AFC Notes: Joe Burrow, Bengals, Ravens, J.K. Dobbins, Steelers

Bengals

Last week, Bengals QB Joe Burrow said he wants to continue playing under HC Zac Taylor for as long as possible. Ja’Marr Chase reiterated the same sentiment and thinks he and Burrow are like “bread and butter” together. 

“I need to be here, too,” said Chase, via Geoff Hobson of the team’s official site. “Yeah, man. Keep this going. Try to get as many AFC championships as we can get. Make it to the Super Bowl as many times as possible. Me and him, we’re like bread and butter. As long as he’s got me and I’ve got him I should be here for a good time.”

Chase considers himself the best receiver in the NFL after recording 87 receptions for 1,046 yards and nine touchdowns despite missing five games. 

“Hell, yeah,” said Chase. “I just put up how many stats with four missed games? Who knows what would have happened. I’ve been thinking it. I’m not a cocky person. I’m humble. I know what I can do. I don’t need to prove it. Everybody knows what I can do. Never a doubt in my mind.”

Chase thinks Taylor’s game plan for their Wild Card win over the Ravens was one of the best plans he’s produced thus far. 

“Zac did a good of that last game, moving me around and keeping me near the RPOs. That was pretty good,” Chase said. “I like the game plans he’s had, especially the last game. I think that’s one of the best game plans he’s had.”

Ravens

Ravens HC John Harbaugh addressed the team’s offense following their verbal commitment to QB Lamar Jackson. Harbaugh also addressed comments made by RB J.K. Dobbins following the wild-card loss to the Bengals.

“We’ve established an identity for our offense; I think everybody knows that who plays against us and watches us play,” Harbaugh said, via the Baltimore Sun. “That’s important; that’s a good identity. That’s an identity that we’re going to carry forward.”

“We talked Monday morning,” Harbaugh said of Dobbins. “He happened to be at breakfast; I happened to walk in and saw him, and so I sat down with him. We had a good talk. He made it very clear to me what he meant in terms of that versus kind of the way it came out, and where he was coming from in the heat of battle and all that. So, I was really good with that conversation and what he told me.”

• Tom Pelissero says that Ravens CB Marcus Peters was fined $10,609 for taunting in the team’s loss to the Bengals.

• Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said they will examine ways to address the receiver positon through free agency, trades, and the 2023 NFL Draft. (Jeff Zrebiec)
• Regarding RB J.K. Dobbins‘ comments following their Wild Card loss to the Bengals, HC John Harbaugh said the two had breakfast and Dobbins explained his frustration of not being the lead back. Harbaugh added that they are “on the same page.” (Jeff Zrebiec)
• DeCosta isn’t prepared to say whether they will exercise LB Patrick Queen‘s fifth-year option. (Jamison Hensley)

Steelers

• The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly points out that Steelers GM Omar Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl weren’t running the show when Pittsburgh signed C Mason Cole, RT Chukwuma Okorafor and G James Daniels to free agent deals. Those two have already shown a willingness to break from Steelers standard operating procedure and Kaboly notes there are contractual outs for all three players if Khan and Weidl think they need to upgrade the unit. 
• Steelers OLB Alex Highsmith is a top candidate for an extension after a breakout 2022 season, per Kaboly, and that should get done at some point this offseason. 
• Kaboly thinks the Steelers have pretty good odds of retaining CB Cameron Sutton, S Terrell Edmunds and TE Zach Gentry. He thinks there’s a good chance DT Larry Ogunjobi leaves for more money elsewhere, though. 
• Jordan Schultz points out that the Steelers were never interested in parting ways with OC Matt Canada and the two main reasons they retained him were because of HC Mike Tomlin‘s confidence in him and his strong relationship with first-round QB Kenny Pickett which goes back to when Canada recruited him to the University of Pittsburgh.