Bengals

Bengals OC Dan Pitcher acknowledged the need to better protect QB Joe Burrow.

“Anyway, end of the day, not clean enough across the board,” Pitcher said, via NY Times. “We got to help him. That’s the story of the second half. Everybody, coaches, players, all position groups, we got to be better and I’m confident we will be.”

Pitcher added that the team struggled early which put them in a hole later in the drive.

“The early down efficiency went away and we struggled on third down,” Pitcher said. “Really, there are three plays outside the numbers where if we make one of them, we feel better coming out of it. We didn’t make any of them.”

Burrow added that the team has to do a better job of converting when opposing teams give them one-on-one opportunities.

“We know they are going to play man coverage and give us one-on-one opportunities,” Burrow said. “I think they have two of the best in man coverage and they are going to play it. End of the day, we have to make one-on-one plays in big-time spots.”

Burrow said that he’s going to try and do a better job of getting outside of the pocket to make plays.

“I’m going to be a little more aggressive to get out of the pocket and make some plays,” Burrow said. “Every game, you want to get out and see how things are going. How is the defense playing you? How is their front playing? What coverages are we getting?”

Browns

• Browns second-round RB Quinshon Judkins had his first practice with the team on Thursday since mandatory minicamp all the way back in June. Asked if Judkins will play this week, Browns OC Tommy Rees said they’ll take things one day at a time this week. (Scott Petrak)

Steelers

Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers led the offense to multiple scoring drives in his debut, but ended up taking four sacks. Rodgers admitted his back was a little tight but believes he can do better himself to avoid the pass rush a bit.

“I don’t think I was moving that well, so I think I ran kind of into at least one or two sacks,” Rodgers said, via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. “I got to do a better job of using my legs. I might be old, but I still feel like I can move around pretty good, and I wasn’t moving the way I usually like to move.”

Rodgers thought pass protection was good as a whole and wants to get the ball out quicker. 

“I thought the protection was good for most of the game. There’s a couple fundamental things to clean up, but [offensive line coach] Pat [Meyer]’s taking care of those guys, and I just got to get the ball out.”

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