I like A.J. Green this week. The Bengals probably will be going without Andy Dalton this week, but I still think Green is very much in the running to be the best of the Round One wide receivers.
Historically he’s been really good against Pittsburgh. They just don’t have anyone who can cover him.
And while the Bengals are done to AJ McCarron at quarterback, he’s shown some ability to connect with Green. McCarron, in fact, seems more willing to throw the deep downfield balls than Dalton. My hunch is that’s because Dalton has taken increasing heat in recent years for throwing too many interceptions. McCarron is more fearless (that is, more willing to chuck it up and see what happens – some will get picked, but Green can also turn some of those into long touchdowns).
However you slice it, Green in his last four games against Pittsburgh (that is, a quarter of a season) has caught 36 passes for 556 yards and 3 TDs.
| Green Against Steelers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Venue | No | Yds | TD |
| 2014 | Cin. | 11 | 224 | 1 |
| 2014 | Pitt. | 8 | 82 | 0 |
| 2015 | Pitt. | 11 | 118 | 1 |
| 2015 | Cin. | 6 | 132 | 1 |
—Ian Allan