Bengals

Bengals OT Orlando Brown allowed a sack on Joe Burrow in their preseason win over the Lions. Cincinnati HC Zac Taylor said the veteran tackle is taking ownership of the moment and thinks they can find ways to help Brown in that situation. 

“I think he is motivated to give us the best version of himself,” Taylor said, via Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. “He’s been a strong leader on this team. Anytime something doesn’t go perfectly, he wears it and takes ownership for it. I think anytime Joe gets hit, all those guys are trying to figure out what they can do better. We all are. None of us want to be in that position. There are things we can always do to help those guys as well.”

Ravens

Ravens QB Lamar Jackson is set to enter the ninth year of his career. Baltimore TE Mark Andrews said the quarterback continues to find ways to “innovate” his game and is benefiting from their new offensive system under OC Declan Doyle. 

“Lamar continues each and every year to push himself and learn and grow and find new ways to innovate,” Andrews said, via Jamison Hensley of ESPN. “Especially when you learn a new offense, you’re able to kind of add some things to your repertoire and do some different things that other people haven’t seen. He’s the most adaptable, smoothest player in the league.”

Jackson mentioned that Doyle is challenging them in all facets, including how they break the huddle, read defenses, and process things at the line of scrimmage. 

“I feel like he is doing a great job at that [by] challenging us each and every play,” Jackson said. “Even with the huddle, and how the huddle is set up, he challenges us to get to the line of scrimmage fast, execute, break down the defense and process everything fast so that it’s a process of elimination when we get to the line of scrimmage.”

Ravens WR Zay Flowers has been impressed by how quickly Jackson has picked up Doyle’s system.

“Honestly, I do not know how he picks up on systems so fast,” Flowers said. “It is crazy. I have to study a lot with this [system]. He just picks it up quick. I honestly do not know.”

Steelers

Aaron Rodgers is entering the 22nd year of his career and second season with the Steelers. Pittsburgh HC Mike McCarthy said Rodgers is still “incredibly sharp” and has been very impressive during training camp. 

“His mind’s incredibly sharp,” McCarthy said, via Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports. “But I’ll be honest with you, his ball play in this camp has been top-notch. Obviously, I’ve coached a lot of football with him, but his ability to place the football … I’m not saying he lost any velocity on the ball, but if he has, it’s definitely made up for with his anticipation. So he’s getting the ball where it needs to be, on time. He’s having a hell of a camp.”

McCarthy is glad to be involved in the “final chapter” of Rodgers’ career.

“It’s super cool, just to be able to be part of his final chapter. It’s awesome,” McCarthy said. “But I think he definitely fits the culture here. So yes, I think it’s a great story. But I think we just want to win. Let’s go win and do the things that we need to do to win. And he’s such a competitor. I love the time, once we cross the white lines, when we get to just go out there and compete. And he is one of the greatest to ever play the game.”

McCarthy mentioned that Rodgers still can anticipate his throws and get the ball out quickly.

“His mind is off the charts,” McCarthy said. “His anticipation and ability to throw people open, his instincts … and he also matches it with his release, the way he’s able to get the ball out of his hands so quickly and throw through the open window where (defenders) are running through. That’s the way you have to play and win in this league, because people are always covered. It’s the job of the quarterback to throw them open.”