AFC Notes: Joe Burrow, Nick Chubb, Lamar Jackson, Bengals, Browns, Ravens

Bengals

Bengals QB Joe Burrow talked about his heated exchange with HC Zac Taylor during the team’s win over the Titans in Week 15. In the future, Burrow said he is focused on getting Cincinnati into the playoffs

“It was too sloppy,” Burrow said, via Ben Baby of ESPN. “We had too many penalties. Too many procedural penalties. I had too many turnovers. It was just a frustrating day on offense.”

“It’s always in the back of your mind until you’re out of it,” Burrow noted. “But we know the chances are very slim. What I’m focused on is playing as good as we can play, myself playing up to my standard. That’s why I was so frustrated. I didn’t feel like we did that today.”

“Whatever it is, I’m happy to get the win,” Hubbard said. “Happy to be a spark for the team.”

Browns

Browns HC Kevin Stefanski told reporters that he believed RB Nick Chubb got stepped on, which led to a broken foot and the end of his 2024 season.

“Well, I think with Nick, the fact that — I’ve told you guys this before, but I have gotten to have a first-row seat to what he’s been able to do. I can’t tell you how much I respect him as a person, what he means to this football team,” Stefanski said, via Pro Football Talk. “So, really, really disappointed about this injury. Does not change the fact that he continues to inspire this football team with how he approaches every single day. And I know this is just another obstacle that he will overcome.”

• According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam is standing by Stefanski and GM Andrew Berry and will give them a chance to get the team back into playoff form after a disappointing season. 
• Browns OL Germain Ifedi was fined $6,722 for unnecessary roughness (striking/kicking/kneeing) in Week 14.

Ravens

Ravens QB Lamar Jackson is in the MVP conversation once again, especially after a five-touchdown performance against the Giants on Sunday. His performance drew praise from LB Roquan Smith and HC John Harbaugh.

“I actually was chatting with him recently and I just told him, ‘Yes, bro. You know you’ve had MVP years, and different things like that,’ but I told him, ‘Hey, you’re playing a different style of ball right now,'” Smith said, via Jamison Hensley of ESPN. “He wants to beat you from the pocket, and then, if that’s not available, then he can take it down; running is second. So, it’s kind of crazy. What the guy is doing is truly special, and you just have to actually be next to the guy and actually just watch him from a view to truly appreciate some of the things that he’s doing.”

“He’s been locked in all season. He was locked in all week,” Harbaugh said of Jackson. “He’s on the guys [in] meetings, walk-throughs, everything, just keeping it about football and getting the football right.”

Jackson admitted that he felt fueled to have ae good day against the Giants and put in the work to study their defense on film ahead of the game.

“Just watching the film on those guys, [they play] a lot of man [and] a lot of zone [coverage] here and there,” Jackson said. “Our guys just did a great job of getting open and just running their routes and catching the ball. The offensive line did a great job protecting, so it was just an all-around team effort.”