Bengals
The Bengals have received questions about whether their offensive system is sustainable for Joe Burrow to remain healthy following his turf toe injury. Cincinnati OC Dan Pitcher said they want to continue accentuating their skill position players, but will continue evaluating how to restructure things.
“We have special skill players,” Pitcher said, via Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “We want to accentuate those skill players. We try to do both things. How do we accentuate their skillset? How do we try to do it in a way that we’re limiting the amount of times that Joe’s potentially going to get hit . . . There’s no one decision that solves all. Everything costs something. So we constantly think about these things and, again, I hate that we’re in this spot and we will always evaluate and re-evaluate and do it over and over again. But we can only make the decisions in the moment that we feel give us the best chance to win.”
Browns
Browns RB Quinshon Judkins had 61 yards on 10 carries in Week 2’s loss to the Ravens. Cleveland HC Kevin Stefanski said they are still working on Judkins’ conditioning and understanding of their system.
“Quinshon did great,” Stefanski said, via Zac Jackson of The Athletic. “We want to continue to bring him along from a conditioning standpoint, (and with) understanding all the nuances of the scheme. So, that will only grow each week. He missed the opportunity to be tackled in preseason and training camp and those types of things. (There’s) continuously a part of ramping him up and getting tackled, having great ball security, catching the football, all those types of things that he missed. But we’re obviously ramping him up.”
Browns rookie QB Dillon Gabriel replaced Joe Flacco for the final possession against Baltimore. Stefanski said they aren’t thinking about making a change at quarterback.
“I don’t know that panic is a word really for us (to use) as coaches or players,” Stefanski said. “We focus on work. That’s really what we hang our hat on. I trust the group we have. I trust that we can get better from a fundamental standpoint, from a certain schematic standpoint. A lot of (what) happens is when you get some small improvements in a bunch of areas, it makes a big difference.”
Stefanski said they want to play more complementary football in all facets.
“For us, it goes back to playing complementary football,” Stefanski said. “It’s our job on defense to get stops and take the ball away. It’s our job on offense to take that ball and score with it and then play the field position game when necessary. It’s our special teams’ job to control field position and return the ball better than (our opponents) return the ball. So when you play complementary ball, I think the offense does their job of possessing it, keeps the defense on the sideline and the defense gets out there and gets their stops.”
Ravens
Ravens WR DeAndre Hopkins recorded a touchdown reception in Week 2’s win over the Browns with CB Greg Newsome II draped over him. Baltimore HC John Harbaugh was impressed by Hopkins’ ability to make the catch through tight coverage.
“It’s funny, I was watching the tape this morning very early, and I just thought that the young corner was covering DeAndre as well as he could,” Harbaugh said, via Brian Wacker of The Baltimore Sun. “He couldn’t cover him any better, and yet, Lamar (Jackson) puts the ball in a great spot, and DeAndre makes a great catch. Why is he as good as he is? That’s a question for the Lord. He gave him that talent, and he’s just great at making plays.”
Hopkins also had a one-handed touchdown catch against the Bills in Week 1. He said “muscle memory” came through in both grabs for him.
“It’s not a technical process, it’s just muscle memory from doing it for a while, trying to make a play however you can,” Hopkins said.
Lamar Jackson is glad to have a receiver who can still make plays despite being covered.
“A guy who can be covered and still make plays? I feel like we have that, but he’s different,” Jackson said. “He’s a vet, and he has seen it all at the cornerback position. The guy has huge hands to catch the ball — one hand, two fingers — it doesn’t really matter.”
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