The Joes, Part II
Flacco confirmed that Burrow looked just fine Wednesday in Burrow's first reps in team drills in his rehab from turf toe.
"Joe looked good. It's cool to see him out there," Flacco said after practice. "And, obviously, when you're both now taking reps some conversations happen. Like, 'How do you see this vs. that?' Joe looked good."
Flacco, 40, still likes it because of days like Wednesday, and it's got nothing to do with football.
Take before and after practice. Before they hit the field, there was, apparently, a smattering of amusing discussions.
"Man, that locker room. It's a cool spot. I can't share with you all the crap that we talked about, because it's not appropriate, but it's so much fun," Flacco said. "Even before we were going out to practice today … it's a very unique profession in terms of what we get to talk about while we're on the job."
And then, coming off the field, Flacco kidded wide receiver Tee Higgins about his car.
"I was laughing about how many nice cars we've got in our parking lot over there. I would say this is a pretty good collection of cars in terms of the teams that I've been on," Flacco said. "And we're kind of just laughing about that, because he's a part of that.
"I'm walking to my Ford Expedition, and he's making that whole parking lot sound like it's going through the worst thunderstorm in the world while he's pulling out with his little thing. It's been good. These guys are good guys. They're good football guys."
Defense Putting In Some Myles
There is some thought around Paycor Stadium that third-year defensive end Myles Murphy played the best game of his career the way he set the edge for a career-high seven tackles to go with a sack. Murphy and tackle Kris Jenkins put the third-down hit on Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers that forced an incompletion and the ensuing field goal. It's also the play that may have driven Rodgers from the game with a wrist injury.
Murphy felt as if he's been trying to make something happen.
"Just make the plays that come to you. That come to my side. That come into my gap," Murphy said after Wednesday's practice. "Not trying to force plays to happen. I felt like I was doing that early on in the season. Make the plays that come to you."
Murphy said the focus of the week was fast and penetrate. Particularly key because of the way the Steelers play offense downhill.
"Play fast. Whether you're doing the right or wrong thing," Murphy said. "Play fast, come across the ball, re-set the line of scrimmage. Play fast, everything else falls into place."