AFC Notes: Ja’Marr Chase, George Pickens, Bengals, Browns, Steelers

Bengals

Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase continues his terrific season as he chases a receiving triple crown, only done by Steve Smith Sr. and Rams WR Cooper Kupp this century. Chase cited teammate QB Joe Burrow as one of the first people to help him understand film to take his understanding of the game to another level. 

“I just got around the right people to put me in positions and teach me those positions,” Chase said, via Geoff Hobson of the team’s website. “Joe actually was one of the first people to sit me down and watch film. I learned a lot of from him in college and with Joe Brady being my coach there, those two guys together really helped my intelligence … I started to watch defenders and DBs and how they move. Start from there.”

Burrow spoke on Chase’s growth going from a static outside receiver to someone who can move to any spot pre or post-snap while reading coverages to get himself open.

“From basically being an outside receiver for his entire career, to all the pre-snap movement, putting him in the slot, putting him in different positions running different routes and that requires a nuance that in the slot he had probably never done before,” Burrow said. “And he really has excelled at it. He continued to get better and better reading the coverages, learning the spots to sit down, and just watching his progression as a receiver this year has been impressive.”

Cincinnati HC Zac Taylor echoed Burrow’s statement, citing Chase’s football IQ as one of the driving factors toward his dominance in the NFL.

“Overall football intelligence, that is an impossible thing to predict when you get a player. And that has just shown up countless times,” Taylor said. “Like how much he’s able to handle, how much he’s able to help other people. He’s making corrections, sometimes in the walkthrough from across to the other side to a younger player. And that’s the stuff you don’t take for granted when a guy’s able to operate on a level like that. And I certainly don’t take that for granted.”

Browns

• Browns HC Kevin Stefanski announced CB Mike Ford Jr. is in concussion protocol and Greg Newsome II has a hamstring injury. (Chris Easterling)
• Stefanski also committed to QB Jameis Winston as the starter: “Our focus right now is trying to figure out ways to get a win.” (Zac Jackson)
• Regarding LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Stefanski ruled him out for Week 15 but wouldn’t comment more than that. (Scott Petrak)
• Stefanski said they will work through the week to decide whether DT Michael Hall Jr. will come off injured reserve. (Petrak)

Steelers

Steelers HC Mike Tomlin said that he held WR George Pickens out of Sunday’s game against the Browns in order to get him fully healthy.

“GP was listed as questionable,” Tomlin said, via PFT. “We didn’t feel like he was going to be able to play the number of snaps we thought would be worth putting him a uniform for. We didn’t want a small problem to become a big problem.”