AFC North

N/A

Tag Type
Division
Slug
afc-north
Abbreviation
AFC
Visible in Content Tool
Off
Visible in Programming Tool
Off
Root
NFL
Featured
Off
Auto create Channel for this Tag
Off
Parents
NFL
Children
Cincinnati Bengals
Pittsburgh Steelers
Cleveland Browns
Baltimore Ravens
Primary Parent
NFL

Mitchell Trubisky Panned on Twitter for Uninspiring Play in Steelers' Loss to Browns

Sep 23, 2022
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 22: Mitch Trubisky #10 of the Pittsburgh Steelers scrambles from Anthony Walker Jr. #5 of the Cleveland Browns during the first quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium on September 22, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 22: Mitch Trubisky #10 of the Pittsburgh Steelers scrambles from Anthony Walker Jr. #5 of the Cleveland Browns during the first quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium on September 22, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky has not been lighting it up through the air this season, and that trend continued in a 29-17 loss to the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on Thursday Night Football.

Trubisky finished 20-of-32 for 207 yards with no touchdowns through the air, though he added a rushing score. He did nothing to change the narrative that he's a detriment to the Steelers offense.

Through three games, Trubisky now has thrown for 569 yards, two touchdowns and an interception while completing 60.2 percent of his passes. He's averaging 189.7 yards per game and Pittsburgh's offense looks like one of the worst in the league.

The 28-year-old was expected to be a placeholder at quarterback until first-round pick Kenny Pickett was deemed ready for some NFL action. With Trubisky playing the way he is, it might be a good idea to accelerate Pickett's development by making a switch under center.

NFL Twitter lit up Trubisky for yet another lifeless performance, with some wondering if his days as the starter are numbered:

https://twitter.com/JBlock49/status/1573141902597427200

The Steelers have a streak of 15 straight winning seasons under head coach Mike Tomlin. It's still early, but Trubisky is simply not playing winning football. It likely wouldn't hurt to inject some new energy on offense by handing the reins over to Pickett.

Pittsburgh has a few extra days to make a decision on its quarterback situation, and it's worth taking time to evaluate it if the team wants to be successful going forward.

It will be interesting to see who is under center when the Steelers return to action on Oct. 2 against the New York Jets.

Amari Cooper Breaks out in Browns' Win over Steelers as Fans Mock Cowboys for Trade

Sep 23, 2022
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper (2) plays against the New York Jets during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Richard)
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper (2) plays against the New York Jets during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Richard)

Dallas Cowboys fans might be wishing they had Amari Cooper back right about now.

The veteran wide receiver put together a tremendous performance in his third game with the Cleveland Browns on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, catching seven passes for 101 yards and a touchdown in a 29-17 win.

Once Cooper hit the 100-yard mark, fans began to mock the Cowboys' decision to trade the four-time Pro Bowler, who now has 19 catches for 219 yards and two touchdowns on the season, in exchange for a 2022 fifth-round pick.

https://twitter.com/Hoodiano7/status/1573142527364177921
https://twitter.com/coldWauta/status/1573139582392074242

The Cowboys are 1-1 on the season following a 20-17 Week 2 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Fifth-year wide receiver Noah Brown currently leads the Cowboys in receiving yards with 10 catches for 159 yards and one touchdown in two games. Star receiver CeeDee Lamb is second with nine catches for 104 yards.

Brown and Lamb are the only two Cowboys receivers to reach the 100-yard mark this season.

Cooper will look to keep the momentum going next week against the Atlanta Falcons.

Odell Beckham Jr. Shouts out Steelers' George Pickens for 'Filthy' 1-Handed Catch

Sep 23, 2022
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 22: George Pickens #14 of the Pittsburgh Steelers makes a one handed catch ahead of Martin Emerson Jr. #23 of the Cleveland Browns during the second quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium on September 22, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 22: George Pickens #14 of the Pittsburgh Steelers makes a one handed catch ahead of Martin Emerson Jr. #23 of the Cleveland Browns during the second quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium on September 22, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

Odell Beckham Jr. knows a few things about pulling down a ridiculous catch, and even he was amazed by George Pickens' ridiculous one-handed grab during the Thursday Night Football matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns.

Suffice to say, Pickens' nab was compared to Beckham's otherworldly one-handed catch from back in 2015, and at the very least was reminiscent of that famous highlight.

There was a ton of buzz surrounding Pickens, the Steelers' second-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, throughout the summer. He had a slow start to the season, with just two receptions for 26 yards on five targets in the first two games, but he showed what all the hype was about on Thursday night.

George Pickens Draws Odell Beckham Jr. Comps on Twitter After Epic Catch vs. Browns

Sep 23, 2022
PITTSBURGH, PA - AUGUST 28: George Pickens #14 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on during the game against the Detroit Lions at Acrisure Stadium on August 28, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - AUGUST 28: George Pickens #14 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on during the game against the Detroit Lions at Acrisure Stadium on August 28, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens may have just made the catch of the year.

The rookie wideout out of Georgia made an unbelievable one-handed catch during Thursday's game against the Cleveland Browns. It was so remarkable that he's now drawing comparisons to Odell Beckham Jr.

On Nov. 23, 2014, Beckham burst onto the NFL scene as a rookie out of LSU, and he made his mark when he made a ridiculous leaping one-handed catch in the end zone for a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys.

The Beckham and Pickens catches are very similar, and now fans will be debating about which is better for at least the next few days.

Through Pittsburgh's first two games of the season, Pickens had caught just two passes for 26 yards on five targets. After the team's loss to the New England Patriots, he told reporters that he was open "90 percent of the time."

Given his spectacular catch on Thursday night, Steelers quarterback Mitchell Trubisky is going to need to get the ball in his hands more often.

Steelers Rumors: Benching Mitchell Trubisky for Kenny Pickett Hasn't Been Discussed

Sep 22, 2022
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 18: Mitch Trubisky #10 of the Pittsburgh Steelers warms up before a game against the New England Patriots at Acrisure Stadium on September 18, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 18: Mitch Trubisky #10 of the Pittsburgh Steelers warms up before a game against the New England Patriots at Acrisure Stadium on September 18, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)

Mitchell Trubisky hasn't had the best start to his tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the franchise isn't considering turning to rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett just yet.

"My understanding is there's been no conversations as of now about replacing Mitchell Trubisky and, in fact, going into the season the hope was that Trubisky would be the starting quarterback the entire season," NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said Thursday.

Trubisky and the Steelers are 1-1 on the season entering Thursday's game against the Cleveland Browns, and the veteran quarterback has been underwhelming. He has completed 59.2 percent of his passes for 362 yards and two touchdowns against one interception.

A big gripe from the Pittsburgh fan base has been about Trubisky's reluctance to take shots downfield. Through the first two games of the season, he's averaging 5.1 yards per attempt which is the second-worst mark in the NFL.

While meeting with reporters earlier this week, Trubisky acknowledged that the team needs to do a better job of getting more downfield passing into the offensive scheme:

"Call concepts to get receivers there. When the coverage dictates that, get them the ball within that. ... We like our outside matchups. We've got really good receivers. We've got really good talent across the board. We'd like to attack all areas of the field and get the ball to our playmakers. So, we could do a little bit better at everything, for sure."

In addition to downfield issues, rookie wide receiver George Pickens has frequently found himself wide open, but Trubisky has targeted him just five times through the first two weeks. He caught two of those passes for 26 yards.

Even if Trubisky continues to struggle against the Browns, it's hard to imagine the Steelers appointing Pickett their starting quarterback after head coach Mike Tomlin acknowledged that he was going to be patient with the 2017 second overall pick:

"I'm going to exercise appropriate patience and continue to teach and ask the guys to continue to learn in an effort to continue to push this train down the track and get better. I think that if anyone is sitting here on Monday in Week 2 of this thing feeling happy, they're probably wrong or misinformed."

Pickett is undoubtedly Pittsburgh's future at quarterback, and he's going to get his time to prove himself, whether that be this season or in 2023. For now, fans should get used to Trubisky under center.

Lamar Jackson 'Will Be Playing' vs. Patriots Despite Wearing Arm Sleeve at Practice

Sep 21, 2022
CLEVELAND, OHIO - DECEMBER 12: Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens throws the ball during warm-up before the game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 12, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO - DECEMBER 12: Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens throws the ball during warm-up before the game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 12, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was seen with a protective sleeve over his throwing arm during Wednesday's practice.

However, Jackson will still be good to go Sunday when the Ravens visit the New England Patriots, per head coach John Harbaugh.

Jackson has completed 64.4 percent of his passes for six touchdowns and one interception in two games. The dynamic dual threat has added 136 rushing yards and one score.

Baltimore selected the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner with the No. 32 pick in the 2018 draft.

The Ravens were rewarded for their faith in Jackson, who's been to two Pro Bowls and was the 2019 NFL MVP. He rushed for 1,206 yards in 2019, setting a single-season record for NFL quarterbacks.

Jackson accounted for 43 touchdowns (36 rushing, seven passing) that year, which ended with the Ravens going an NFL-best 14-2 but falling to the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Divisional Round. The signal-caller delivered playoff appearances in each of his first three seasons.

The 2021 season was not as kind to Jackson or the Ravens.

The 25-year-old's statistics took a hit as he completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 16 touchdowns (13 interceptions) and 2,882 passing yards in 12 games. He also rushed for 767 yards and two more scores.

A right ankle injury suffered in a 24-22 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Dec. 12 ended his season. The Ravens missed the playoffs after going 8-9, losing a pair of one-point games during the year.

It appears Jackson won't miss any time, but 24-year-old Tyler Huntley would once again call signals if needed.

The ex-Utah standout and Ravens backup completed 64.9 percent of his passes for 1,081 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions last year in seven games (four starts). He also rushed for 294 yards and a pair of scores.

Bengals' Joe Burrow Deletes Instagram, Twitter from Phone amid 0-2 Start

Sep 21, 2022
CINCINNATI, OH - SEPTEMBER 11: Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals on September 11, 2022, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, OH. (Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - SEPTEMBER 11: Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals on September 11, 2022, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, OH. (Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Whatever the skeptics are saying on social media about the Cincinnati Bengals and Joe Burrow, the star quarterback isn't hearing it.

Burrow told reporters Wednesday he deleted the Twitter and Instagram apps on his phone.

"I haven't had it for a while," he said.

This isn't the first time the third-year signal-caller has gone dark. He said in July 2021 he wanted to avoid "too many distractions during camp" and temporarily deleted his social media apps.

The Bengals lost their first two games of the 2022 NFL season, and Burrow is failing to match his level on the field from last year. He has thrown for 537 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions, and he has already been sacked an NFL-high 13 times.

Tuning out the general discourse isn't guaranteed to help get Burrow and Cincinnati back on track, but it sure won't hurt.

Bill Belichick: Lamar Jackson 'Without a Doubt' Has Proven Himself as Pocket Passer

Sep 21, 2022
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 18: Quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens throws a second half pass against the Miami Dolphins at M&T Bank Stadium on September 18, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 18: Quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens throws a second half pass against the Miami Dolphins at M&T Bank Stadium on September 18, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

One of the debates about Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson early in his career was whether he could be an effective passer in the pocket. New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick believes he's more than proven himself in that regard ahead of the matchup between the two teams this weekend.

"Without a doubt. He's the type of player that's an MVP type of candidate," he told reporters. "I think he's more than answered it. Wait and see what his contract is. That'll answer it."

Jackson, 25, long ago answered any questions about his arm. Belichick referenced his MVP season in 2019, when he threw for 3127 yards, 36 touchdowns and nine interceptions, completing 66.1 percent of his passes.

While Jackson hasn't hit on those numbers in each of the past two seasons, he's off to a strong start in 2022, throwing for 531 yards, six touchdowns and an interception in two games. That puts him on pace for 4,513 yards and 51 touchdowns in a full 17-game season.

He isn't going to hit either mark, more than likely. But with Jackson entering free agency after this season, it wouldn't be shocking to see him put up elite production and sign a massive contract with the Ravens.

Jackson's ability to make plays with his arm has often been overshadowed by his incredible running ability throughout his career. He's rushed for over 1,000 yards in two separate seasons and already has 136 rushing yards and a score in 2022.

That means Belichick and the Patriots defense will have their hands full trying to defend him on Sunday.

It's a big game for both teams, who have each started the season 1-1, and Jackson's performance will likely play a huge part in the outcome. Don't expect the Pats to underestimate Jackson's ability to beat them with his arm.

Joe Haden to Retire from NFL After 12 Seasons; Will Sign 1-Day Contract with Browns

Sep 21, 2022
PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 01: Cleveland Browns Cornerback Joe Haden (23) on the field during the fourth quarter of the National Football League game between the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers on January 1, 2017, at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA. Pittsburgh defeated Cleveland 27-24 in overtime. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 01: Cleveland Browns Cornerback Joe Haden (23) on the field during the fourth quarter of the National Football League game between the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers on January 1, 2017, at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA. Pittsburgh defeated Cleveland 27-24 in overtime. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden is retiring from the NFL.

Drew Rosenhaus, Haden's agent, confirmed to ESPN's Adam Schefter the 33-year-old will sign a one-day contract with the Cleveland Browns to retire with the team that drafted him.

There were rumors leading up to the start of the regular season that teams were expressing interest in Haden.

Pro Football Focus' Doug Kyed reported in June that Haden had "offers currently on the table" to consider.

Haden shot down speculation last month that the Pittsburgh Steelers were attempting to re-sign the veteran defensive back.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Haden intended to keep playing during the offseason and had interest from the Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins and Las Vegas Raiders but no deal materialized.

Haden looked like he was still capable of playing last season, though not at the level he was earlier in his career. PFF.com noted the University of Florida alum posted coverage grades of at least 60.0 in each of the previous five seasons.

On 55 targets as the primary defender in 2021, Haden allowed a completion percentage of 60.0, quarterback rating of 100.1 and three touchdowns. It was his highest completion percentage allowed since Pro Football Reference began tracking it in 2018.

Rather than try to find a situation that might have given him an opportunity to win a Super Bowl, Haden has opted to hang up his cleats after 12 seasons. He was the No. 7 overall pick by the Browns in the 2010 NFL draft.

During his seven-year stint in Cleveland, Haden made the Pro Bowl twice and was named to the All-Pro second team in 2013. He ranks 19th in franchise history with 19 interceptions.

The Steelers signed Haden as a free agent in August 2017 after he was released by the Browns. He spent five years with Pittsburgh, making the Pro Bowl in 2019 and recording 10 interceptions in 68 games.

Joe Burrow Says Bengals Playing 'Nowhere Near Our Standard' After 0-2 Start

Sep 21, 2022
ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 18: Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals drops back to pass against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on September 18, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 18: Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals drops back to pass against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on September 18, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

Joe Burrow knows the Cincinnati Bengals can play better.

"It's only two weeks, obviously not where we want to be at and nowhere near our standard, but we've got 15 weeks of football left," he said during a discussion on The Colin Cowherd Podcast. "A lot of football to be played."

Cincinnati seemed primed to be one of the best teams in the NFL this season. After all, it was coming off a Super Bowl appearance and had many of the same key contributors back, including Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, Joe Mixon and Tee Higgins.

However, the team is 0-2 through two games with an overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and a three-point loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

The biggest issue has been the lack of protection for Burrow, as he was sacked seven times in the loss to the Steelers and six times in the loss to the Cowboys. Starting the season against T.J. Watt and Micah Parsons isn't exactly easy for a new-look offensive line, and it showed in those first two contests.

"I wouldn't say he was better in person because I saw him on film and knew exactly what he was going to be," Burrow said of Parsons. "He's an unbelievably big, strong and fast player. It's not one dimension; there's a lot of good pass-rushers in this league, but not a lot of guys like him. ... They can just move him around and do a lot of different things with him because he's so versatile."

From Cincinnati's perspective, Burrow said the team's slow starts both on individual possessions and the games at large have contributed to the sack issues.

Whether it is starting a drive on 1st-and-15 because of a penalty or being forced into throwing situations because of a deficit on the scoreboard, the Bengals have allowed their opponents to key in on the pass rush in obvious throwing situations.

To their credit, they overcame double-digit deficits in both games once they recovered from those slow starts.

The comebacks fell short by three points, but Cincinnati could easily be 2-0 instead of 0-2 if it wasn't for the beginning of games. It will look to turn things around in Week 3 against the New York Jets, who are coming off their own comeback against the Cleveland Browns.

Fortunately for Burrow and Co., they know they can bounce back from back-to-back losses. After all, it was just last season that they overcame a 2-4 stretch that included two different sets of back-to-back losses just to reach the Super Bowl when they started playing to their standard.

Burrow knows that standard is still there, but they haven't reached it yet in 2022.

Subscribe to AFC North