AFC Notes: Zay Flowers, Mike Tomlin, T.J. Watt, Bengals, Ravens, Steelers

Bengals

Bengals OT Jonah Williams believes that the team needs to get their run game going in order to find success, commenting that they struggled in that regard when asked about the subject after their recent loss to the Steelers.

“We’ve got to get more on the ground,” Williams said, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. “That is another deal where it felt like we were running uphill a lot. Better scheme, better execution, just better across the board. You can’t rush for 25 yards and play against the Steelers — or really many people.”

Ravens

Ravens veterans weighed in on rookie WR Zay Flowers‘ decision to score a touchdown and do his flower celebration rather than going down short of the endzone in order to run out the game clock.

Flowers said that while the team worked on this game situation, no one told him to go down so he continued into the endzone. He currently has the most catches all-time for a Ravens rookie and is just 228 yards short of the all-time receiving mark for a first-year player.

“His ass needs to get down,” OLB Kyle Van Noy said, via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.

“He doesn’t know any better,” NT Michael Pierce added. “We go over those things in team meetings. Maybe we need to listen a little bit more, but situational football is important. I think that’s a good learning lesson.”

“He’s electrifying,” OT Morgan Moses said of Flowers. “Every time he has the ball, he makes somebody miss. And it’s our job as offensive linemen to keep blocking for him. And he’s a guy that you can give the ball to him in a whole bunch of different ways.”

Steelers

When asked about this year’s competition for Defensive Player of the Year, Steelers HC Mike Tomlin responded OLB T.J. Watt has proven to be the best player in the league. 

“Let’s be honest: T.J. Watt is the best defensive player on the planet right now,” Tomlin said, via SteelersWire. “He proves that week in and week out.”

• Tomlin on WR Diontae Johnson‘s reaction to RB Jaylen Warren‘s fumble against the Bengals: “Diontae can’t let the emotions of the previous down to affect the next down.” (Brooke Pryor)