AFC Notes: Josh Allen, Nicholas Petit-Frere, C.J. Stroud, Jaguars, Texans, Titans

Jaguars

Jaguars OLB Josh Allen has been a force for the team on defense this season, notching nine of the team’s 16 sacks. It’s a timely season for Allen who is in a contract year and has been critiqued for getting good pressure numbers but not converting them to sacks in the past. 

“Yeah, Josh is the heart and soul on defense. He’s been playing extremely well. It’s good to see. There were a lot of things. He probably felt a little pressure maybe to start the season, to perform. He’s answered, he’s answered that,” Jaguars HC Doug Pederson said earlier this season via SI.com’s John Shipley. “He works hard during the week. It’s no surprise that this is what he’s capable of doing. Just continues to find ways to get around the quarterback, to affect the quarterback. It obviously impacts the defense when he’s creating the plays that he’s doing, either a tackle for loss or a strip sack, fumble, things of that nature. It’s a credit to Josh and how he’s getting himself ready to play.”

• Shipley expects Allen to command a deal in the range of $25 million a season, likely more, in 2024, whether it’s from the Jaguars or another team. 
• Pederson says LG Walker Little, CB Tyson Campbell, and S Andre Cisco are doing well with their injuries and added that WR Zay Jones could be a candidate for injured reserve if his injury doesn’t improve. (Shipley)
• Pederson reiterated to reporters that Little will remain the starter at left guard before saying G Ezra Cleveland is a good player: “Anytime you can add depth, you can add value, you can add a talent like Ezra to the OL … it is something that Trent (Baalke) and I and the guys looked at hard.” (Shipley)

Texans

It’s already been a terrific season for Texans first-round QB C.J. Stroud, but he might have just had his signature game. In a shootout against the Buccaneers, Stroud set a new rookie record with 470 passing yards and five touchdowns, including the winner to third-round WR Tank Dell with just a couple of seconds left on the clock on a drive that started with only 46 seconds remaining. Stroud became just the sixth quarterback ever to have over 450 yards passing, five touchdowns and no interceptions. 

“With him, we’re never out of the game,” Dell said via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. “All we got to do is just believe in him. He believes in us, for sure. But just keep believing in him, believe in the play call and go out there and play ball. There’s no worry with C.J. because he’s going to fight all four quarters, no matter what the score is, no matter what’s going on in the game, how the game’s going. He’s going to be there all four quarters and he’s going to let you know that he’s got us.”

Titans

• According to Paul Kuharsky, Titans RT Nicholas Petit-Frere suffered a shoulder injury against the Steelers that will require surgery and cause him to miss the remainder of the 2023 season.
• Petit-Frere was suspended for the first four games of the season for a gambling violation and lost his starting job to RT Chris Hubbard.