about QB Joe Flacco still remaining on the practice squad despite being named the starter going forward. (Petrak)

Steelers

Steelers HC Mike Tomlin admitted that WR George Pickens‘ sideline behavior is a problem for the team.

“It’s a problem because it’s not solution-oriented,” Tomlin said, via Steelers Wire. “We’re all frustrated, but we got to manage our frustrations in a professional mature way. And when it’s not done that way, it’s not necessarily pushing us toward solutions, and so from that perspective, certainly.”

• Per Brooke Pryor, Steelers QB Kenny Pickett will be out again this week and both linebackers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith remain in concussion protocol.
• Tomlin says QB Mason Rudolph will “get an opportunity to get work” in practice this week. (Pryor)