AFC Notes: Sean Payton, Antonio Pierce, Russell Wilson, Broncos, Raiders

Broncos

Regarding Broncos QB Russell Wilson not targetting WR Jerry Jeudy on several occasions despite being open, HC Sean Payton believes Jeudy going through a frustrating period may have impacted his usage but was adamant that they want to get him involved. 

“I think it’s a fair question,” Payton said, via BroncosWire. “Jerry went through a stretch. I don’t want to call it a dry spell, but certainly frustration. Even when we won, he wanted to be a part of it. We want to get his hands on the ball.”

Payton acknowledged that they missed Jeudy on multiple opportunities. 

“That was a play, though, where they dropped coverage, and he very easily was a viable target for a big play. Finally, he was able to make a few in that game. Really, if you look at the tape closely and you watch all of it — I know some of you get to do that. If you watch all of it, holy cow, there are about two or three of those plays.”

Broncos

The Broncos’ playoff hopes were affected by their recent loss to the Texans, which shattered their winning streak and raised questions about the team. However, QB Russell Wilson believes the team will be at their best going forward and remains focused on making the playoffs.

“There’s always a sense of urgency,” Wilson said, via BroncosWire.com. “There’s always a sense of urgency. We’ve had our backs against the wall earlier in the year. I know these guys in this locker room, they’re not going to blink. We’re going to keep believing. The good thing is we can play better, too, so we know that. I think the best thing about it is that we’ve got work tomorrow. We’ve got to be at our best tomorrow, keep our heads up, understand there’s a lot more season left, a lot of ball left. Where we want to go, it’s going to be challenging. I’ve been in seasons where it’s a battle, and to get to where we want to go, we can’t look too far ahead. You’ve got to look at right now, look inward – starting with me – and just continue to find ways to make plays and find ways to keep our head up. It’s going to be worth it in the end. It’s going to be worth it in the end. The journey is going to be worth it. We really believe that. We’re just going to stay focused on each other, stay focused on us, stay focused on learning, and it’s going to be worth it in the end.”

Raiders

Raiders’ interim HC Antonio Pierce had high praise of CB Amik Robertson and feels he’s one of their “best ball hawks.”

“When Amik is on his game and he’s rolling, he’s one of our best ball hawks,” Pierce said, via Tashan Reed of The Athletic. “He’s in and out of the lineup, but he’s always ready and dialed in mentally.”

Pierce also thinks Robertson is one of their more physical defensive backs and is playing with a lot of confidence. 

“First of all, he’s extremely talented when the ball is in the air,” Pierce said. “He’s probably one of the more physical DBs, as well. You always see him punch the ball, coming through making tackles. I don’t want to call it the little man complex, but he walks around like he’s 6-2, 220 sometimes, and he’s fearless. He’s a smart football player. He has confidence, and I’m glad he’s finally having success on the field.”

Raiders DE Maxx Crosby called Robertson a playmaker for their defense and feels he shows up all over the field. 

“Amik’s a certified playmaker,” Crosby said. “He’s always around the ball. Every time he’s in there, he’s making plays. That’s just what he does. … The dude is all over the place. The more playing time he gets, the more plays he makes. Major respect to Amik. The guy works his ass off. I love that guy. He’s just fun to be around and he’s a ballplayer.”