Bengals

As the Bengals aimed for a game-winning field goal, RB Chase Brown suffered a high-ankle sprain during the crucial moment. Cincinnati OC Dan Pitcher shared his sentiments about Brown’s impact on the team and expressed optimism for his return in the critical Week 18 matchup.

“Chase Brown is a special player, and I think he’s got a bright, bright future in this league as one of the top backs, really in anything you ask him to do,” Pitcher remarked, as reported by SI.com’s Jay Morrison. “And so, obviously, we’re hopeful that we’re going to have him. And I know he’s going to work really hard to be able to be out there for us.”

If Brown is unable to play, RB Khalil Herbert is poised to take on a significant workload. Pitcher praised Herbert’s professionalism and assured that the offense would function efficiently in his expanded role.

“Khalil’s a pro. He’s played a lot of NFL football. He’s been productive. We really like the way he prepares during the week. He’s diligent. We brought him here for a reason.”

“I don’t envision there being any restrictions as to what we can do offensively. If we find ourselves in a spot where we don’t have (Brown), obviously, that’s a difference-making player that we wouldn’t have. So that does affect your mindset. But in terms of what we can game plan, what we can call, I don’t envision there being much restrictions there.”

Ravens

In their Week 17 victory over the Texans on Christmas Day, the Ravens showcased significant defensive improvements, holding their opponents scoreless. Baltimore CB Marlon Humphrey believes the defense has successfully transitioned back to its dominant form.

“Man, I’m not going to lie, I’d say we’ve come full circle,” Humphrey stated, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic.

Ravens HC John Harbaugh expressed pride in the team’s ability to overcome a rocky start and improve while maintaining perspective.

“I’m very pleased,” Harbaugh noted. “The guys went to work, and we knew that it was all correctable. But you have to get to work, and you have to do it. I’ve said numerous times, it’s a week-to-week league, and it’s important to keep things in perspective. It’s a good lesson for everything else besides football, too — keep things in perspective. You can improve. You can get better.”

Following his introduction to the starting lineup, S Ar’Darius Washington acknowledged the collective efforts of players and coaches in achieving the expected results.

“A lot of the success goes to the whole defense and the coaches,” Washington said. “We came in here, and we had made a commitment to each other that we were going to go out there and turn things around, and then the coaches made the changes that needed to be changed. I got in there, and I just helped out.”

Steelers

As reported by Howard Balzer, the Steelers held tryouts for the following players on Friday:

1. QB Zack Annexstad
2. G Gunner Britton
3. G Matt Farniok
4. G Cole Spencer
5. WR Ahmarean Brown
6. WR Lideatrick Griffin
7. WR Tre’Shaun Harrison
8. OT Garret Greenfield
9. C Alec Lindstrom