AFC Notes: Joe Burrow, Deshaun Watson, Bengals, Browns, Ravens

Bengals

Despite his five touchdown passes and 392 yards, Bengals QB Joe Burrow could not get the job done in overtime against the Ravens. He feels the team needs to have some tough conversations about their current situation to make improvements.

“We’re not a championship-level team right now. We’re not,” Burrow said, via the team website. “I like to think that we’ll come back and improve throughout the season to get to that point, but right now we’re not, and we have to get better.”

“I know exactly how we are 1-4,” Burrow continued. “We’re not making plays at the end of the game to go and win it. [I’m] definitely not in disbelief. I know exactly what’s happening. I think our coaches are handling it the right way. And whenever you’re 1-4 — whenever you’re in a tough situation — there are going to be tough conversations that are going to be had, that guys aren’t going to like. Those conversations have been had. So I’m happy with how we’re going about it. We obviously have to win more. That’s no secret, but I think people are [handling it] the right way.”

Browns

Cleveland suffered another tough loss where their offense failed to get anything going. Browns HC Kevin Stefanski is not entertaining a change from QB Deshaun Watson despite being off to their worst start since Stefanski took over.

“We’re not changing quarterbacks,” Stefanski said, via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. “We need to play better. I need to coach better and that’s really what it is.”

Ravens

Ravens DT Travis Jones is confident he’ll begin tallying up sacks after recording none through their first five games.

“The sacks are going to come,” Jones said, via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. “I feel like I’ve been getting back there. I’ve just been missing them. They’re going to come.”

Ravens HC John Harbaugh believes Jones is becoming a “dominant defensive tackle” in the NFL. 

“It might be the fact that he’s a little more mature in terms of his physical body and technique-wise, but it might be just the fact that he’s getting more reps, and he’s having a chance to showcase his skills even that much more,” Harbaugh said. “He’s becoming a dominant defensive tackle, no doubt.”