AFC Notes: Jerry Jeudy, Bengals, Browns, Steelers

Bengals

Cincinnati won a thriller in Week 17 against the Broncos in overtime to keep their postseason hopes alive. Bengals HC Zac Taylor knew they had to let QB Joe Burrow make the plays with the season on the line and recalled him checking to a speed option in overtime to get them in field goal range. 

“The season’s on the line — we’re putting the ball in his hands,” Taylor said, via SI.com’s Albert Breer. “He checked to a speed option. I think we walked through that play one time. And he checked to the speed option in overtime, versus a double-A look. We talked about it, but he got to it to Khalil Herbert, who’s had how many carries? Maybe 10 on the season. [Note: It’s actually now eight, in seven games since the Bengals traded for him.] He got us 13 yards.”

“[Burrow’s] awareness to get to a play like that just shows his next-level thinking. It’s just unbelievable that a play we don’t rep, it’s for one look only, he got the look in the most critical point in the season and checked to it. … It’s just unbelievable the way his brain works.”

• ESPN’s Dan Graziano would not be surprised if the Bengals fired DC Lou Anarumo once their season is over. Cincinnati’s defense has struggled the past two years and especially in 2024. 

Browns

Although Browns WR Jerry Jeudy is pleased to achieve his first 1,000-yard season, he wanted a better season than Cleveland’s 3-13 campaign. 

“Yeah, I mean first 1,000-yard season,” Jeudy said, via Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal. “Very blessed, but yeah, don’t really matter if you ain’t win no games.”

Jeudy reiterated how this year has been “bittersweet” and how they’ve gone through frustrating moments. 

“Bittersweet, for real,” Jeudy said. “The season ain’t going how … I planned. We will always want to win, always want to be able to go to the playoffs, but unfortunately that’s not been a situation here. But overall, it been a little frustrating not being able to win games how we want to, but I feel like they’re going to be better times ahead for sure.”

Jeudy reflected on three critical plays in Week 17’s loss to the Dolphins where he could’ve done better. 

“I just think, me personally, I just think it’s the truth,” Jeudy said. “I think there was, like, three balls that I needed to catch. It was big-play moments that would’ve helped my team be in a better position. So, me personally, I feel like that was just what it was and what it is.”

Steelers

Steelers QB Russell Wilson is trying to quickly move on from their recent 29-10 loss to the Chiefs, which resulted in their third consecutive loss. 

“You got to have amnesia in this game,” Wilson said, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN. “It is one of those games that they got good players, we got good players, there’s going to be highs, there’s going to be lows throughout the game, throughout the season, through all that and just having amnesia… I think that’s going to be key for winning football as we go here and search for what we’re all searching for.”

Steelers OC Arthur Smith said they aren’t trying to overdo things to correct their three-game skid.

“I use the Blackjack analogy,” Smith said. “You lose a hand. You don’t need to start splitting bad cards or doubling down when you shouldn’t, trying to win it all back the next play. If the opportunity’s there, sure take it, but sometimes I think it’s human nature. … There is a fine line, and you don’t want to take somebody’s initiative away, but you get in these tight games against good defenses, they’re not going to hand you things. There’s an art to that, not forcing things when they’re not there. It’s not being conservative. It’s trying to play smart football.”

Wilson used a baseball analogy, saying there are a lot of mistakes that come with finding success. 

“I got a lot of baseball in me,” said Wilson. “You think about baseball, you go 30-for-100, you’re a Hall of Famer. You got to be able to focus on the next pitch. I think it’s the same thing in any sport, really. I think the best players in the world, they’re able to remain neutral. Steph Curry is probably a 93%, 94% free throw shooter, something like that. If he misses a free throw in the Finals, it doesn’t mean that he’s not any good anymore.”