A.J. Green has a sprained ankle that's expected to cost him six to eight weeks. The season is basically five weeks away, so good chance Green misses a game or two, and they might need to work him back into the action slowly. What does this mean for Tyler Boyd?
I saw somebody on Twitter pointing out that Boyd's numbers last year were better when Green was in the lineup (Green missed the last eight games but for a cameo, one-catch appearance), suggesting that Boyd only thrived when Green was on the field drawing double-teams. Well, that's a crock. Yes, Boyd's numbers were worse in the half season he was in the lineup without Green across from him. But the major difference in the vast majority of those games was the quarterback.
Andy Dalton played all of the first 10 games last year. Boyd averaged nearly 6 catches for 76 yards with 5 TDs; similar numbers in the eight games Green played in and the two games he missed. The Bengals averaged 255 passing yards in those games.
In the 11th game, Dalton got hurt and was lost for the season. It was Jeff Driskel starting the last five games, three of which Boyd played in. In those games, Boyd averaged just 4 catches for 62 yards, and caught 1 TD. The Bengals averaged 179 passing yards in those games.
A much bigger difference than the Bengals being with and without A.J. Green, then, was being with and without Andy Dalton. Dalton won't make anyone's list of the league's top quarterbacks, but a big difference in the lineup than Jeff Driskel, a former sixth-round pick of the 49ers who will probably lose the No. 2 job to fourth-rounder Ryan Finley this preseason.
Cincinnati has problems. Their top pick left tackle is out for the year. Green is probably going to miss the first game or two or three, and they look like the last-place team in the AFC North.
But I think everyone should be very comfortable selecting Tyler Boyd. Looks like the clear No. 1 in the passing game early in the season, and perhaps pretty similar to Green even when both are healthy. And a better bet to be healthy all season.
--Andy Richardson