Bengals

Bengals HC Zac Taylor said he isn’t concerned about his contract or his status with the team and continues to enter every game as if he’s coaching for his job.

“I don’t think it really matters,” Taylor said, via PFT. “I coach every day like it’s my last. I’ve been through years in 2019 and 2020 that were, literally, you coach every game thinking it could be your last game. And I’ve seen how we responded after that, 2021 and 2022 competing for division titles and championships. So, this year is no different for me. It’s going through adversity. It’s coaching every game in this profession like it could be your last one. I have a lot of confidence in our staff that we’re going to get this turned around and we’re going to finish this season really strong, and put together a great plan to get back to those championships I mentioned. So, very confident we can do all that.”

Browns

• Browns WR Jerry Jeudy has recorded 10 drops this year and had just two receptions for 22 yards in Week 15. Cleveland OC Tommy Rees said they haven’t lost any faith in Jeudy: “I love Jerry Jeudy, I love what he brings to the game, I love his commitment to football. Whether he’s made every catch we’d want, we’re still going to trust him and feature him. That’s what he’s earned with us.” (Scott Petrak)
• Browns RB Quinshon Judkins averaged just 1.8 yards per carry for 21 yards in their recent loss to the Bears. Rees firmly believes that Judkins hasn’t hit a rookie wall: “I don’t.” (Tony Grossi)
• Rees has come up as a candidate for the head coaching job at Michigan. When asked about his candidacy, Reed said he is focused on their upcoming game against the Bills, per Scott Petrak. 
• Browns TE Harold Fannin Jr. had seven receptions on 14 targets in their previous game. Rees said, “The Harold Fannin well is a good one to go to.” (Scott Petrak)

Myles Garrett

Browns DE Myles Garrett is just one sack away from tying Michael Strahan‘s record of 22.5 set back in 2001. Cleveland CB Jimmie Ward said that Garrett setting the record is extremely important to the rest of the roster.

“Everybody knows he’s a Hall of Fame player and his name’s going to go down in history and we’re all here to witness it,” Ward said, via Scott Petrak of BrownsZone. “That means a lot. That’s why I got to get back on the field. I told him, ‘Don’t break the record without me out there.’ I’m hoping he gets it this week.”

As for Garrett signing his four-year, $160 million contract extension back in March after requesting a trade, the star edge rusher said he is glad to have the security he received in his deal. 

“The money didn’t mean much to me,” Garrett said. “It’s nice to have the security, having it guaranteed and not being out there and knowing that if I got hurt, there would be nothing for the rest of my career that they had to give me. And that’s kind of security for my family and the family I hope to have in the future. And it was always about achieving the potential that I knew I had and working together to create something that would stand the test of time. So whether that’s team sacks and chasing that goal, or individual sacks, knowing that there was still more in the tank and more that we could do and more that we could achieve. And I don’t know if it’s my best rushing year as far as what I can do and what I have shown on the field, but statistically it’s shown up with the work that we’ve all put in and I don’t find myself ever being complacent with anything I do. So there’s never going to be any time for me to take it easy over the last because I attack everything same.”